City Directories and History: HENRY LAURENS HOUSE
Constructed circa 1887
“Built by a descendant of the Charlestonian of the same name, who served as the president of the Continental Congress, the house on this site replaced a substantial masonry building occupied in the antebellum period by Martha Laurens Roper, widow of the builder of 9 East Battery. After the earthquake the building was considered too damaged to be repaired, and Laurens built a new
house on the old masonry foundation, using high-grade heart pine lumber. When complete the building stood two and a half stories tall with an unusual closed gambrel or modified mansard roof, with mansard overhangs sur-mounting both its central dormer and its front door. In the mid-1930s Dr. and Mrs. Joseph I. Waring acquired the house and changed it to a mix of Georgian and Neo-classical styles. Raising the roof by one story to a pedimented gable, he added pedimented window heads over the first- and second-story windows and a Neoclassical style fanlight over the front door, in addition to many other changes. Dr. Waring was one of South Carolina’s leading historians, particularly expert on its early medical history, writing the book A History of Medicine in South Carolina. The antebellum house to the south at 5 Legare Street, owned in the late-nineteenth century by the Jervey family, received severe damage in the earthquake as well. An inspector noted about its condition, “Rebuild east wall from ground.” A wooden Victorian front added in 1887 was removed nearly 100 years later in the rehabilitation of this structure as three condominiums.”
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.
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!