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Charleston County

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Courtesy of the Wingard Postcard Collection – 2013

Second Empire Style  was first seen in America in the 1850s and flourished after the Civil War. It was so commonly employed in that era that it was sometimes referred to as the “General Grant style.”  –  The Second Empire style had its beginnings in France, where it was the chosen style during the reign of Napoleon III (1852-70), France’s Second Empire, hence its name. Well-attended exhibitions in Paris in 1855 and 1867 helped to spread Second Empire style to England and then the United States. – Other commonly seen details are a bracketed cornice beneath the mansard roof, round arched windows, decorative dormer windows, an iron crest at the roofline, and columned porches or porticoes.  Courtesy of the Penn Arch. Guide – Website
Image taken in 2015 by R&R

Image taken in 2015 by R&R

 Image taken in 2015 by R&R

Image taken in 2015 by R&R

 Photo by Gazie Nagle @ www.fineartbygazie.com

Photo by Gazie Nagle @ www.fineartbygazie.com
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149 Wentworth Street – Francis S. Rodgers House

Get Directions Latitude: 32.7798784     Longitude: -79.9398664

City Directories and History:    FRANCIS SILAS RODGERS MANSION; Constructed 1885-87,  Daniel G. Wayne, architect

R&R HISTORY LINK: DANIEL G. WAYNE – ARCHITECT

“Francis Rodgers, a wealthy cotton factor and councilman, built this stunning example of the

Photo by Gazie Nagle @ www.fineartbygazie.com

Photo by Gazie Nagle @ www.fineartbygazie.com

Second Empire style of architecture. The four-story, 13,883 square- foot house dominates this neighborhood. Especially notable is the mansard roof with cast-iron railing and cupola. Finished with Philadelphia red brick, the dwelling is highlighted by stone lintels and quoins. A detail in the shape of a cotton plant positioned under a bay window clearly reflects Rodgers’s business interests. The property had several outbuildings, including a small gas plant that provided lighting. The house was being planned by Rodgers as early as 1881 but was not completed until after the earthquake of 1886.

Mr. Rodgers was also a director of the Union Cotton Press Company. Sholes' Directory of the City of Charleston - 1882

Mr. Rodgers was also a director of the Union Cotton Press Company. Sholes’ Directory of the City of Charleston – 1882

Rodgers used the house as his residence until his death in 1911. His obituary stated that “the house in which Mr. Rodgers spent the last years of his life is considered one of the handsomest in the city.” It stayed in the family until 1920, when it was sold to the Scottish Rite Cathedral Association. Atlantic Coast Life Insurance Co. held the building from 1940 until 1996.”

Information from: The Buildings of Charleston – J.H. Poston – Author, for the Historic Charleston Foundation, 1997

R&R NOTE: Mr. Rodgers was highly influencal in many circles but not more so than the firm of Pelzer and Rodgers, one of the largest factors in S.C. See Thread Link icons this page.

Other sources of interest: Charleston Tax Payers of Charleston, SC in 1860-61 and the Dwelling Houses of Charleston by Alice R.H. Smith – 1917  The HCF may also have additional data at: Past Perfect and further research can be uncovered at: Charleston 1861 Census Schedule or The Charleston City Guide of 1872

 

Also see: Wentworth Mansion and Circa 1886 Restaurant

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CONNECTING THE DOTS ON R&R – PELZER AND RODGERS COMPANY

CONNECTING THE DOTS ON R&R – RODGER’S PARTNER MR. PELZER LIVED HERE

 Please enjoy this structure and all those listed in Roots and Recall. But remember each is private property. So view them from a distance or from a public area such as the sidewalk or public road.

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Please enjoy this structure and all those listed in Roots and Recall. But remember each is private property. So view them from a distance or from a public area such as the sidewalk or public road. Do you have information to share and preserve? Family, school, church, or other older photos and stories are welcome. Send them digitally through the “Share Your Story” link, so they too might be posted on Roots and Recall.

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