8 Court House Square (House), Charleston

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS SC,10-CHAR,240-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

8 Court House Square, northwest of the intersection of Broad and Meeting Streets, Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina. Located at the northwest corner of Court House Square, at the intersection of the alleys running north and west of the Court House, the building faces east toward the north alley and Meeting Street beyond.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS SC,10-CHAR,240-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

8 Court House Square is a fine example of the Charleston Single House design, with many of its original and later character-defining features still intact. The house is one of only a few remaining buildings on the square and contributes to the square's overall sense of scale and enclosure. The square is significant because it was an element of the original city plan. The house was constructed in the years following the Revolutionary War, as Charleston was emerging from a time of hardship and depression and embarking on a period of economic and social development. The house exhibits the "wealth and status of the mercantile class of the period as well as the growing influence of the adjacent Court House and the legal profession associated with it.

The history of the house is also tied to the Hebrew Orphan Society, the oldest incorporated Jewish charitable organization in the nation, which utilized the building at 88 Broad Street (HABS No. as an orphanage and a center of Jewish culture and influence. 8 Court House Square is listed in the city's Old and Historic District and has a Category I rating of "exceptional." (Note: This report adheres to the American Antiquities system of referencing sources. A list of referenced sources is located in Part III.) PARTI. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: 1. Date of erection: Ca.

A architectural study of the building placed its probable construction between and (Chappell and Herman However, three different maps dated do not show a building on the site of the current house (Charleston County Register of Mesne 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE (Meyer-Peace House)(Mary Meyer House) HABS No. (Page 2) Conveyance Deed Book Petrie City Directory A plat of the Blake Tenements on the adjacent lot dated July does not show 8 Court House Square/ although the title and legend of the plat are situated in such a way that they may be obscuring the house.

A building shown to the north of the current house is identified as a sugar house, on the lot "belonging to the estate of Philip Meyer, dec'd." (Meyer, a sugar refiner, died in No buildings appear on the lot on the Petrie map, made after a fire in that year that nearly destroyed the adjacent Old Court House. A map of Charleston that accompanied the city directory is also dated and shows a building abutting the west side of Court House Square at the north end. The rectangular building has its short side facing Court House Square. 8 Court House Square, by contrast, is set back from the corner and has its long side facing the street. This suggests that the map accompanying the city directory was made prior to the fire and shows a previous dwelling on the site that was destroyed.

Most likely, the present house was constructed by Mary Meyer, the widow of Philip Meyer, between and These dates correspond to the period directly following the fire up to the first mention in city directories that Mary Meyer was residing at State House Square (i.e., Court House Square). Based on the contents of Philip's will and the estate inventory at Mary's death, she certainly would have had the means to construct a dwelling such as 8 Court House Square (Stockton and Tolley Poston 2. Architect: Not known. 3. Original and subsequent owners: A deed search conducted by Stockton and Tolley is presented here. The chain-of-title is fairly complete and, because of time restrictions, no further deed research was conducted on this property as part of the HABS recordation.

References in the chain-of-title are to deeds in the Charleston County Register of Mesne Conveyance. Informa- tion on occupants other than the owners is limited; what little information is available has been included in the Historical Context narrative in Part I.B. Use information is included below where known. 8 Court House Square is currently part of a large parcel owned by the County of Charleston. The parcel is bounded by Broad Street on the south, an existing county building and parking garage on the north, King Street on the west, and Court House Square on the east. The 8 Court House Square property was purchased by the county in Adjacent lots were pur- chased in and The county has assembled the large parcel for the planned construction of a judicial complex.

The property containing 8 Court House Square was originally part of lot number 315 of the Grand Modell of Charleston, surveyed in and granted in that year to Jacob Allen. Grant, 28 October. Referenced Book H9, p. Lords Proprietors to Jacob Allen. 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE ^4ow*eJ (Meyer-Peace House^vlary Meyer House) HABS No. (Page 3) Will. Referenced Book H9, p. John Laurens to his son, Henry Laurens. Deed, 16 October. Recorded Book G4, p. Henry Laurens and wife to Philip Meyer (lease and release). Will. Mary Meyer to her daughter, Mary Peace, wife of Joseph Peace. Use: Mary Meyer likely used the building as her residence during the last years of her life. It appears that Mary and Joseph Peace used the building as a residence and as the location of Joseph's law office. Deed, 11 May.

Recorded Book H9, p. Joseph Peace of Philadelphia and wife Anna Maria to Benjamin K Hunt. Use: Hunt, also an attorney, may have used the building as his residence and the location of his office. Mortgage, 24 February. Recorded Book p. Sarah N. Cardozo to Hebrew Orphan Society. Deed, 12 September. Recorded Book p. Benjamin F. Hunt, Councilor at Law, to Sarah N. Cardozo. Mortgage, 22 February. Recorded Book p. Sarah NT. Cardozo to Charleston Fire and Marine Insurance Company. Deed, 22 February. Recorded Book p. Sarah N. Cardozo to Hebrew Orphan Society. Use: The Hebrew Orphan Society may have used the building as a residence for the keeper of the Orphan Society Hall or as office space. Deed, 5 April. Recorded Book p. Hebrew Orphan Society to Isaac Davega et al.

