City Directories and History: ALLEN-HEXT TENEMENTS
Construction partially dating from 1727 with rebuilding in 1743 and 1782-83; renovated 1937 and 1932
“The New England merchant Andrew Allen built adjoining tenement structures on these sites prior to his marriage in 1727. His widow owned them at the time of the great fire of 1740 and conveyed them to her stepson, who in turn sold the properties to Daniel Hext. Hext probably
rebuilt both buildings utilizing some surviving walls, and while keeping the west tenement, he conveyed the eastern section. After the fire of 1778, the merchant owner Robert Brown probably rebuilt 5 Tradd Street and another owner rebuilt 7 Tradd Street before 1785, when it was in use as a grocery store. 7 Tradd retains irregularly placed ground-story windows with side entries on opposite ends; the arched opening, apparently extensively used by eighteenth-century commercial traffic, draws particular attention. The iron balcony on the eastern tenement is older than the semicircular balcony at 7 Tradd, executed by Philip Simons for William Gilbert, a sculptor who renovated the house 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
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.
———-
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!