Built in for William Blacklock, the Blacklock House at 18 Bull Street, Charleston, South Carolina is one of the most important Adamesque houses in the United States.1 William Blacklock was one of the city s wealthiest British Merchants and member of Charleston s Brank Bank of the United States. 2 The William Blacklock House was one of the first permanent residences constructed in the Harleston Village and represents what was then a suburban retreat. Harleston Village, as the neighborhood was known by the end of the eighteenth century, is located on land north west of the original settlement of Charles Town.
Property north of the old city was relatively distant from the bustle of downtown, offering residents a more secluded context than is suggested by the density surrounding the house today. At the time of its construction the house was considered one of the most elegant in the city.3 The architect of the Blacklock House remains unknown, though it is speculated that it may have been designed by a gentleman architect such as William Drayton or Gabriel Manigault, Manigault is regarded as Charleston s best known gentleman architect and designer of the Branch Bank of the United States, today s City Hall, for which Blacklock was on the building committee. Similar to the Blacklock House the Branch Bank building features refined Federal.
4 Designed in Palladian proportions, and exemplary of the high-style Federal aesthetic, the structure is symmetrical in plan and elevation. A five bay Charleston double house, the Blacklock House stands at two- and-a-half stories with a high English basement accentuated by a projecting water table. Architecturally, the house is distinguished by a 1 Waddell, Gene, Charleston Architecture: Charleston, SC: Wyrick and Company, Tray Stephenson and Bernard Kearse (April 25, National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination, National Park Service 2 Waddell, Gene, Charleston Architecture: Charleston, SC: Wyrick and Company, 3 Coker, M. D. The Blacklock House , (accessed 4 Ravenel, Beatrice St. Julien, Architects of Charleston.
Columbia, SC: USC Press, Addendum to WILLIAM BLACKLOCK HOUSE HABS No. (Page 8) pedimented pavilion with a stoop and double staircase leading to the main entrance at the elevated first floor on the street-facing south fa ade. The entablature under the landing includes a frieze with rosette motif adapted by English interior designer Robert Adam from the Roman Doric order. The architrave to the front door exemplifies popular mouldings characteristic of the Federal style and popularized by Adam, including swags, dentils, and block modillions. The north facade is characterized by a Palladian window centered within the fa ade, above the half landing of the interior staircase.
On the north side of the house is a porch attaching the recently installed free- standing elevator tower to the main floor of the building, and overlooking the back garden and Gothic Revival outbuildings which share the Blacklock site. The interior, with a central hall plan that maintains symmetry, further exhibits the Federal style. The cornices, wainscoting, mantels, and window and door architraves are all exemplary of the high-style mannerisms of the era's architecture. The mantels and surrounds feature intricate motifs including egg and dart, bead and reel, and dentils, decorated with composite mouldings of swags, cherubs, vases, and fluttering ribbons. Accentuated by delicate gouge work, the chair rails, cornices, and architraves are elaborately crafted.
In the Blacklock House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic Landmark, primarily due to its architectural significance. In the architectural survey of Charleston, a jury noted the house was of the highest architectural design quality, well proportioned, and architecturally sophisticated. Description: An early century Charleston double house constructed in a high style Federal mode, The William Blacklock House stands at two-and- a-half stories with a high English basement accentuated by a projecting water table. Exemplary of the Federal aesthetic, the structure is symmetrical in plan and elevation. The roof is low pitched, hipped, and covered in slate. Two interior chimneys rise through the east and west facets of the roof.
The Carolina "grey" brickwork of the masonry structure is laid in Flemish bond. The primary, south facing fa ade of the Blacklock House is approached from Bull Street Street and runs five bays. Architecturally, the Blacklock House is distinguished by the center three bays which are comprised of a pedimented pavilion with a large lunette window, stoop, and double staircase leading to the main entrance at the elevated first floor. Addendum to WILLIAM BLACKLOCK HOUSE HABS No. (Page 9) The front door features attenuated pilasters aside flanking sidelights and an elliptical fanlight above with delicate elliptical tracery. The architrave exemplifies popular mouldings characteristic of the Federal style and popularized by the Adam style, including swags, dentils, and block modillions.
The side and top lights of the entry door and windows set in blind arches on each side are enunciated by relieving arches of rubbed red brick and marble. The stoop is supported by two marble columns with fluted necks. The entablature under the landing includes a frieze with rosette motif adapted by English interior designer Robert Adam from the Roman Doric order. The rear or north facade is characterized by the Palladian window centered within the fa ade, above the half landing of the interior staircase. On the first floor, French doors open to a rear porch. A flight of stone stairs with an iron gives access to the garden. There is a two- panelled door, situated under the stoop that gives access to the garden from the basement level.
