City Directories and History: JAMES COOK HOUSE
Constructed circa 1782-87; altered 1836, restored and renovated 1941, early 1990s
“This house was built to replace the house and shop with a Flemish gable that belonged to the Tory Fenwicke Bull, destroyed in the 1778 fire. James Cook purchased the property in 1778 and completed the present house within a decade. The ground story was rented for various mercantile uses while Cook’s widow, who had subsequently remarried, lived upstairs until her death in 1826. Passing to Moses Hyams, a commission merchant, in 1836, the house was subsequently remodeled with a Greek Revival facade. Susan Pringle Frost purchased the building in 1920 and sold it to John McGowans, who, it seems, restored it in 1941 along with several other houses in this block. The three-story stucco dwelling rises to an original hipped roof with a single projecting dormer. Most of the interior detailing of the building has been lost, and a balcony was added to the central bay of the second story in a recent renovation. Loutrel Briggs designed the present garden in the 1940s.”
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
Preservation Art at Work: 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)
Click on the More Information links, found under the primary image to discover additional information about the artist.
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