“A Charleston landmark worth exploring.”
City Directories and History: MIDDLETON-PINCKNEY HOUSE
Constructed circa 1796-99; partially renovated 1880s, 1980s
“This three-story stuccoed-brick house on a raised basement was begun about 1796 by Mrs. Frances Motte Middleton and completed by her and her second husband, Maj. Gen. Thomas Pinckney, whom she married in 1797. Edward Hooker, a Connecticut visitor, described the house in 1805: “Maj. Thomas Pinckney’s house is of brick, three stories high with an elegant rotund, of the same height, in front, which serves for a porch. It has an air of magnificence; but appears less advantageously from its having
been left, for two or three years, in an unfinished state.” General and Mrs. Pinckney sold the house to John Middleton, Mrs. Pinckney’s eldest son, in 1822 for “natural love and affection” and $10,000. The polygonal front projection provides oval rooms on each floor, and a more truncated rear projection contains a winding staircase. The exterior is severe save its marble belt courses, window lintels, columned entrance, and other trim. Its interior is largely original but simple with Neoclassical doors and wainscoting and some later Regency style mantelpieces and cornices. The building has had little alteration despite its occupancy for more than one hundred years by the Charleston Commissioners of Public Works, who constructed a reservoir, water tower, and pumping station at the rear of the site, using the main house as offices. The reservoir later became a public swimming pool until closure in the 1960s. In the 1980s 14 George Street became the headquarters for the Spoleto Festival, and it is also the main office for the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. The rear lot and additional parcels have been subdivided and developed as a new street in Ansonborough called Menotti Street.”
Information from: The Buildings of Charleston – J.H. Poston for the Historic Charleston Foundation, 1997
Other sources of interest: Charleston Tax Payers of Charleston, SC in 1860-61 and the Dwelling Houses of Charleston by Alice R.H. Smith – 1917 The HCF may also have additional data at: Past Perfect and further research can be uncovered at: Charleston 1861 Census Schedule or The Charleston City Guide of 1872
Preservation Art at Work: Courtesy of Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art: Rick Rhodes – photographer, Ronald Ramsey artist – preservationist, 2017. (For the last several decades, native Charlestonian Ronald Wayne Ramsey has focused on meticulously documenting historical buildings—particularly those slated for demolition—in his hometown. As old buildings in the historically-minded city become condemned and readied for demolition, he secrets himself inside and liberates various seemingly mundane objects from their impending destruction. Such objects, like hinges, shutter dogs, decorative ironwork, doorknobs, and other ubiquitous building artifacts gain new relevance once they become part of his salvaged collection, which traces architectural styles from Charleston’s rich architectural legacy. Along with these objects, Ramsey creates fastidiously detailed drawings of old building facades in the city. Text from the Ahead of the Wrecking Ball Exhibit – 2017)
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