Historic Adaptation
Respectful Addition to a Rich History
Adding local charm, functionality and space to a home with a rich history.
2014 AIA South Carolina Historic Preservation Award
2010 AIA South Carolina Award
Garden & Gun Magazine, July 2016
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Awards
2014 AIA SC Historic Preservation Merit Award
2011 October/November Issue Home by Design
2010 AIA SC Robert Mills Residential Design CitationPublication
Garden & Gun, Before and After: Returning charm to a southern landmarkContractor
Stone ConstructionLocation
Beaufort, SCStyle
Traditional
Considerate Addition
The original house was two rooms over two; a one-story wing was added when the house was moved. The double front porches were removed many years ago and replaced with a small stoop. Typical of historic houses, there was only one inadequate bathroom and virtually no closets.
Civil Pioneer
In 1839, Robert Smalls was born a slave on this property. During the civil war, he became a U.S. Army captain because he commandeered a Confederate ship and delivered it to the union. He went on to serve in the SC House of Representative, SC Senate and was a United States Congressman for 5 terms. After the civil war, Robert Smalls purchased this and adjacent properties. It is believed that this circa 1855 house was moved to the property as part of the Smalls estate. It is atypical of Beaufort houses because the porches are on the west instead of the south.
The Right Touch
In restoring the double front porches, the house now looks like the typical Beaufort house that it is instead of some foreign suburban transplant. The clients’ desire for a screened porch was met with a free-standing enclosure that respects the scale of the historic home and encloses a courtyard on the south of the house.
From the client
We loved working with Jane and Michael Frederick and would definitely love to hire them again for a future home. I particularly appreciate how they balance staying true to the history preservation on the exterior while bringing in modern finishes on the interior.