720 Magnolia Road
Owner: Kingfisher Investments VI, LLC
Nominator: John Hagerty, Manager of the owner LLC
Designer: Susan Simons
Contractor: Riverland Builders, LLC
The brick school building at 720 Magnolia Drive was first opened as a public elementary school in the mid-twentieth century, and was historically known as Albemarle Elementary School. The school closed its doors in the early 1980’s, and after abandonment in 2011, the building was vacant until rehabilitation work commenced in 2017. The building is now an event and gathering space known as The Schoolhouse.
Preservation of the historic character and fabric was integrated with goals of retaining a traditional neighborhood gathering space. Through this project, original oak flooring was retained throughout, and dropped ceilings were removed to expose original wood trusses. Original concrete floors were maintained and polished, and windows were repaired in place where possible. Over all, historic spatial relationships were maintained by preserving the dimensions of most original classrooms, hallways and gathering spaces, maintaining its connection as an historic community space.
36 Meeting Street (Pro Merito)
Owner: Mr. and Mrs. John and Charlie Barnes
Architect: Randolph Martz
Landscape Architect: Glen Gardner
Contractor: Tupper Builders, Inc.
The three-story single house at 36 Meeting Street was constructed in 1743, and was later renovated in the Greek Revival Style in the mid-nineteenth century. Based on research done as part of this project, the house was renamed the Brunet-Hall House after discovery of the original owner’s name. The Brunet-Hall House was awarded a Carolopolis Award for exterior restoration in 1981.
A notable aspect of this project was the conversion of 36 Meeting from a four-unit bed and breakfast back to a single-family residence. During the renovation, exterior brickwork was repointed, deteriorating wood siding, columns and shutters were repaired or replaced in-kind. A modern kitchenette addition and exterior spiral staircase were removed, and the cantilevered rear piazza was restored. On the interior, original features like cypress wainscoting and crown molding, mantelpieces, and original flooring were preserved.
50 South Street
Owner/Developer: William W. Easterlin
Contractor: Rockwell Construction
Dating to the 1880’s, the two-story single house at 50 South Street was constructed utilizing a combination of balloon framing and heavy timber framing techniques.
This project included the in-kind replacement of a new hand-rolled standing seam metal roof, installation of restoration-grade, operable replacement windows where original windows could not be salvaged, preservation of most of the original weatherboard siding, and reconstruction of the piazza. The piazza screen, door surround, and hood and brackets were recreated based on examples of comparably dated houses in the neighborhood.
79 South Battery
Owner: Shannon and Hal Ravenel
Architect: Virginia Dawson Lane
Contractor: Ravenel Construction Group
The masonry house at 79 South Battery was built in 1929 as a two-story house, and by 1944 appears on Sanborn Maps as flanked by two one-story wings to the east and west.
Through this project, a master bedroom space was sensitively added to the side and rear of the building. The addition features a simple parapet roofline and is connected to the original house with a simple, clearly delineated hyphen. The primary portion of the addition is built in white brick in-keeping with the rest of the house. All work was executed in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, maintaining a “balance between differentiation and compatibility.”
81 Line Street
Owner: Trey Sedalik
Architect: Andrew Gould/New World Byzantine
Contractor: Flyway
The two-story wood frame single house at 81 Line Street was built in 1874. By the time of recent rehabilitation work, major structural repair was necessary.
The 81 Line Street project included extensive structural stabilization. Windows and doors were carefully removed, restored and reinstalled, along with new operable shutters. The roof was replaced with a new metal roof matching the existing in detail. The project was able to salvage much of the original siding. Most notably, an inappropriate, concrete block addition was removed, restoring the piazza.
1081 Morrison Drive (New Construction)
Owner: RCC Investors 1081 Morrison, LLC
Project Designer: Andrew Gould/New World Byzantine
Architect: Dan Sweeney, Stumphouse
Contractor: Linden Construction
As one of the only timber-frame, enclosed buildings constructed in Charleston in recent years, 1081 Morrison Drive is a detached addition to the Edmund’s Oast restaurant. No. 1081 Morrison Drive was constructed using remnants from Sire’s Lumber Yard circa the 1930’s, and Langston Motors built in the 1980’s, and is the first building to be built substantially from scratch by American College of the Building Arts craftsmen.
The exterior is solid masonry, consisting of 8” thick CMU with details executed in salvaged old Charleston brick. Brick arches were built adhering to traditional practices, with wooden centering and string compasses. The building exemplifies the best quality of local design, craftsmanship and materials, and effectively adds character to a largely industrial section of the city.
86 Cannon Street
Owner: Marion Hawkins
Designer: Julie O’Connor,
American Vernacular, Inc.
Contractor: John Frick, Level Building Projects
The two-and-one-half story wooden single house at 86 Cannon Street was constructed in 1862, and has housed multiple Charleston police chiefs, and more recently, the family of Septima Poinsette Clark, renowned Civil Rights activist. Rehabilitation and restoration work began in 2015 to maintain the property’s historic character, while sensitively adapting the house for use as an inn.