Use: The owners may have used the building as a residence, leased it as a residence, or used it for office space. Deed, 27 March. Recorded Book A14, p. M. E. Gupper to Anthony J. Salinas and Melvin B. Wilbur. Will. Anthony J. Salinas to Carolina B. Salinas. Use: The building was converted to a tenement by Deed. Recorded Book E21, p. Carolina B. Salinas et al. to Simon Fogarty. 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE ( (Meyer-Peace HouseJfMary Meyer House) " HABS No. (Page 4) Use: Fogarty used the building as his primary residence. Will, admitted 24 June. Recorded Book X, p. Simon Fogarty to John Fogarty et al. Use: Members of the Fogarty family resided in the building; however, during the and the building was rented to at least two different families. Deed, 18 February. Recorded Book p. 69.

James Fogarty et al. to G. Willard Reynolds. Deed, 17 March. Recorded p. G. Willard Reynolds to J. C. Long. Use: Long converted the building to office space for his law firm and created an efficiency apartment on the third floor, Will, 3 July. Referenced Book p. J. C Long to Albert S. Long et al., in trust. Deed, 22 April. Book p. Albert S. Long et al., trustees to Charles S. Way et al. Deed, 22 April. Recorded Book p. Charles S. Way et al. to Darby-Way Family Partnership, Deed, 15 December. Recorded Book p. Darby-Way Family Partnership to County of Charleston. 4. Builder, contractor, suppliers: Not known. 5. Original plans and construction: No drawings or textual references have been discovered to date that denote or describe the original plan and construction of 8 Court House Square.

What is known of the building's original form and appearance is based exclusively on physical inspection, both that undertaken by Chappell and Herman in and that conducted for the present HABS recordation. Additional information can be gleaned from a few early and middle twentieth-century photographs. Selective demolition of building fabric at the time of recordation was not possible. Such an investigation would certainly produce more information on the original building. In addition, archaeological investigation of the parking lots currently surrounding the dwelling would contribute to the knowledge of the original building and the subsequent changes to it. The original late Georgian house was three stories high, one room deep, and five bays wide.

Each floor consisted of two rooms separated by a central stair hall. Each room contained a fireplace at the west wall, serviced by a 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE ) (Meyer-Peace HouseVWlary Meyer House) HABS No. (Page 5) pair of symmetrically placed interior chimneys within the wall that protruded above the hip roof and ended with decorative brick corbeling and caps. The 18"-thick (at ground level), brick exterior walls served as bearing walls, while the thin interior walls were room dividers only. For the most part, this traditional Charleston Single House form survives to the present day.

It is not known if the dwelling was originally stuccoed or if the treatment dates to a later period (Chappell and Herman The fenestration of the main facade (east) was regular, with the main entrance centrally located, while that of the west side was more irregular, owing to window openings at the midpoint of each stair flight. There may never have been third-floor windows in the outer bays of the west side, due to the presence of what appear to be original closets adjacent to the fireplaces in the third-floor rooms. The original fenestration pattern of the north and south sides can no longer be seen, due to the infilling and stuccoing over of all but the third-floor windows on the north side and the presence of a ca. two-story brick building that abuts the south side.

The only documentary evidence of what was possibly the original fenestration of the north and south sides is a collection of early and middle twentieth-century photographs at the Preservation Society of Charleston, which indicate through partial views that the sides contained window openings at each floor, apparently in a regular pattern. The photographs also show at least one first-floor door opening, if # not two, in the north side. Paneled shutters with strap hinges and shutter dogs, like those currently at the first floor of the main facade, were likely the original window treatments.

On the interior, original features include the staircase and its associated wainscoting and moldings, the wainscoting and moldings in the first- and second-floor south rooms, the paneled chimney breasts in the first- and second-floor south rooms, the paneled doors throughout the building, and the recessed window openings with molded seats. Chappell feels that the third- floor mantels are original, while Herman dates them to the first or second decade of the nineteenth century (Chappell and Herman Physical inspection seems to indicate that the mortise and tenon framing in the structure of the hip roof is original. Finally, while not an original feature, a two-story piazza on the east and north sides, likely built in the early and removed in ca.

was an integral feature of the building for most of its history. 6. Alterations and additions: The followings is a list of the alterations and additions that can be dated with some degree of certainty based on physical inspection, personal communica- tion with a former resident, and insurance company maps. Ca. Joseph Peace and/or Benjamin Hunt installed the Neoclassical mantels in the north and south rooms of the first floor, the south room of the second floor, and possibly the north and south rooms of the third floor. Peace 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE (fW-he) (Meyer-Peace House)|Mary Meyer House) HABS No. (Page 6) or Hunt also constructed the two-story piazza along the east and north sides of the building.

One or both installed a pair of French doors in the second- floor south room and a single-leaf door with a Neoclassical surround in the center bay of the second floor to provide access to the piazza. A Neoclassical surround for the first-floor main entrance door was installed at the same time.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS SC,10-CHAR,240-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

architectural style; physical inspection; Chappell and Herman Poston The Sanborn Fire Insurance Company map from this year shows what appears to be a three-story extension off of the western half of the north side of the building. The piazza is shown running along the east side and around the north side to terminate in the extension. A one-story building is shown abutting the south side of the house, with a two-story building abutting the south end of the one-story building. These two buildings are on a neighboring parcel. It is not known which owner constructed the extension. Source: Sanborn Map & Publishing Company The Sanborn Fire Insurance Company map from this year shows the northwest extension at two stories.

