Withers House, 622 Highmarket Street, Georgetown

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS SC,22-GEOTO,11-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

century that has many interesting architectural details. PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Original and Subsequent Owners: The Withers family was ; the first owner on record; later owned by George Christie, later by James Powell; now Mr. and Nat Kaminski. B. Date of Erection: Thought to be about C. Sources of Information: Bolick, Julian S. Georgetown gpuselore., Clinton, S. C: Jacobs Press, Georgetown Chamber of Commerce. Historic Trail of Old Homes and Buildings of Georgetown. S. C. Georgetown, S. C: Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, n. d. PART II, ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement 1. Architectural Interest: Fine and typical Carolina Low Country town house. 2. Condition of fabric: Good. B. Technical Description of Exterior 1. Number of stories: Two-and-a-half stories. 2.

Number of bays: Three-bay front, five bays deep. House sited with narrow three-bay end to street. 3- Layout: Rectangular layout with a shed addition to rear consisting of original porch on rear filled in, 4. Foundations: Brick. WITHERS HOUSE HABS No. (Page 2) 5. Wall construction: Beaded clapboards, 7" to weather, painted white. 6. Structural system: Traditional frame construction. 7. Porch: Large porch on right side of house. Originally extended across front but has been removed. The original porch across rear has been closed in as part of the house, The open porch has a plaster ceiling (considered unusual in Georgetown), board floors, simple chamfered wooden columns, and plain railing with rectangular balusters. 8.

Chimneys: Two, tall, stuccoed brick chimneys, each crowned with double brick miters. 9. Openings: a. Doors: Six-panelled front door with brass knocker is set in a simple frame with a four-light transom. The main entrance is located in the middle of side of house. b. Windows: The windows which are double-hung, wooden sash, nine-over-nine lights, are set in plain un- molded frames, and have two-panelled shutters, and recent shutter dogs. 10. Roof: a. Shape, covering: Hipped roof with flare at eaves covered with tin; hipped roof with flare at eaves over porch. b. Cornice: Deeply projecting corona; simple crown and bed molds. c.

Dormers: The three dormers on entry elevation and the single,-ones on the ends and left side have six- over-six lights, double-hung wooden sash, heavily molded cornioes, and hipped roofs. C. Description of Interior: The following is by Albert Simons, F.A.I.A., Charleston, South Carolina: "The drawing room of the first floor is arresting because of the unusual treatment of the chimney breast. The fireplace opening is framed with the customary architrave with ears at the upper corners, above this the f^iese is stretched out to quite an exceptional height and finished with a light cornice. Above the mantel is a double tier of three panels. WITHERS HOUSE MBS No. (Page 3) "The general design, though violating the proprieties of correct Georgian architecture, has a certain naive charm.

"The denticulated cornice around the room is a modern replace- ment , and completely smothers the top rail of the paneling of the chimney breast. "The doors have six raised and beveled panels. The sashes have nine lights and the muntins are quite robust. The floor boards on the second story average about 7!l while those in the attic vary from 9" to In the attic the doors are only thick with three beveled battens and are hung on H and L hinges." D. Site 1. Orientation: The Withers House is located on a quiet, residential street. The lot is attractively landscaped with trees} evergreens? and mature shrubs, 2. Walks; driveways: Brick walk and driveway on side; cement sidewalks. 3. Outbuildings: Garage in rear yard. Prepared by James C.

Massey, Architect National Park Service February and Harley J. McKee, Architect National Park Service August m