Vanderhorst Row

80 East Bay Street

City Directories and History:  VANDERHORST ROW
Constructed 1798-1800; restored 1930s

“In or before 1800 by Gov. Arnoldus Vanderhorst, this triple tenement served as the southernmost of two similar rental complexes, each divided into three three-story townhouse dwellings. Only the primary building of the southern grouping survives; the northern group was demolished by the end of the nineteenth century, and a parking lot occupies the site. Both rows originally included a complex series of service structures behind each unit and accessed various storehouses and

Vanderhorst’s Wharf was one of Charleston’s prized shipping areas. Courtesy of the Sanborn Map Co., 1888.

wharves. All of this has disappeared, but several plats and early photographs portray the thriving maritime activity that once characterized this relatively quiet commercial area. The facade of Vanderhorst Row is an excellent example of Neoclassical design with its central pedimented pavilion constructed with splendid Flemish-bonded brick- work and marble detailing; it bears a strong resemblance to London’s terrace architecture of the same period.

Vanderhorst, a descendant of a Dutch family who immigrated to Carolina in the seventeenth century, lived in a house across the street that was demolished many years ago. He served successively as intendant (mayor), South Carolina governor, and a general in the War of 1812. The Vanderhorst Plantation comprised most of Kiawah Island, and his house there has recently been restored.”

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

Also see the historic marker for Gov. Thomas Smith

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

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