When the job is finished by Alumni Day on April 24, Abbeville County will have a historic building added to the South Carolina National Historic Corridor Attractions, costing $8,500 and funded through grant money and donations.

Students, alumni and visitors need only stop by the Alumni House on Main Street to catch a glimpse of what campus life was like in the early days of Erskine College.

There, looking as if tucked away between the house and a parking lot, they’ll find a piece of history that’s only recently been truly regarded: A one-room student cabin more than 150 years old.

It’s the last of its kind, reminding passersby of a time when Due West residents let Erskine students live in cabins on their property.

Rebuilding the 20-by-15-foot structure began two weeks ago – the labor end of the deal, that is. Work actually started long before that, when the American Association of University Women began seeking funds for the project.

When the job is finished by Alumni Day on April 24, Abbeville County will have a historic building added to the South Carolina National Historic Corridor Attractions, costing $8,500 and funded through grant money and donations.

“We’re trying to salvage all we can,” said David Simpson, who – along with two other men with the Erskine maintenance department – has spent about 16 hours a week restoring the cabin.