Winnsboro in Fairfield County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
James Wilson Hudson
M Z S
1777.
JACOBO WILSON HUDSON,
Montis Zion Collegii annos vigenti tres.
singulari felicitate Pręsidi.
Multa pręclara in tam longissimo
curriculo et didicit et docuit.
In literis eruditus, in disciplina solers,
tenax propositi, in omni officio
doctor pręstantissimus exstitit.
Laudem quam sibi ipse peperit,
illam hoc marmor non tam perpetuare
potest quam celebrare.
(English translation of the Latin inscription) To James Wilson Hudson, who for twenty-three years served with extraordinary success as President of Mount Zion College. In so very long a career he distinguished himself in both learning and teaching. Well-versed in letters, skilled in instruction, steadfast in purpose, he showed himself in every aspect of his work a most excellent educator. It is the power of this marble less to perpetuate than to celebrate that glory which he obtained for himself.
Sacred to the Memory
of
James Wilson Hudson
born October 4th. A.D. 1802,
died September 21st, A.D. 1857
This Monument is erected over his remains, as a tribute to worth and usefulness.
In Memory
of
Brother James W. Hudson
of DeKalb Lodge No. 6, I.O. of O.F.
In Memory of
Brother James W. Hudson
of Winnsboro Lodge No. 11, A. Fr. M.
(signed) W. T. White, Ch. S. C.
Erected 1857 by the Mount Zion Society, Dekalb Lodge No. 6 of Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Winnsboro Lodge No. 11 Free Masons, and his pupils and friends.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Education. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1941.
Location. 34° 23.022′ N, 81° 5.046′ W. Marker is in Winnsboro, South Carolina, in Fairfield County. Marker is at the intersection of Hudson Street and Walnut Street, on the left when traveling east on Hudson Street. It is on the grounds of the former Mt. Zion Institute. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Winnsboro SC 29180, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Mt. Zion Society (within shouting distance of this marker); South East Asia (within shouting distance of this marker); World War (within shouting distance of this marker); Confederate Dead of Fairfield County (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); British Headquarters (about 400 feet away); Wynne Dee (about 500 feet away); Bethel Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); James Henry Carlisle (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Winnsboro.
More about this marker. The marble monument has a three-tiered square base of marble, inscribed on four sides, and is crowned with a 14 foot marble obelisk. There is an elaborate sculpture on the west side of the obelisk, with the other three faces blank. It was sculpted by W. T. White circa 1857.
The phrase tenax propositi is an allusion to a verse of Horace, Ode 3.3.1.
The initials M. Z. S. stand for the Mt. Zion Society, formed in 1777 to found and operate the school.
Regarding James Wilson Hudson. James Wilson Hudson was a president of Mt. Zion Institute, the first school to be established in the South Carolina Upcountry, in 1777. It became a public school around 1878.
Additional commentary.
1. From "History of Fairfield County, South Carolina" by William Ehrington, undated
"Afterward, during the administration of J.W. Hudson, under whom, from 1834 to 1838, the institution acquired a reputation so extensive within the limits of the Southern States, the building was greatly enlarged . First a three story brick building was added to the rear and then similar additions were made to the north and south side of the main building. This splendid structure was destroyed in May 1867 by an accidental fire, greatly to the grief of the community."
— Submitted March 3, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on December 8, 2008, by Michael Sean Nix of Spartanburg, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,940 times since then and 30 times this year. Last updated on July 27, 2011, by Gregory Guderian of Belleville, New Jersey. It was the Marker of the Week September 25, 2011. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 8, 2008, by Michael Sean Nix of Spartanburg, South Carolina. 5. submitted on July 27, 2011, by Gregory Guderian of Belleville, New Jersey. 6. submitted on December 8, 2008, by Michael Sean Nix of Spartanburg, South Carolina. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.