The non-dominant east and west facades are characterized by four bays. Jack arches of rubbed red brick are present above most of the windows on each fa ade with the exception of rounded arches on either side of the front door and the above the Palladian window on the north facade. Elliptical arches are found above the lunette and hall door on the south facade, above the elliptical archways beneath the stoop on the north facade, and around the elliptical window on the east facade.
The windows throughout Blacklock house are six-over-six light with the exception of a six-over-six tripartite window with two-over-two sidelights above the front door on the south facade, a seventeen-over- eight light Palladian window on the north facade, an anomaly elliptical window on the east facade, French windows on the north and west facades of the stoop and small single light rectangular windows on the east and west elevation at basement level. At the north end of the east side of the house is a porch attaching a free-standing elevator tower to the main floor of the building, installed in The Blacklock House follows a traditional double-house plan.
The interior, with its central hall plan and high ceilings and detailing maintains symmetry that further exhibits the splendor of the Federal style. A curved stair is located at the north end of the central hall under a vaulted ceiling. In terms of interior finish details, there are numerous examples of original woodwork and original paint, including some possible Addendum to WILLIAM BLACKLOCK HOUSE HABS No. (Page 10) indications of trompe l oeil. The cornices, wainscoting, mantels, and window and door architraves are all exemplary of the high-style mannerisms of the Adam Style. The mantels and surrounds feature intricate motifs including egg and dart, bead and reel, and dentils, decorated with composite mouldings of swags, cherubs, vases, and fluttering ribbons.
Accentuated by delicate gouge work, the chair rails, cornices, and architraves are elaborately crafted. Blacklock s estate inventory, taken May provides a thorough description of the house and also suggests how the rooms were used in the early century.5 The first floor contained a dining room, and parlor along the south fa ade and a back bedchamber and a servant s room along the north, conveniently located closest to the outbuildings.6 The second floor contained the drawing room, two additional bed chambers and a nursery.7 To the north of the house are a number of outbuildings. The largest is a two-story, six bay gothic revival brick kitchen and carriage house. The roof is pitched and slated, with a brick stack near the north end. The walls are of red brick in Flemish bond.
Most of the openings along the west and south facades have gothic arches. Those on the second floor have gothic tracery over six gothic double hung sash windows. Those on the first floor are six-over-six double hung sash windows with the same tracery. Louvered Oeil-de-boeuf openings are centered in the pedimented gables on the north and south facades at attic level. The tripartite window beneath an elliptical arched fan light on the south facade has been converted to a door with three pane side lights. The door has six panels and is relatively modern. The windows on the east facade, one on the second floor and two on the first, are six-over-six double hung sash windows with plain painted timber boxes. There is a smaller two- over-two sash window on the second floor of the north facade.
Attached to the north fa ade is a single story timber lean-to structure, with a shallow pitched roof. The walls are covered in clapboard siding. The door on the north fa ade is a six panel with a glazed outer door. There are two six-over-six sash windows on the east and north facades which are similar to those to the south. The presence of a balustrade and louvered shutters running half way along the north fa ade form a Doric column in the north west corner indicating that there was a porch in the north west corner that has since been in filled. The window on the north fa ade has been inserted haphazardly into the louvered shutters. To the east is a two bay single story brick building with a pitched and 5 Poston, Jonathan, The Buildings of Charleston: A Guide to the City's Architecture.
Columbia, SC: USC Press, page after the Charleston County Probate Court Inventory, Book E - 332 5. 6 Ibid, Charleston County Probate Court Inventory, Book E - 332 5. 7 Ibid. Addendum to WILLIAM BLACKLOCK HOUSE HABS No. (Page 11) slated roof. This building also has a pedimented gable on the south side. The walls are red brick in Flemish bond. This building also appears to have been some sort of carriage house as there is a large elliptical archway on the south fa ade that was formerly filled by timber battened double doors. These have been replaced with a six- panel door beneath an elliptical arched fan light. There are two six- over-six sash windows on either side of the door in place of sidelights.
There are two windows on the west elevation that are also six-over-six double hung sash windows with plain painted timber boxes. The north and east elevations can only be seen from the neighboring property but there are two six-over-six double hung sash windows with plain painted timber boxes on the north fa ade. There is a small single story three-bay gothic gazebo with a hipped roof in the center of the lawn. The roof is surmounted by a finial. A brick stack projects from the north facade. The walls are of red brick topped with corbels. There is a four-panel door with a gothic fanlight in the in the center of the south side. On either side of the door and on the east and west facades are French windows with gothic openings.
