Charleston, SC Architectural Styles
Handsome Properties August 31, 2015
Handsome Properties August 31, 2015
Charleston, South Carolina’s rich history is one of the many reasons why people fall in love with this city. The wide variety of architectural styles can keep a history buff engaged for hours. See below five of the most prominent styles of architecture found in downtown Charleston today.
Georgian architecture was the dominant style for construction in the U.S. between 1700 – 1780. It gets its name from the succession of English kings named George beginning in 1715. In the U.S., the style included numerous variations on a simple English theme: a symmetrical, two-story house with a center-entry, combined with a two-room deep center-passage floor plan. An example of a Georgian style home in Charleston would be the Miles Brewton House at 27 King Street.
Similar to the Georgian period, the Federal style architecture was typically boxy in shape, two rooms deep, with doors and windows arranged in strict symmetry throughout the house. A popular style between 1780 – 1820, the simple exterior box was often offset by elliptical and round spaces on the interior. Often described as a refinement of the Georgian style, this type of architecture can be seen at Charleston residences such as the Nathaniel Russell House at 51 Meeting Street.
A popular style of architecture between 1825 – 1860, the typical features found in Greek Revival are symmetrical facades, often with the entrance off to one side, large porches either by the entry or the full-width of the house supported by square or rounded columns, and a gable-front orientation. A great example of this type of architecture would be Hibernian Hall, or 105 Meeting Street.
Prominent in the U.S. between 1840 – 1885, the Italianate style was largely inspired by the traditional Italian villa, with masonry construction, square towers, and irregular floor plans. These homes are typically two or three stories, shaped either like an L or a T. Tall, narrow windows are commonly seen in this style of architecture. A great example of the Italianate style in Charleston would be the Colonel John Algernon Sydney Ashe House at 26 South Battery.
A popular style of architecture in the U.S. between 1880 – 1910, the Queen Anne style is difficult to define with only a few features. Typically, most Queen Anne style homes will have the following: asymmetrical two or three-storied structures, extensive wrap-around porches, and bay windows, often cut away from upper stories. The interiors will usually have irregular floor plans and tend to feature rich, bold paint colors. A beautiful example of a Queen Anne style house in Charleston is the bed and breakfast, Two Meeting Street Inn, located at 2 Meeting Street.
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