2708 Stratford Road
The Tiger Killer's Home
This 1936 Tudor Revival house was built by Columbia contractor Luther E. Black for Tatum Wannamaker Gressette (1900—1997), a hall of fame football player for the University of South Carolina (USC) who later dedicated his life to public service. Gressette was known as the 'Tiger Killer' for his surprise 25-yard-drop-kick field goal in the 1920 Carolina-Clemson rivalry game, the only points scored in that contest. The following year he again led Carolina to victory over Clemson as the captain of the team. He later served as the Citadel's head football coach for eight seasons and as a high-school coach in Georgia. In 1940, he established the Buck A Month club, which eventually became the modern day Gamecock Club. In 1951, he was appointed as the first director of the South Carolina Retirement System.
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2708 Stratford Road, 2015. Historic Columbia collection