Paired entrance gates flank either side of the front entrance lending access to the garden, outbuildings and parking lot. The entrance gates are composed of two brick pillars topped with ball finials and pedestrian access on either side of each gate. Between the gates and the east and west walls are curved brick curtain walls terminating in brick pillars. Between the pillars and the east and west walls are railings set in a brick. The site is bound by walls to the east and west. Ten blind arches are set in the east wall from the entrance gates to the carriage house. The western boundary is similar but is interrupted by the east wall of the neighboring house. The north boundary consists of iron railings in a brick plinth with brick pillars.
There is a small yard to the rear of the outbuilding bound by brick walls covered in ivy. The outbuildings are separated from the main house and car park by modern brick walls. History: The William Blacklock House was built in in what would become the suburban area of Harleston Village. 8 Harleston Village is located west of the original settlement of Charles Town and at the time of construction, had a fairly rural character. Today Harleston village is characterized by the presence of the College of Charleston and dense urban residential development.
Harleston Village is comprised of the land of Affra Coming which included seventeen acres east of Coming Street and south of Calhoun Street that were given to the Minister of the Church of 8 Waddell, Gene, Charleston Architecture: Charleston, SC: Wyrick and Company, Addendum to WILLIAM BLACKLOCK HOUSE HABS No.
(Page 12) England in Charles Town.9 The land west of Coming Street and south of Calhoun Street, known as Coming's Point until the mid-eighteenth century, remained in the family with Coming's nephew John Harleston and his descendants.10 By the land was divided into lots and sold, as designated in the will of the second John Harleston, and agreed upon with his brothers Nicholas and Edward.11 By the end of the eighteenth century the area was developed as primarily residential lots and was known as the Village of Harleston.12 William Blacklock's house was one of the first constructed in the neighborhood.13 Property north of the old city was relatively distant from the bustle of the busy downtown neighborhoods and businesses at that time.
Blacklock house stood outside of the downtown area as the boundary of Charles Town ran parallel to what is today Beaufain Street.14 This locale offered the residents a more secluded context than is suggested by the density surrounding the house today. Though the date of construction is known the architect of the Blacklock House remains unknown. There have been speculations that it was designed by a gentleman architect such as William Drayton or Gabriel Manigault. This is mainly due to the similarities between the Blacklock House and other work by Manigault.
In plan it has been likened to Charleston s Georgian double pile houses such as the Miles Brewton House and the William Gibbes House Through the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the Blacklock House served as the residence for diplomats, a fraternity building, a boarding house, and even an apartment complex. During the First World War, the house was occupied by the German consul, E.H Jahnz.16 E. Des Brosses Hunter purchased the house in and undertook restoration work that returned the function to a single family dwelling at the time.17 In Dr. Maxcy Harrelson obtained a permit from the city of Charleston to raze Bull Street, including the Blacklock House. Fortunately, Dr.
Harrelson let his permit to demolish expire without action.18 In the house was given to the College of Charleston by Richard H. Jenrette and it is now owned by the College of Charleston 9 Smith, Alice Ravenel Huger and D. E. Huger Smith, The Dwelling Houses of Charleston . Philadelphia, PA: J. B. Lippencott Co., 10 Ibid. 11 Ibid 12 Ibid 13 Ibid 14 Poston, Jonathan, The Buildings of Charleston: A Guide to the City's Architecture. Columbia, SC: USC Press, 15 Charleston South Carolina Vernacular Architecture Forum, The Vernacular Architecture of Charleston and the Low country A Field Guide. 16 Huger-Smith, A. R, & D. E, The Dwelling Houses of Charleston, South Carolina .
17 Stephenson, Tray and Kearse, Bernard, (April 25, National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination, National Park Service. 18 Coker. M. D, The Blacklock House , (accessed Addendum to WILLIAM BLACKLOCK HOUSE HABS No. (Page 13) Foundation. In the Blacklock House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic Landmark. The Blacklock House underwent five primary phases of construction or alteration.
Phase I refers to the initial construction of the house which took place in During Phase II the rear piazza was added and since removed during renovations in Phase III that took place sometime before In the or Phase IV, the Blacklock House underwent rehabilitation work under the stewardship of the college.19 During this era the basement was renovated. On-going maintenance and restoration works are undertaken by the college. In or Phase V, a free-standing elevator tower was installed that draws on the details of the main structure without imposing on the site. Today, the house is used for social events and houses the Alumni Relations Office of the College of Charleston. The William Blacklock House reveals over two hundred years of Charleston and American history.
Though the immediate neighbourhood has grown substantially since and modifications have been made to the building over time, Blacklock House serves as one of the United States most significant examples of Adamesque architecture
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