City Directories and History: THOMAS ROSE HOUSE
Constructed circa 1735; restored 1929, 1939
“Indicative of the merchant house plan in American and English port cities, the Thomas Rose House reflects the asymmetrical plan used for larger dwellings in Charleston during the second quarter of the eighteenth century. The Rose House stands two and a half stories high with five bays on the front facade, topped by a brick cornice, and capped by a hipped slate roof. The second-floor drawing room or dining parlor extends across the entire floor, constituting one of the earliest surviving examples of this plan in the city. An exterior central doorway once led directly to a first-floor counting room. This door was walled up when piazzas were added in the nineteenth century.
Thomas Rose constructed the house on original Charles Town lot #61, inherited by his wife Beauler Elliott, replacing an earlier dwelling. A 1734 letter to Thomas’s brother Richard Rose in England requesting that bricklayers be sent to Charleston appears related to the construction of the house. It was sold by Rose shortly after completion to the Savage family, who owned it for the next ninety years, keeping twelve slaves on the property.
Sympathetic northern owners, the Frank Whitmans, restored the house in 1929, using local restoration architect Albert Simons. The Victorian piazza details were removed and replaced by woodwork imitating Neoclassical moldings. The structure was later purchased by the Connecticut architectural historian Henry Philip Staats, and further restoration work was undertaken. Staats was a founder of Historic Charleston Foundation and with his wife, Juliette Wiles Staats, bolstered preservation and artistic endeavors in Charleston.
The original kitchen and laundry out-buildings survive and were incorporated into the present house plan via a twentieth-century addition. The property is held by the Church Street Historic Foundation, which the Staats family established to preserve this area of the city. It is privately occupied.”
Information from: The Buildings of Charleston – J.H. Poston for the Historic Charleston Foundation, 1997
Although considerably altered since its erection in 1735-1740, the Thomas Rose House is one of Charleston’s best specimens of colonial architecture. It is a two and a half story Georgian brick townhouse which retains most of its fine original, early Georgian paneling. The square house is five bays wide and four bays deep with stucco-covered walls and a hipped roof with dormers. A large two-story porch was added about 1830 along the south side; it contains a fanlighted street entrance door flanked by engaged half-round Tuscan columns and is topped by triangular pediment. Present main entrance, also dating from ca. 1830, is in second bay of south side. The original entrance was in center of the street façade. The house has a typical Charleston “double house” plan. Historical architect Albert Simons restored and modernized the residence in 1929. The bath and kitchen were added, missing mantels replaced, one bedroom subdivided, and original detached kitchen connected to main house. Listed in the National Register October 15, 1970. (Courtesy of the SC Dept. of Archives and History)
View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property.
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
Stay Connected
Explore history, houses, and stories across S.C. Your membership provides you with updates on regional topics, information on historic research, preservation, and monthly feature articles. But remember R&R wants to hear from you and assist in preserving your own family genealogy and memorabilia.
Visit the Southern Queries – Forum to receive assistance in answering questions, discuss genealogy, and enjoy exploring preservation topics with other members. Also listed are several history and genealogical researchers for hire.
User comments welcome — post at the bottom of this page.
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.
Thanks!
User comments always welcome - please post at the bottom of this page.
Share Your Comments & Feedback: