JOHN GIBBES BARNWELL
Rock Hill City Manager 1915-1919
Rock Hill’s first City Manager was John Gibbes Barnwell, Sr. He was born September 12, 1883
in Georgetown County, SC., the son of W. H. Barnwell and Annie S. Mazyck Barnwell. In
1900, he was a student at Clemson College in the engineering department.1 After receiving his
engineering degree, he worked for a time in the electrical department of a cotton mill in
Columbia. About 1906, he became Superintendent of the water and light plants in York.2 While
in York, he married Meta Deas Boykin about 1908. Meta was born in Kershaw County on
November 2, 1883 to Samuel and Leila Ancrum Boykin.3 The 1910 Census shows the couple
living in York with no children. They were renting a house, and John is listed as Superintendent
of the city electric plant. In the Census, Meta in mistakenly called “Neta O. Barnwell.” John
served with the City of York for six years.
About 1912, John was hired as Superintendent of the Public Works Commission of the City of
Rock Hill. The Commission operated with some independence from the City Council, and had
been created shortly before Barnwell was named as Superintendent.4 Under Barnwell’s
management, Rock Hill’s water and electrical system was expanded significantly. It was
described as one of the best utility systems in the Carolinas, with assets of $299,196 and earnings
of $8,600 per year.5 Extensive improvements were made, and water lines were extended to new
areas.
In late 1914, the City Council voted to reorganize under the Commission-Manager form of
government, with an appointed City Manager working under the commission formed by the
Mayor and City Council. In January 1915, there was an election for a new City Council. There
were eight candidates for the three seats available. Elected were James C. Hardin, Fred A.
Dunlap, and W. G. Stevens.6 Hardin was elected Mayor by the Council. One of the first topics
for the new council was the selection of the first City Manager under the new form of
government. Council members had spent some time studying the operation of the manager
system in other cities.
The new position attracted several candidates. J. Claude Cauthen, who had served on the
previous City Council and was general manager of the Syleuca Manufacturing Company, stated
that he would “be a candidate for the new office of city manager under the new form of city
government.”7 Others mentioned for the position were John Barnwell, Webb White, and C. K.
Chreitzberg.8 There was no mention of a formal application or interview procedure for the
position, and it is unlikely that candidates from out of town were considered. By the end of
January, the Council had abolished the Public Works Commission and was prepared to select a
1
The U. S. Census for 1890 Census shows Barnwell as one of many students in a dormitory.
2
Employment information from the Rock Hill Herald, February 2, 1915.
3
Information from Social Security death index.
4
Rock Hill Herald, January 29, 1915.
5
Rock Hill Herald, January 28, 1915.
6
Rock Hill Herald, January 15, 1915.
7
Rock Hill Herald, January 8, 1915.
8
Rock Hill Herald, January 15, 1015.
manager. On February 1, the Council met for its regular meeting, and one of the items of
business was the selection of the new manager. The name of John Barnwell was the only one
presented to Council, and he was selected unanimously, “the term of office being at the will of
Council, at a salary of $200.00 per month.”9 Barnwell was certainly a qualified candidate. Since
the utility system was one of the most important functions of the City, it was logical to find
someone experienced in that area, a pattern which would be repeated with many of the early city
managers. In a national publication, Barnwell’s previous experience as a manager and chief
engineer of utilities, both public and private, for fourteen years, was emphasized.10
Barnwell immediately began to make recommendations for improvements to the Council. At his
first meeting, on February 8, he proposed consolidating city offices and purchasing an
addressograph machine to automate the addressing of water and light bills to reduce expenses.
The Council also was busy: “The question of rules and regulations governing the work of the city
manager was discussed at length, but no definite action was taken.”11 By the end of February,
Barnwell submitted specifications for changes to the offices in City Hall (then located in the
block of Hampton Street between Main and Black). He also began discussing drainage problems
for a stream called Saluda Branch that originated on Black Street near Central School (now the
site of the Child Development Center) and flowed south through the new subdivision of
Woodland Park. Street lamps were approved for Hagins and Moore Streets and Pond Street, and
an ordinance was considered for restricting chickens from running at large in town. The Council
placed a bond of $10,000 on the manager position.12 In March, the activity increased, with
council receiving twelve reports from the manager on March 1,13 changes to the water and light
rates being considered, the chicken ordinance passed, and an ordinance proposed prohibiting
skating or bicycles on the sidewalks. The plans for solution to the Saluda Creek drainage were
completed, and contacts were being made with property owners to secure easements.14
It appears that the new manager made an excellent start. Obviously, his previous experience in
York and with the Public Works Commission prepared him well, and he was very familiar with
the city, the public needs, and the people he needed to work with.
In 1911, just before coming to Rock Hill, Barnwell and his wife Meta had a son, John Gibbes
Barnwell, Jr. They would have two other children, Meta Boykin Barnwell, born about 1916
while John was serving as City Manager, and William Habersham Barnwell, born in 1921.
Some personal information can be found in John’s draft registration form for World War I,
submitted on September 12, 1918. His home address is listed as 315 Marion Street and his
occupation listed as City Manager. He is described as tall and slender, with gray eyes and light
hair. At the time, he was about 34 years old.15 In 1919, the local news column reported that
“Mr. and Mrs. John Barnwell and family left yesterday for a week’s visit with friends and
relatives in Boykin.”16
9
10
City Council Minutes, February 1, 1915.
Yearbook of the City Managers’ Association: Proceeding of the Sixth Annual Meeting, May 1920.
11
Rock Hill Herald, February 9, 1915.
12
Rock Hill Herald, February 23, 1915.