Either the extension was lowered one story after or the map was incorrect in depicting the extension at three stories. The piazza is in place, as is a one-story building directly off of the north side of the extension. The one- and two-story buildings on the neighboring parcel to the south side are shown as extensions of the buildings at 90 Broad Street (HABS No. Any remodeling of the extension and the construction of the one-story building off of the extension occurred during the ownership of Carolina B. Salinas. Source: Sanborn Map & Publishing Company The Sanborn Fire Insurance Company map from this year does not show the northwest extension but instead depicts the piazza running along the full length of the north side.

This would seem to indicate that the extension was again lowered one story or was removed entirely. The one- story building to the north is shown still in place. The buildings to the south on the neighboring parcel no longer abut the south end of the house; a small amount of space separates the house and the buildings. It is doubtful that these buildings were moved slightly to the south to create a small space. Rather, either earlier maps neglected to show the space or the map is incorrect. Any remodeling of the extension occurred either during the final years of Salinas's ownership or during the ownership of Simon Fogarty. Source: Sanborn Map Company Ca. Simon Fogarty constructed the second-floor bathroom.

Source: John Fogarty Reynolds, personal communication 11 April 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE ) (Meyer-Peace HouseMvlary Meyer House) HABS No. (Page 7) Ca. The third-floor bathroom was installed by John Fogarty or another member of the Fogarty family. Source: John Fogarty Reynolds, personal communication 11 April The Sanborn Fire Insurance Company map from this year shows the property as it was in with two exceptions. The one-story building on the neighboring parcel to the south is gone, and a one-story building labeled "auto" has been constructed in the yard northeast of the house. The "auto" building was built by Simon Fogarty, John Fogarty, or another member of the Fogarty family. Source: Sanborn Map Company A photograph from this year shows the mantelpiece in the first-floor south room.

The mantelpiece frieze, divided into three panels, contains garlands in the outer panels and two heart-shaped wreaths in the center panel. At present, the mantelpiece frieze contains no decoration in the outer panels and a classical urn in the center panel. These changes obviously date to post-1935, but a more certain date has not been determined from available sources. It is likely that the alteration was made by a member of the Fogarty family or by J. C. Long. Source: Preservation Society of Charleston A plat map from this year shows the house with the northwest extension at two stories. The presence of the extension would seem to indicate either that the Sanborn maps were incorrect in not depicting it, or the mapmakers viewed the extension and piazza as a single unit.

The plat map also depicts the one-story building on the north side of the extension as well as a smaller one-story building farther north. The "auto" building is no longer standing. It was likely removed by John Fogarty or another member of the Fogarty family. Source: Charleston County RMC The Sanborn Fire Insurance Company map from this year shows the property as it was in except that the "auto" building has been removed, and a new, smaller, one-story building has been constructed on the parcel to the south. Source: Sanborn Map Company Ca. During this period, a number of alterations were made to the house on both the exterior and interior.

The piazza, the gates to the alleys behind the Court House, and two small outbuildings (likely the two one-story buildings on the north side of the house) were removed. The northwest extension, if still standing by this time, was removed. The existing brick stoop 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE (f^w^e (Meyer-Peace HouselMary Meyer House) HABS No. (Page 8) and iron railing at the main entrance were installed. The quoins and what appear to be beltcourses between the first and second and second and third stories were removed. Most of the north side openings and some of the west side openings were infilled, and a new coat of stucco painted green was applied to the building. The former garden area and walkway were removed.

On the interior, new finishes and trim were added to the first-floor north room and to the third-floor rooms. A library with floor-to-ceiling shelves was installed in the second-floor north room, and built-in shelves were installed in the second-floor south room. These alterations were undertaken during the ownership of J. C. Long. physical inspection; John Fogarty Reynolds, personal communication 11 April Poston Preservation Society of Charleston B. Historical Context: The history of this property is taken primarily from documents prepared by the Historic Charleston Foundation (Poston and the Preservation Society of Charleston (Stockton and Tolley notes and documents in the files of those two organizations, and research conducted for the current recordation.

The building is located on lot number 315 of the Grand Modell of Charleston surveyed in and granted in that year to Jacob Allen. No buildings appear on the lot in a map of the city (Roberts and Thomas and it appears that the lot was first developed by Philip Meyer, a sugar baker, who purchased the property from Henry Laurens, a wealthy merchant, in During the Revolutionary era, refined sugar was almost exclusively imported from the West Indies, and as late as there were only seventeen sugar bakeries in the United States. Meyer likely had a lucrative business, as suggested by his will and the estate inventory of his widow, Mary, at her death.

Meyer supported Independence and was taken prisoner after the fall of Charleston to the British in He was held on a prison ship from May of until the summer of and his wife was ordered out of the city in April of After the Ameri- can victory he returned to Charleston and re-established his business. Certainly by this time his business and residence were located on the lot where 8 Court House Square presently stands, because when he died three years later this was his only property (Charleston County Probate Court Will Book A21:585). He granted life estate to the property to his wife, after which it was to revert to her grand- daughter by a previous marriage, Mary Rudhall.

