City Directories and History: BLAKE TENEMENTS
Constructed 1760-72; some renovation circa 1800, late-twentieth century
“Daniel Blake inherited this portion of the original Archdale Square, a site that had been reserved for an early Quaker governor on the old town plan. Blake sold much of the property for development of
buildings that subsequently saw extensive use as lawyers’ offices and lodgings for attorneys and judges. By 1772, as one deed noted, Blake had extensively improved the westernmost part of his property by build-ing “two substantial brick tenements to-gether with convenient outbuildings.” The layout of the buildings, outbuildings, and formal garden with a privy for the western tenement are shown in a detailed plat of 1789. The outbuildings were demolished in the 1960s for county offices. Stone stair-cases lead to the original pedimented door architraves. Most of the windows were re-placed about 1800, but a few eighteenth- century windows with heavy muntins remain on side and rear elevations. The brickwork of the front facade is laid in Flemish bond, while that of the less public facades is finished in English bond.”
Information from: The Buildings of Charleston – J.H. Poston for the Historic Charleston Foundation, 1997
Other sources: Charleston Tax Payers of Charleston, SC in 1860-61, Dwelling Houses of Charleston by Alice R.H. Smith – 1917, Charleston 1861 Census Schedule, and a 1872 Bird’s Eye View of Charleston, S.C. The Hist. Charleston Foundation may also have additional data at: Past Perfect
Courtesy of Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art: Rick Rhodes – photographer, Ronald Ramsey artist – preservationist, 2017. (For the last several decades, native Charlestonian Ronald Wayne Ramsey has focused on meticulously documenting historical buildings—particularly those slated for demolition—in his hometown. As old buildings in the historically-minded city become condemned and readied for demolition, he secrets himself inside and liberates various seemingly mundane objects from their impending destruction. Such objects, like hinges, shutter dogs, decorative ironwork, doorknobs, and other ubiquitous building artifacts gain new relevance once they become part of his salvaged collection, which traces architectural styles from Charleston’s rich architectural legacy. Along with these objects, Ramsey creates fastidiously detailed drawings of old building facades in the city. Text from the Ahead of the Wrecking Ball Exhibit – 2017)
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