13
Rock Hill Herald, March 2, 1915.
14
Rock Hill Herald, March 9, 1915 and March 16, 1915.
15
Draft registration located on Ancestry.com.
16
Rock Hill Herald, July 17, 1919.
During the summer of 1919, the City Council began to discuss the need for street paving in Rock
Hill. They held public meetings and invited outside experts to describe what other progressive
cities were doing to pave streets. Undoubtedly, Barnwell was working closely on this project.
By late July the city attorneys were instructed to develop a petition which could lead to a
referendum on a major bond issue. The vote was held in late October, and voters approved
issuance of bonds in the amount of $400,000 for street paving, $100,000 for water system
improvements, and $50,000 for sewer system improvements.17 This was a major undertaking,
and capped Barnwell’s accomplishments as City Manager.18
On November 1, 1919, John Barnwell announced his intention to resign his position to accept the
job of Assistant Treasurer for the Aragon Cotton Mills in Rock Hill. He would succeed L. D.
Pitts, who moved to the Blue Buckle Mill (successor to the Manchester Cotton Mill). The
resignation was effective December 1, 1919. The Rock Hill Herald reported “He has made a
most capable manager, and the affairs of the city have been conducted on a business basis since
the new form of government was inaugurated. Members of the council stated today that the
resignation would be accepted with great reluctance…Mr. Barnwell stated today that he hated to
give up the work, but that the offer received from the Aragon Mill was too tempting to turn
down. It is understood that Mr. Barnwell will receive a salary that will make his present wage
look exceedingly small.”19
It is not known how long Mr. Barnwell remained with the Aragon Mill. The family does not
appear in the 1920 Census. In the 1930 and 1940 Census reports, the family is reported in
Whitmire, South Carolina. John Barnwell was working for J. P. Stevens and Company,
apparently for the remainder of his career. In 1930, all three children were at home. John, Jr.
was 19, Meta was 14 and William was 9. In 1940, the family was living on Harison [Harrison]
Street in Whitmire, and John is listed as Manager of a textile mill office. The family lived in a
rental home, probably provided by the mill, and his income was $4,000 per year. Of the
children, only William was at home, aged 19. Census data has not been released for years after
1940.
In 1951, John and Meta appear in the Atlanta City Directory, living in Brookhaven, a northern
suburb near Chamblee. It is not known whether John was working or whether the couple was
retired. Meta died on December 19, 1965, and John died July 18, 1970 at the age of 86.20 The
State newspaper carried an obituary for Mr. Barnwell which reviewed his career. It stated that he
was to be buried in Laurelwood Cemetery in Rock Hill and described him as the first City
Manager of Rock Hill and a retired executive with J. P. Stevens and Company.21 Most of the
family is buried in Laurelwood Cemetery in Rock Hill. Elder son John Gibbes Barnwell, Jr. died
in 1935 at the age of 24. He was killed in an automobile accident in Union. A news notice in
The Herald stated: “Funeral services for John G. Barnwell of Whitmire, son of J. G. Barnwell,
18
17
Rock Hill Herald, October 29, 1919.
The web site U. S. Inflation Calculator, using the official Consumer Price Index, places the total value of the bond
issue at $7,536,000 in today’s dollar.
19
Rock Hill Herald, November 1, 1919.
20
Social Security death index information listed on Ancestry.com
21
The State, July 19, 1970.
former Rock Hill City Manager, who was killed in an automobile-train accident at Union
yesterday, were conducted from the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour here today and interment
was in Laurelwood Cemetery…Those attending filled the church to overflowing.”22 William H.
Barnwell died in 1980 at the age of 59. Although when his father died in 1970, he was listed as
living in Charlotte, his address at his death in 1980 was Fort Mill. The obituary reported that
William graduated from The Citadel in 1941 and also received a degree in textile engineering
from North Carolina State University. He had served as a Captain in the US Army in World War
II. The family belonged to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fort Mill. William had married Betty
Cline, and they had three sons and a daughter. He had worked at Celanese Fibers since 1966.23
Meta B. Barnwell, the daughter of John and Meta Barnwell, married Archer D. Smith, and they
lived in Eastover in southern Richland County. Mrs. Smith died in 2005 at the age of 90. She is
the only member of the family who was not buried in Laurelwood Cemetery in Rock Hill. Her
funeral was at St. John’s Episcopal Church of Congaree, and she is buried at the church
cemetery.24 There was no full obituary, and children were not listed.
22
Rock Hill Herald, October 5, 1935.
Rock Hill Herald, April 21, 1980.
24
The State, October 18, 2005.
23
NOTE: for the purposes of contacting relatives of Mr. Barnwell, the following information is
provided from obituaries:
When John G. Barnwell died in 1970, the following survivors were listed:
Daughter, Mrs. Archer D. Smith of Eastover, SC
Son, William H. Barnwell of Charlotte, NC
Brothers: William H. Barnwell, Sr., of Atlanta, GA
Julian M. Barnwell of Spartanburg, SC
Paul M. Barnwell of Sea Cliffs, NY
Sister: Mrs. T. C. Heyward of Charlotte, NC
When son William H. Barnwell died in 1980, the following survivors were listed:
Wife, Betty Cline Barnwell of Fort Mill, SC
Sons: John G. Barnwell of Chester, SC
W. H. Barnwell of Santa Cruz, CA
J. C. Barnwell of Fort Mill, SC
Daughter, Mrs. Stephen Mays of Asheville, NC
Sister, Mrs. Meta Smith of Eastover, SC
When daughter Meta Barnwell Smith died in 2005, there was no listing of survivors.