He also left ten slaves, all his furnishings, plate, and china, and "all the Utensils and Materials belonging to my Sugar House" to his widow. Mary Meyer continued to live on the property and operate the sugar house. One building of the refinery is shown on a plat of the adjacent property made in The building, described as Meyer's sugar house part brick and part wood shingles," was located just north of the existing dwelling at 8 Court House Square. 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE (tft>u*&) (Meyer-Peace House)(Mary Meyer House) HABS No. (Page 9) It is not clear if the three-story brick house existed at this time because the title and legend on the plat obscure its location.

The Petrie map of Charleston, dated shows no buildings on the property, while a similar map dated but accom- panying the city directory shows a rectangular building with its short side abutting the street, in contrast to the existing house. Although an architectural assessment of the property dated the house to (Chappell and Herman three maps dated fail to show the house as it now appears. It seems likely that the map in the city directory shows a house constructed by Philip Meyer that was destroyed in the Court House fire, and that the house currently on the site was constructed by Mary Meyer soon after that date.

Mary Meyer died in and as stipulated in Philip Meyer's will, the property at 8 Court House Square passed to Mary's granddaughter, Mary Rudhall Peace, whose husband, Joseph, served as the executor of Mary Meyer's will. Mary Meyer left most of her slaves, household goods, and "all the Copper Mold Pots and other implements and Materials belonging to or used in the boiling of Sugar, as they now stand in the Sugar House" to her granddaughter, Elizabeth Bryan. The Sugar House apparently ceased operation after Mary's death.

Joseph Peace was a prominent local attorney who established his office on the property on Court House Square (then known as State House Square) by Peace also lived on Court House Square until at least and his office and home were likely in the existing dwelling at 8 Court House Square. He also had a summer residence in Hamstead, a nearby suburb on the Charleston Neck. Peace's partner was Langdon Cheves, another prominent lawyer who later served as a U.S. Congress- man and president of the Bank of the United States.

Peace and Cheves may have been responsible for the Neoclassical renovations at 8 Court House Square that included the construction of a full-length piazza on the front, the enlargement of the second-story windows and the addition of a second-story door, and the installation of ornate fireplace surrounds throughout the house. Peace moved to Philadelphia by but did not sell the Charleston property until In that year he conveyed the lot to another attorney, Benjamin F. Hunt. Like Peace, Hunt may have lived and practiced in the house. Hunt sold the property in to Sarah N. Cardozo, a member of a prominent Jewish family in Charleston, who may have had some connection with the Hebrew Orphan Society that purchased the property to the south in (HABS No.

She sold the 8 Court House Square property to the Hebrew Orphan Society in In the Society sold it to Isaac Davega, John Siegling, and James W. May. During this period the house may have been used as a residence for the keeper of the Orphan Society Hall, leased as a residence, or used as offices. May resided in the house along with others and owned the property outright by The property changed hands at least one more time before it was sold in to Anthony Salinas and Melvin B. Wilbur, who also owned a number of other properties in Charleston. In Salinas resided at the corner of Glebe and Wentworth (Jewitt Anthony Salinas became the sole owner of the property between and and died ca. leaving the property to (presumably) his wife or daughter, Carolina B.

8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE ) (Meyer-Peace HouseMvlary Meyer House) HABS No. (Page 10) Salinas. From to (when it is listed in tax records as belonging to the estate of A. J. Salinas), the property was valued at By the valuation had dropped to (Charleston County RMC Ward Books), likely reflecting its conversion to a tenement, which served African Americans by (Sanborn Map & Publishing Company The property remained listed as the estate of A. J. Salinas in city tax records until when it was sold to Simon Fogarty. At that time the property was valued at Fogarty occupied a three-story brick building at what is now 90 Broad Street (HABS No.

as early as where he operated a grocery and liquor store by Fogarty resided at 8 Court House Square from until his death in After his death, the house was occupied by various members of his family, including his daughter and sisters-in-law (John Fogarty Reynolds, personal communication 11 April The interior of the house was altered a great deal after Simon Fogarty's death, including the installation of bathrooms on the second and third floors. The house was rented to at least two different families during the and The house remained in the Fogarty family until when it was sold to J. C. Long, a local attorney who made his office in the building. Long removed the piazza in ca. converted the first two floors to offices, and rented the third floor as an efficiency apartment.

Apparently, he also removed the extension and the two one- story buildings on the north side of the house. Long left several of his properties in trust to his family at his death in In when the last of the beneficiaries came of age, the property was conveyed to them under the name Darby-Way Family Partnership. In the partnership sold the lot at 8 Court House Square to the County of Charleston (Charleston County RMC PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1. Architectural character: The building is a late Georgian example of the Charleston Single House form, with Neoclassical features, such as windows, door surrounds, and mantelpieces, added in the first few decades after it was built. Many of its original and later character-defining features are still intact.

The building is one of a few remaining buildings on Court House Square and contributes to the square's overall sense of scale and enclosure. The square is significant because it was an element of the original Charleston city plan. The building is listed in the city's Old and Historic District and has been given a Category I rating of "exceptional." 2. Condition of fabric: The building is in fair to good condition overall, with evidence of interior water damage at the chimney breasts and fireplaces, at the ceilings of the third-floor spaces, and at selected window openings that have lost their glazing. Peeling paint and failing plaster are evident in the stair 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE ^-fow= e^ (Meyer-Peace House)|Mary Meyer House) HABS No. (Page 11) hall.

