Taylor Foundation of Newberry, Inc.
739 Kendall Road
P. O. Box 399
Newberry, South Carolina 29108
803-276-3752  fax 803-276-6750

First Grant

In 1986, because of the large number of homes in Newberry County that had no running water, for our first grant(s), the board decided to try to help a home or two.

After meeting with the head of our local Department of Social Services office we decided to run an ad in the Newberry Observer seeking applications for homes needing water.  Over 20 applications were received and screened by the Department of Social Services and us. 

Several field trips were made before we selected two applications – Cleovous O. Holman and Catherine Blair.

Residence of 
Cleovous O. Holman
Mid Carolina Club Road
Prosperity, SC

Edith C. Patterson of Newberry sent his application to us.

Cleovous, a blind 63-year-old man, lived in a clapboard house that he owned.  He lived in this house all his life and with his parents until their deaths.  Born blind, he graduated from S. C. State College in 1978 with a degree in Political Science.

There was a well in the yard where he removed water by hand with a rope and bucket.  The well water was tested but the bacteria was so high that the water could not be disinfected.  Therefore, we contacted Newberry County Water and Sewer Authority about installing a water line to his house. Since Cleovous had monthly Social Security checks, he felt he could pay the monthly water bill. 

In addition to the water line, we built a bathroom inside his kitchen.  A lavatory and bathtub was added in this room.  Cleovous paid for a hot water heater.

His kitchen table was deplorable.  We found a suitable free replacement table in one of our mini warehouses. 

Cleovous died in 1989 and was buried at Mount Hebron, AME Church.  Two brothers and five sisters survived him.

The total cost ($3,800.93) for this work was paid in March 1987. 

         Residence of
       Catherine Blair
    Little Mountain, SC

The application was sent in by Catherine with this additional note “!Please Help!”

Catherine lived with her two daughters (approximate ages 20 and 4).  She worked for the Newberry Convalescent Center.  She owned her home.

Around two years previous she had paid a $250 deposit to Newberry County Water and Sewer Authority to run the water line to her property.  The Water Authority later advised her that the line would cost too much for them to run unless some of her neighbors would also add water.  Her neighbors decided that they would not make deposits until after the water line was run.

Catherine had fixtures in place – toilet, bathroom sink, and kitchen sink.  A septic tank had been installed.

We paid for the water line to be run to her house and the cost to connect the fixtures to the water line.

The total cost ($4,486.16) for this project was paid in March 1987.