The Tauber House

The house at 223 Main Street was built in the late 1880’s or early 1890’s by AE Morton who was the undertaker.  It was later purchased by Charles Tauber, owner of the Tauber (previously Lamb) woolen mill.

These pictures show the Tauber House as seen in 1915.

The three front rooms of the house still contain the original oak trim that matches the staircase.  The large picture window on the east and the bay windows on the west side are original.  The bay window shown in the picture at the front of the house was removed in 1938 by then owner Walter Pfeiffer who was a nephew to Charles Tauber and manager of the woolen mill.   The window was replaced with an open fireplace and attractive outside chimney (according to a newspaper notice).

The home was the first in Spartansburg to have “indoor plumbing” and the clawfoot tub, “John Douglas” toilet and pedestal sink are still in use in the home, having been moved to a second-floor bath.  About 1920, Harley Carpenter installed a generator in Spartansburg and this house became one of the first 7 to have electricity.

The carriage house was constructed about 1900 and has only been modified slightly with a change in the doors to accommodate motor vehicles owned by Mr. Tauber and Mr. Pfeiffer.  Behind the carriage house, the foundation is all that remains of the ice house.  The sawdust-filled walls of this structure stored ice that was cut from Clear Lake during the winter.

The house passed on from Walter Pfeiffer to his granddaughter, Cheryl Lithgow Conner during the 1960’s before it was purchased by the Stranahans, who are the current owners.