The exterior stucco has held up well since it was last applied in the or B. Description of Exterior: 1. Overall dimensions: The building is three stories high, one room deep, and five bays wide at its main (east) facade. Each floor of the rectangular building contains two rooms separated by a central stair hall. At the second and third floors, part of the stair hall is taken up by a bathroom. 2. Foundation: The foundation is of brick and measures approximately 18" in thickness at the ground. 3.

Walls: The brick walls are covered with a green, smooth-textured stucco that was likely applied in the or The only evidence of the former quoins is at the southwest corner of the building, where the brick of an abutting two-story building (14 Court House Square) has been keyed into the spaces left by the former quoins. A pair of earthquake bolts running east-to- west is located at the level of the third floor, one near the north end and one near the south end of the building. The ends of the bolts are visible on the east and west walls. An area of failed stucco at the first story of the west wall shows a random brick pattern underneath, while one of the brick chimney stacks evidences a more regular and finished bond.

It is not known which pattern characterizes the building as a whole (Chappell and Herman 4. Structural system, framing: The exterior brick walls are load-bearing, while interior walls serve as room dividers only. The framing of the floors was not visible, and selective demolition of the building to expose the framing was not possible. It is assumed that the framing is of the type visible in the attic, where the roof framing members are mortised and tenoned together and secured with wood pegs. The attic floor joists rest in pockets cut into the sills on top of the exterior brick walls. There is no ridge beam; the rafters meet at the ridge of the roof and are mortised and tenoned together and secured with wood pegs.

Eleven of these principal rafters provide the support for the east and west roof slopes. The north and south slopes are each supported by a jack rafter flanked by two hip rafters. Six of the principal rafters are sup- ported by wood posts resting on the floor joists. Several of the principal rafters are also laterally supported by tie beams nailed into the rafters approximately halfway between the floor joists and the roof ridge. There are no large purlins to speak of, just the slats for the wood shingles that function as purlins (wood shingles lie beneath the existing pantile roof). 5. Stoops, bulkheads: A brick stoop with flanking steps and an iron railing was installed at the main entrance in ca. Three brick steps on both the north and south sides provide access to the stoop.

The railing terminates at each of the lowest steps in a spiral around a heavier newel capped with a finial. A bulkhead entrance covered with plywood is located beneath the first-story 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE (fW s&) (Meyer-Peace House^vlary Meyer House) HABS No. (Page 12) window of the east facade's south bay. An arched opening sealed with iron bars is located beneath the first-story window of the east facade's north bay. 6. Chimneys: Two brick chimneys are located inside the west wall with stacks that protrude above the west slope of the roof. The chimneys are metrically placed to align with the middle of the west walls of the rooms through which they pass. The south chimney shows a common brick bond with a stucco band and corbeling near its top. Three arched caps protect the flues.

The north chimney is completely stuccoed but follows the same form as the south chimney. Its northernmost arched cap is missing. 7. Openings: a. Doorways and doors: All doorways and doors on the building are located on the east facade. At the center bay of the first story is a wood, single-leaf door with six panels, a mail slot, and a modern metal knob. Above the door is a single-light transom in a wood frame. The Neoclassical surround is noted by a pair of fluted pilasters with simple bases and capitals supporting a pair of undulating members with horizontal reeding and guttae at their bases.

These members in turn support the decorative entablature, made up of an architrave with vertical reeding, a frieze with a plain lower section and an upper section showing punch work, and a molded, overhanging cornice with modillions. A rope molding runs along the inner edge of the surround and includes the door and transom. At the center bay of the second story is a wood, single-leaf door with four large lights over two panels. The knob has been removed. Above the door is a three-light transom in a wood frame. The Neoclassical surround is noted by its fluted, convex pilasters with plain bases (the north base is missing) and capitals with a star motif. The entablature features a plain fascia and a molded cornice with dentils.

A rope molding runs along the inner edge of the surround, encompassing the door and transom. At the two southernmost bays of the second floor are two pairs of French doors, with four lights in each door and a two-light transom above each pair. The doors and transoms are set in plain wood surrounds. b. Windows and shutters: The east facade features a symmetrical fenestration, while the west side fenestration is symmetrical except for the offset windows at the stair landings. The north and south sides have windows at the third story only. The first-story and second- story north-bay windows of the east facade as well as the first- and second-story and stair landing windows of the west side contain nine- over-nine-light double-hung sash, set in plain wood frames with molded surrounds.

The sills are of wood, and the east facade 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE (Meyer-Peace House;(Mary Meyer House) HABS No. (Page 13) windows have lintels. Two infilled window openings at the second story of the west side would have contained nine-over-nine-light double-hung sash. The plain wood frames and sills are still evident. As noted in Part II.B.7.a, the two second-story south bays of the east facade contain French doors. These openings feature lintels and wood sills. All third-story windows contain six-over-six-light double-hung sash, except at the center bay of the east facade, which contains a one- over-one-light double-hung sash window. All are set in plain wood frames with molded surrounds and wood sills. The building exhibits four types of wood shutters.