Restoration work consisted of slate roof repair, column restoration, repointing of brick elements, and restoration of the character defining details. The non-historic, front stairs were replaced, and an inappropriate addition that connected the main house to the rear building was removed.
44 South Battery (Pro Merito)
Owner: Emily and Carl Carlson
Architect: Glenn Keyes Architects
Contractors: Rhode Construction(Piazza Restoration)
and NBM Construction (Exterior and Interior Rehabilitation)
The three-story masonry house at 44 South Battery was built circa 1835 by sisters Anne and Catherine Johnston, for whom the house has been historically named the Johnston House. This three story plantation style house was enlarged in 1870, and again in 1888.
The 2014-2016 rehabilitation included the restoration of the piazza, a defining element of the house. Badly deteriorated, the piazza was reinforced, and all the original materials and details were restored. Modern plumbing and electrical conduit were removed from the exterior, all exterior doors windows were restored, and cracked stucco was repaired. The original substantial wood picket fence on masonry piers, along with the carved lattice gates were preserved. Such fences tended to be more common devices for enclosure of early Charleston lots, and most have disappeared from across the city.
51 Pitt Street
Owner: Bethel United Methodist Church
Architect: Stubbs Muldrow Herin Architects
Contractor: Palmetto Craftsmen
The two-story wood frame building at 51 Pitt Street was built in the 1890’s, and was subject to several subsequent alterations prior to recent rehabilitation work. No. 51 Pitt Street is today known as the Chip Center for Bethel United Methodist Church.
Exterior rehabilitation consisted of removal of non-historic aluminum siding, repair of original Dutch lap wood siding, historic window repair, preservation of character-defining bracketed cornice work, and the addition of a new ramp and stair. The previous piazza enclosure was removed and replaced by infill more sensitive to the original piazza dimensions. A compatible but differentiated addition was added to the rear of the building to create a community gathering space and Food Pantry pickup location.
26 Church Street (Pro Merito)
Owner: Kim and Warren Jolly
Architect: E.E. Fava Architects
Contractor: Tupper Builders, Inc.
Construction of the three-story masonry single house at 26 Church Street began in 1794, and is known today as the James Watt House after the grocer who completed the house in the early 19th century. Alterations were made in the Greek Revival Style ca. 1840, and in 1965, 26 Church was awarded a Carolopolis Award for a partial exterior restoration.
Primary goals of this project consisted of maintaining original character and patina, repointing exposed exterior masonry, restoring original openings and traditional piazza elements, and replacing deteriorated historic material in-kind. A glazed hyphen was added to connect the main house and the kitchen house, and the rear garden was redesigned.
247 Congress Street
Owner: John Schumacher
Architect: Julia F. Martin Architects
Contractor: Lennon Construction
The current two-story wood frame building at 247 Congress Street was built in 1929 on the site of a smaller commercial building historically called, “Harold’s Cabin.” By the late 1940’s a large one-story addition was added to the rear of the building. Today, the building serves as a restaurant, bar and mercantile also called “Harold’s Cabin.”
Exterior work included repairing the original standing seam terne metal roof, porches, and preserving original windows. The novelty siding and original brick flue chimney were also restored. The rear addition was sensitively modified to house the restaurant’s kitchen and rooftop vegetable garden.
40 Tradd Street
Owner: Peter and Yvonne Weiss
Architect: Glenn Keyes Architects
Contractor: Richard Marks Restorations
Constructed in 1718, this early two and one half story masonry building at 40 Tradd Street is one of the few buildings in this section of the historic district to survive the many fires of the eighteenth and nineteenth century that decimated this part of the city.
Restoration of 40 Tradd Street included stucco repair, installation of a new hand-rolled copper roof, as well as the repair and in-kind replacement of windows. The Paneled and louvered shutters were restored and made operable again. Notably, during the process of restoration, original beaded baseboard, flat panel wainscoting, and original plasterwork were uncovered. Restoration work was done with an incredibly light touch on this very early survivor.
29 Kennedy Street
Owner: Steven A. Grossman
Architect: Andrew Gould/New World Byzantine
Contractor: Flyway
Built in the early twentieth century, the two-story wood frame house at 29 Kennedy Street underwent a major restoration in 2016. This project included raising the house on a newly installed foundation, replacement of the entire floor system, repair of extensive termite damage, and restoration of the piazza by removal of the second floor enclosure. Most of the original weatherboard siding was saved, and the windows and doors were carefully removed, repaired and replaced. This renovation will ensure that this early twentieth century single house remains viable for years to come.
129 Queen Street
Owner: Craig and Kate Coit
Architect: David Richards
Contractor: Paul Koenig, Crest Contractors, LLC
Built in the 1830’s, 129 Queen is a two-story masonry house originally owned by a Catholic Nunnery and used as a home for orphans. Prior to its recent restoration, 129 Queen stood vacant for an extended period of time, exposing the exterior and interior to severe damage and rot.
Project components included the application of a lime-based stucco, the installation of a new standing seam copper roof, and the restoration or in-kind replacement of windows. Additionally, a non-historic rear addition was replaced, and the historic piazzas were restored through the removal of the second-floor piazza enclosure.