Upper Dorchester County Historical Society

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KOGER - MURRAY - CARROLL HOUSE

The house was built by Joseph Koger, Jr. who was born October 27, 1779 and died in 1866. He served as Captain in the War of 1812, was a member of the SC House (1806-1812), Colleton County Sheriff (1813-1817) and served in the SC Senate (1818-1838). After loosing the election in 1838, he relocated to Mississippi. He served in the Mississippi Senate from 1854-1858 and became known as the "Father of the Mississippi Senate."

His first marriage was to Abigail Sligh Milhouse. She is buried near the house along with their son Alfred James who died at the age of one. His second marriage was to Mary Murray who was the daughter of John Soule Murray. Together they had 11 children.

After Koger moved to Mississippi Senator John Soule Murray purchased the home.  Murray served in the SC Senate from 1840-1843 and was a planter in the vicinity of Murray's Crossroad.

Other owners of the house were John May, Chancellor James P. Carroll, Lewis E. Parler, Mattie A. Hartzog, R. D. Canaday, Henry Allen Westerndorf and Fitzhugh Sweatman, Sr. who purchased the house in 1946. Fitzhugh Sweatman, Jr. inherited the house and in December 2003 he donated it to the Upper Dorchester County Historical Society. Restoration was completed in October 2009.