City Directories and History: JOHN RAVENEL HOUSE
Constructed circa 1848
This house was built by the Ravenel family on one of the reclaimed marshland lots sold by the city in 1838. Though originally erected by John Ravenel, it passed a few years later to his son Dr. St. Julien Ravenel, the planter whose scientific efforts resulted in numerous contributions to his native region, including the design for the Confederate semi submersible craft Little David, and as a pioneer in Charleston’s postwar phosphate fertilizer industry. Ravenel was also considered the father of Charleston’s artesian well system. His wife, Harriott Horry Rutledge Ravenel, wrote many books on Charleston history, including the classic Charleston, The Place and the People (1912). The Italianate style entablature and lintels were added when the house was rebuilt following the 1886 earthquake. The large dependency and garden to the south remain part of the property.
The Buildings of Charleston – J.H. Poston for the Historic Charleston Foundation, 1997
———–
The three story stuccoed brick house was built between 1847 and 1849 by John Ravenel. Ravenel, who was completely of Huguenot descent and a member of the planting aristocracy, sold his patrimonial acres to become a merchant, and built up one of the city’s leading shipping houses. He was also president of the South Carolina Rail Road and was instrumental in developing the Northeastern Rail Road. This house was also the home of his son, Dr. St. Julien Ravenel, the noted scientist who designed and built the Civil War semi-submersible torpedo boat, the Lucy, and was a leader in the development of the phosphate fertilizer after the Civil War. lt was also the home of Dr. Ravenel’s wife Harriett Horry Rutledge, who, using the name Mrs. St. Julien Ravenel, authored the book Charleston: The Place and the People, and other works on local history. ln 1886, the property was purchased by John Ravenel’s son-in-law, Elias Horry Frost, president of E.H. Frost & Co., one of the city’s leading cotton brokerage houses. He was also head of the Stono Phosphate Company and president of the South Carolina Loan and Trust company. Frost was a noted art collector and owned one of the best libraries in the South. The house was built in the Italianate style popular in Charleston in the antebellum period. After suffering severe damage in the 1886 earthquake, the house was extensively rebuilt by Frost, who kept the original plan and mass, including the prominent bay on the front, and added features in the Victorian Italianate style fashionable in the 1880s. The property remained in the hands of John Ravenel’s descendants until 1953, when it was sold. (Stockton, unpub. M.S.; Stockton, DYKYC, December 13, 1975.) 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
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.
User comments welcome — post at the bottom of this page.
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!