All are of wood peg construction and feature strap hinges, sliding bolt locks, and decora- tive holdbacks. The earliest shutters appear to be those at the first story of the east facade. Each shutter has three raised panels. Later shutters include those at the second story of the east facade. The two northern bays have two-section louvered shutters, while the two southern bays have three-section louvered shutters. The latest shutters on the building are the two-section louvered types found at the third story of the east, north, and south sides. The west side contains no shutters, although some of the decorative holdbacks remain in the stucco, indicating that shutters were once there (Chappell and Herman # Roof: a.

Shape, covering: The building's hip roof is covered with dark-colored pantiles. Wood shingles are evident beneath the tiles, especially at the southeast corner of the roof. An opening to the west slope of the roof from the attic has been covered with aluminum. The tiles have settled in places and show signs of patching and waterproofing. b. Cornice, eaves: The cornice is stuccoed and exhibits a slight molding before curving outward to enclose the eaves in a cavetto profile. The cornice is surrounded by a perimeter gutter system that drains into a downspout at the northeast corner of the building. C. Description of Interior: 1. Floor plans: The area beneath the house consists of a dirt crawl space. The house is entered through the center entrance in the east facade.

A central stair hall provides access to flanking square rooms. Beneath the stair at the west end of the hall is a closet. On the second floor, the stair hall provides access to flanking square rooms and to a bathroom at the east end of the hall. On the third floor, the hall again provides access to flanking rooms and an east end bathroom. The hall is separated from the stairway by a fire wall installed after ca. The bathroom on this floor cuts into the north room, giving it an "L" shape. The south room is square. The attic is unfinished and is accessible via an open hatch in the third-floor hall ceiling. 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE (Meyer-Peace HouseYMary Meyer House) HABS No.

(Page 14) Single-leaf doors in the south walls of the first- and second-floor south rooms provide access to an abutting two-story building (14 Court House Square). Refer to the measured drawings for more complete floor plan information. 2. Stairway: The central stairway begins on the north side of the first-floor stair hall. Chappell and Herman state that the stairway is likely original. There are landings between the first and second floors and the second and third floors. Turned newel posts are located at the end of each stair run, except at the very top, where the railing stops at a later fire wall. At each landing and at the third floor, the base of the newel post extends below the stairs to terminate in a pendant.

The stairway features a molded handrail atop column-and-urn balusters with squared bases and tops. Each tread has three balusters, and the end of each step is marked with an applied scroll- work bracket. Between the first and second floors, the stair hall contains raised-panel wainscoting, with a thin base molding and a heavy cyma top molding. Between the second and third floors, the wainscoting contains no raised panels, only flush boards. The first- and second-floor stair halls also display a cyma recta crown molding with a fascia molding beneath. An unusual feature of the staircase is found in the run between the first landing and the second floor.

Before reaching the second floor, the handrail and balusters angle toward the stair flight running to the third floor and terminate beneath the ends of the second and third stair treads directly above. 3. Flooring: On the first floor, the flooring consists of 10"-wide boards running east to west. On the second floor, there is vinyl asbestos tile in the north room and bathroom and 5"-wide boards in the hall and south room, running north to south. On the third floor, the flooring consists of 10"-wide boards running north to south. The floor of the third-floor bathroom is covered with wall-to- wall carpet. The finish of all the board floors is difficult to determine due to the presence of so much plaster dust and paint chips and to the many years of wear.

The color of the boards ranges from a medium to dark brown. 4. Wall and ceiling finish: The stairway walls and ceilings are of plaster, and a molded medallion is located in the first-floor ceiling. The remaining stairway finishes are noted in Part II.C.2. The first-floor south room has the same raised-panel wainscoting as the stair hall, with a thin base molding and a smaller cyma top molding than found in the hall. Wallpaper covers the plaster walls, and a two-part cyma reversa crown molding meets the plaster ceiling. The ceiling contains a molded medallion, with a modern light fixture at its center. The first-floor north room was altered after ca. and contains few original or historic finishes. It contains the same base and crown moldings as the south room.

Wallboard with modern trim covers the plaster walls. The ceiling is of plaster and contains a molded medallion like the south room, also with a modern light fixture at its center. The second-floor south room contains the same wainscoting and associated moldings as the room below. Wallpaper covers the plaster walls, and a heavy, two-part molding, consisting of drip, crown, and bed molds, meets the 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE $W (Meyer-Peace House)/Mary Meyer House) HABS No. (Page 15) plaster ceiling (Chappell and Herman A modern fluorescent light fixture hangs from the ceiling at the center of the room. The woodwork in this room is painted a light green color. The second-floor north room was com- pletely altered after ca. and contains no original or historic finishes.

The second-floor bathroom contains a section of wainscoting and moldings along its south wall. These finishes were originally part of the stair hall wall. The third floor was made into an efficiency apartment after ca. As a result, nearly all of the finishes are modern. The south room retains a cyma recta crown molding and its plaster ceiling and walls (covered with wall- paper). The north room retains only its plaster ceiling and walls (also covered with wallpaper). The hall has a plaster ceiling and walls covered with wall- paper. The west and north walls of the bathroom are later partitions and are painted light blue. The south and east walls are covered with what appear to be tiles, also painted light blue. A flat base molding and flat picture rail run along these walls.

