City Directories and History: JULIUS M. VISANSKA HOUSE
Constructed 1920 – Albert Simons, architect
This two-story, yellow brick house on a high foundation was designed for a prominent haberdasher by Charleston’s leading restoration architect, Albert Simons. The house replaced the notable Federal style Holmes Mansion, which had been the first of the great Battery houses completed after the removal of Fort Mechanic following the War of 1812. The Holmes Mansion was wrecked in the hurricane of 1911 and was taken down shortly thereafter. Its lot had already been subdivided in the late nineteenth century for the construction of 17 East Battery. Simons’s design reflects a curious mix of features, including corner brick quoining, Renaissance style loggia entry, and tripartite windows in the Greek Revival manner. Local tradition holds that Visanska asked Simons to design a house that resembled a mansion he admired in Atlanta. Charlestonians raised eyebrows at the expensive interior details including parquet floors and the costly yellow brick on the exterior. The residence was taken over by the navy in 1942, which used it for the duration of World War II. An 1896 weatherboarded residence to the east at 17 East Battery was also dressed up in the early-twentieth century in the Colonial Revival style. This house has remained in the Mevers family since 1922.
The Buildings of Charleston – J.H. Poston for the Historic Charleston Foundation, 1997
This property and that of 21 East Battery were the site of Lyttelton’s Bastion, built in 1757 and renamed Fort Darrell during the Revolution. Fort Mechanic, named for the mechanics of the city who gave their labor to build it in 1794 when a French naval invasion (which never came) was expected, was also built on this site. Subsequently the Holmes House, a notable Adamesque mansion, was built at present-day 19 East Battery. The present yellow brick mansion was built in 1920 for Julius M. Visanka and was designed by architect Albert Simons. The architecture is based on that of Italian villas. When built, it was one of the most expensive houses in Charleston. (Smith & Smith, Dwelling Houses, p.180-181, 63; Frazier, p.47; DYKYC, April 13, 1942; DYKYC, Nov. 4, 1965.) Courtesy of the Charleston Co Library
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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