Mailing Address:
Special Collections
College of Charleston Library
66 George Street
Charleston, SC 29424

Phone:
(843) 953-8016

Title: Wolff family papers

Collection #: Mss 1045

Dates: 1873-1920

Size: .375 linear ft.

Biographical Note: Henry (Heimann) Wolff emigrated from Germany in the 1800s. He settled in Allendale, South Carolina, and ran Wolff Department Store, a general merchandise business that sold items from cotton to coffins. Wolff married Rachel (Ray) Pearlstine of Branchville, SC, and had three children, Cecile, Sura and Louis. He died in 1914 from pneumonia.

Scope and Content Note:

Collection contains 37 letters, handwritten in gothic German with some passages in Yiddish and Hebrew. Letters contain correspondence (1873-1899) between members of the Wolff family in Germany and Henry Wolff in Allendale, SC. Several letters written on Henry Wolff's business letterhead, "Henry Wolff/Dealer in General Merchandise, Cotton and Fertilizers/Allendale, SC."

Most correspondence is dated; many letters came from Rogowo (now part of Poland); several letters written to Henry Wolff from relatives in New York. A number of letters appear to be incomplete and one group is not dated. Letters have been photocopied and translated.

Papers also contain material Lena Pearlstine Berkman (donor's great-aunt) used to teach the Wolff children Hebrew; includes book (1868), "The American Hebrew Primer: an easy method of teaching," by L. Aufrecht, and two copy books (ca. 1920) of notes used to guide students (Sura Wolff Wengrow included) through Hebrew lessons.

Inventory:

				Box#/Folder#
I.		Correspondence
	A.	1870s-Photocopies: Nine letters; includes letters to Henry Wolff from Moritz Wolff, Michael Wolff, Samuel Wolff and Pauline Wolff from Rogowo; USE PHOTOCOPIES		1/1
	B.	1870s-Originals		1/2
	C.	1880s-Photocopies: Four letters; includes letters from Michael Wolff in Rogowo; return correspondence from Henry Wolff in Allendale, SC to Pauline Wolff (one letter on "Henry Wolff/Dealer in General Merchandise, Cotton and Fertilizers" stationary; USE PHOTOCOPIES		1/3
	D.	1880s-Originals		1/4
	E.	1890s-Photocopies: Eighteen letters; includes letters from Henry Wolff on his Allendale business letterhead to his family in Germany; letters to Henry Wolff from "Jenny" in New York, from Michael Wolff in Rogowo, from Paula Busch, from Samuel Wolff in Brooklyn, NY, from Moritz Wolff; USE PHOTOCOPIES		1/5
	F.	1890s-Originals		1/6
	D.	No Date-Photocopies: Six letters; many are fragments of letters; handwriting matches earlier letters from Henry Wolff’s relatives in Germany; includes letter in Hebrew; USE PHOTOCOPIES		1/7
	E.	No Date-Originals		1/8
II.		Material for teaching Hebrew: owned by Lena Pearlstine Berkman; book, "The American Hebrew Primer: an easy method of teaching," by L. Aufrecht, 1868; also includes two copy books (ca. 1920) of notes used to guide students (Sura Wengrow included) through Hebrew lessons.		1/9