The northeast corner of the room has plaster walls painted light blue. The ceiling is plaster. Unless noted otherwise, all woodwork and all plaster finishes in the house are colored white. Refer to the measured drawings for dimensions and further details on wall and ceiling finishes. 5. Openings: a. Doorways and doors: Similar doors lead to the first-floor south and north rooms and the second-floor south room. Each features six raised panels, a molded surround, and an outer edge rabbeted to fit the surround snugly. The first- and second-floor doors leading to 14 Court House Square have six raised panels and a plain board surround with a molded edge. A similar door is found at the closet of the third-floor south room.

The doors leading to the third-floor south and north rooms are similar, with each having four raised panels/ a dark stain finish, and a plain surround with a molded edge. Except for these two doors, all of the doors in the house are painted white (the door to the second-floor south room is painted green on its inner face). Individual examples of door types include the door to the first-floor stair hall closet, with its four raised panels and thin molded surround. The second-floor bathroom door is the narrowest door in the house, with four raised panels and a modern surround. The door to the closet of the third-floor north room has four recessed panels and a molded surround. The door to the third-floor bathroom has six recessed panels and a molded surround.

Two modern flush doors are located at the second-floor north room leading to the hall and the bathroom, and a modern fire door is located at the top of the stairway at the third floor. 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE (Meyer-Peace House)JMary Meyer House) HABS No. (Page 16) b. Windows: All window openings are recessed due to the thickness of the exterior walls. In the first- and second-floor south rooms, the windows feature seats with ovolo moldings (Chappell and Herman and plain board surrounds with molded edges that terminate at the wainscoting top molding (the French doors in the second-floor south room have the same type of surround).

The window at the stair landing between the first and second floors has a seat with an ovolo molding and a thin, flat surround; at the landing between the second and third floors, the window has no seat but features the same type of surround. The first-floor north room and all of the third-floor spaces feature windows with later, flat trim and sills with rounded nosings. The two windows of the second-floor north room have simple beaded surrounds. 6. Decorative features and trim: Neoclassical mantelpieces are located in the first-floor south and north rooms and the second-floor south room.

The first- floor south-room mantelpiece features a pair of engaged columns with square bases and rounded capitals supporting an entablature (Chappell and Herman The architrave exhibits a papyrus flower motif. The frieze is made up of three panels, with the two outer panels containing no decoration and the center panel featuring a classical urn. The frieze was at one time decorated with garlands and wreaths (see Part I.A.6). The cornice exhibits punch work, a rope molding, diagonal reeding in two directions, and a mantel shelf with a cable stitch motif and an inset center section. A rope molding and marble strips frame the firebox. Above the mantelpiece is a paneled chimneybreast, consisting of a large rectangular panel flanked by thin vertical panels over a long horizontal panel.

The first-floor north-room mantelpiece features a pair of pilasters with square bases and Egyptian leaf capitals supporting an entablature. The architrave contains a guilloche band. The frieze is plain, and the cornice consists of dentils and a molded mantel shelf with an inset center section. A plain board surround frames the firebox. The chimneybreast is a plain plaster wall. The second-floor south-room mantelpiece features a pair of fluted pilasters with square bases and acanthus leaf capitals supporting an entablature. The mantelpiece has no architrave but does have an elaborately decorated five- panel frieze. The two outer panels contain classical urns, while the three inner panels exhibit swags, flowers, fruit, and birds.

The cornice consists of a pellet molding, an egg-and-dart molding, and a mantel shelf with a garland molding and an inset center section. Marble strips and a surround with pellet and egg- and-dart moldings frame the firebox. Above the mantel shelf, the paneled chimneybreast follows the same configuration as the one in the first-floor south room. Below the shelf, however, adjacent to the north side of the mantelpiece, is a small square panel over a long narrow panel. The mantel- piece was installed off-center and covers the small square panel and long narrow panel on the south side. 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE (^uW) (Meyer-Peace House)(Mary Meyer House) HABS No.

(Page 17) The two third-floor mantelpieces may be original to the house (Chappell and Herman The third-floor south room features a mantelpiece with a plaster back and an applied, heavy molding strip with crossettes and a central Aztec-style feature. The heavy cornice has a dentil course, a plain fascia, and a cyma recta crown molding supporting the plain mantel shelf. The firebox has been infilled and plastered. The mantelpiece in the third-floor north room is similar, with a plaster back and an applied, heavy molding strip with three-step crossettes and a central diamond feature. The heavy cornice has a dentil course, a plain fascia, and a cyma recta crown molding support- ing the plain mantel shelf. The firebox has been infilled and plastered.

In the first-floor north room, there is a built-in cabinet in the north wall. The cabinet is of recent construction, and the inner face of the exterior brick wall is visible through the glass doors of the cabinet. 7. Hardware: Chappell and Herman indicate that many of the doors in the house show signs of having had H and HL hinges at one time; most of the doors now have standard butt hinges. HL hinges are still in place at the closet door in the third-floor south room. Metal doorknobs and keyholes are evident on the closet door at the first-floor stair hall and at the second-floor bathroom door leading to the hall. In the second-floor south room, box locks with metal knobs are located at the French doors and at the door to the hall.

