City Directories and History:  In 1920, a large tract of land running along the Ashley River between roughly between Poplar St. and Sans Souci St. was laid out for development by the Riverside Development Co. (Plat C 155) The new 47-acre development was marketed as Riverside Park.

One of the company’s financial backers was a trust set up by Francis J. Pelzer, Sr. for the benefit of his daughter, Sarah L. Pelzer. The trustees had $100,000 and invested $60,000 in the new real estate venture. Unfortunately, the developer was unable to stay current on its debt to the trust, and the trust foreclosed on the property that secured the debt on November 16, 1932. As a result, most of the development was put up for public auction on April 20, 1933, and bought by the trust for $29,000. The property had apparently not been developed yet; only a few lots within Block A of the development (the block bounded by Rutledge, Peachtree, Darlington, and San Souci) were excepted from the foreclosure. Other than those twelve lots, the remaining 250 lots were transferred to the Pelzers on May 22, 1933.

On August 1, 1935, the trustees sold four of the lots (250, 251, 258, and 259) to Manning Rubin for $400. Almost one year later, on July 23, 1936, Mr. Rubin transferred the same four lots to his sister-in-law, Janet W. Rubin. Mrs. Rubin had already purchased four contiguous lots from Mr. Hasell Rivers for $700 on February 11, 1935.

Mrs. Kathryn Boinest (nee Harper) bought Lots 258 and 259 on February 26, 1938. On April 12, 1938, she obtained a building permit for a two-story, one-and-one-half bath, frame dwelling worth $3000 to be built by C.W. Blanchard on the two lots. Her husband, Richard Boinest, was an associate architect with Harold Tatum’s firm in 1938 living at 54 Vanderhorst St. before completing his new house, and was listed as occupying the house as both his house and office by 1948.

Quite possibly, 191 Sans Souci Street was designed by Mr. Boinest, as his own home, but the building permit left the blank for the architect’s name empty. Most of Mr. Boinest’s local works are unknown, but after World War II, he was recruited to move to Anniston, Alabama in 1945 where he built a very successful practice. In his obituary, the following comment was made about his prodigious career in Anniston, Alabama: “As was said of Sir Christopher Wren . . ., Mr. Boinest’s ‘monuments’ are all about us here in Anniston; those who would view them have only to tour the city, nothing the sum total of new homes, school construction, public housing projects, and downtown improvements which bear lasting witness to Mr. Boinest’s skill and industry.”

On February 13, 1945, Mrs. Boinest sold the house to Anna W. Richardson for $15,500. She and her husband, Eugene Richardson, occupied the house as their residence. Mr. Richardson owned Richardson Brothers, a ship chandler company located at 182-184 East Bay Street.  Mr. Richardson was reportedly involved in tax fraud at about the same time he bought his house; in January 1953, he was indicted in federal court for having underreported his business income for 1946 and 1947 by more than $44,000.

On September 28, 1967, Mrs. Richardson sold the two lots to United States Navy worker Mathew Arthur Pfaller and Sarah W. Pfaller for $19,700. Mathew conveyed his interest to Sarah on August 4, 1971. Sarah sold the house for $4000 and the assumption of a mortgage with a balance of about $18,000 on December 16, 1971.

The buyers were James W. Greene and Julia M. Greene. Mr. Green worked as a lineman helper for South Carolina Electric & Gas and resided at the house with his wife until at least 2003. There was no return in 2005 or after.

The house has a foyer with living room to the right and dining room to the left, both lighted by eight-over-eight double-hung windows. There is a fireplace in the living room. At the top of the stairs is a small landing with a bathroom and a bedroom to each wide with built in storage. Both second-floor bedrooms are lighted by six-over-six double-hung windows.

In 2013, the house was bought by contractor Marc Engelke who undertook a complete restoration of the house. The Preservation Society of Charleston award the project a Carolopolis Award for excellence in historic restoration.

Information written and contributed to R&R by Kevin Eberle – 2015

The HCF may also have additional data at: Past Perfect

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