The third- floor north and south rooms feature box locks with porcelain knobs on the doors to the hall; the south room box lock has patent dates of and 8. Mechanical equipment: a. Heating, air conditioning, ventilation: Original heating would have been provided by the fireplaces and original ventilation by the win- dows. The existing heating system consists of gas heaters installed in the fireplaces. A steam radiator may have been located in the third- floor bathroom. Individual air conditioning units are located in the north wall of the second-floor north room and in selected windows on the north and west sides of the building, b. Lighting: There are no original lighting fixtures in the building. Existing lighting fixtures date from the middle twentieth century or later. c.

Plumbing: There are no original plumbing systems in the building. Existing systems date from the middle twentieth century or later. D. Site: 1. Historic landscape design: The only surviving feature of the historic land- scape is a brick wall that extends north from the northwest corner of the building. The wall, now broken in the middle for a driveway, was part of the exterior wall for the extension and one-story outbuildings that stood until ca. The northern end of the wall may have been a boundary or garden wall. 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE (Me (Meyer-Peace HouseYMary Meyer House) HABS No, (Page 18) 2. Outbuildings: The property contains no outbuildings. PART III. SOURCES OF INFORMATION A. Architectural Drawings: No original or historic drawings have been located. B.

Early Views: (Note: Several views similar to those noted below are located in the clippings files for 8 Court House Square at the Historic Charleston Foundation and the Preservation Society of Charleston. The views, however, do not have captions and are not dated.) Preservation Society of Charleston Ca. Bill Fogarty's Bedroom on Second Floor at 8 Court House Square [photograph]. Copy on hie, Preservation Society of Charleston. 8 Court House Square [photograph]. Copy on file, Preservation Society of Charleston. Ca. 8 Court House Square from 90 Broad St. [photograph]. Copy on file, Preservation Society of Charleston. Catherine Fogarty Reynolds, Dec. 31,1887-Iune 8 Court House Square, Christmas [photograph]. Copy on file, Preservation Society of Charleston.

South Carolina Historical Society Ca. Stereopticon View of the Charleston County Court House and Court House Square [photograph]. On file, South Carolina Historical Society, Charleston. Ca. Court House Square [photograph]. Albert Simons Album, South Caro- lina Historical Society, Charleston. C. Interview: Reynolds, John Fogarty Telephone conversation with author, 11 April D.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS SC,10-CHAR,240-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Chappell, Edward A., and Bernard L. Herman Philip Meyer House, 8 Courthouse Square, Charleston, Submitted to Historic Charleston Foundation. 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE ftho<&e) (Meyer-Peace HouseY^/Iary Meyer House) % HABS No. (Page 19) Charleston County Probate Court Will Books. On file, Charleston County Administrative Building, North Charleston. Charleston County Register of Mesne Conveyance Deed Books- On file, Charleston County Courthouse, Charleston. City Ward Books (Tax Assessments). On file, Charleston County Courthouse, Charleston. City Directory Directory of Charleston, South Carolina. Microfilm on file, Charleston Library Society. Historic Charleston Foundation 8 Court House Square [clippings file]. On file, Historic Charleston Foundation. Jewitt, Thaddeus C.

Jewitt's Illustrated Charleston City Directory and Business Register, 70. Walker, Evans & Coswell, Charleston. Petrie, Edmund Ichnography of Charleston, South Carolina. Phoenix Fire Company, London. Poston, Jonathan H. A History of 8 Courthouse Square. On file, Historic Charleston Foundation. Preservation Society of Charleston Tale of One City. Preservation Progress On file, Preservation Society of Charleston. 8 Court House Square [clippings file]. On file, Preservation Society of Charleston. Roberts, B., and W. H. Thomas The Ichnography of Charles-Town at High Water. Facsimile of the original map presented to the City Council of Charleston, Photostat on file, The Charleston Museum. Sanborn Map & Publishing Company Charleston, South Carolina [maps].

Sanborn Map & Publishing Company, New York. Charleston, South Carolina [maps]. Sanborn Map & Publishing Company, New York. 8 COURT HOUSE SQUARE (fUo*^ (Meyer-Peace House)fMary Meyer House) HABS No. (Page 20) Sanborn Map Company Insurance Maps of Charleston, South Carolina. Sanborn Map Company, New York. Insurance Maps of Charleston, South Carolina. (Corrected from edition). Sanborn Map Company, New York. Insurance Maps of Charleston, South Carolina. (Corrected from edition). Sanborn Map Company, New York. Stockton, Robert P., and Spencer Tolley 8 Courthouse Square, Circa On file, Preservation Society of Charleston. E. Likely Sources Not Yet Investigated: Few sources exist that would provide further direct information on 8 Court House Square.

Additional sources of information might include the manuscript collection at the South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, in Columbia, and the government records index at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, also in Columbia. Indexes of the South Carolina Magazine of History and Biography, available at the Department of Archives and History and the Cooper Library of the University of South Carolina, might contain information on owners or occupants of the property. PART IV. PROTECT INFORMATION This report was prepared in the spring of as mitigation for the proposed moving of 8 Court House Square.

Current proposals call for the building to be moved approximately 200 feet southwest of its existing location to allow for the construction of a new judicial center. The recordation was undertaken by the firm of Garrow & Associates, Inc., Atlanta, and sponsored by the County of Charleston, Capital Projects Department. M. Todd Cleveland served as project manager and prepared this report. Jeffrey L. Holland conducted all research and contributed to Parts I and III of this report. Vincent G. Macek contributed the large-format photographs and prepared all measured drawings.