Historic Charleston Foundation

Programs: Preservation services - historic charleston foundation (hcf) is one of the nation's oldest and most respected historic preservation organizations. Founded in 1947 by a group of concerned local citizens, the foundation continues its important role in revitalizing charleston and preserving the city's historic architecture and neighborhoods. Hcf is currently one of the most innovative and effective preservation advocacy organizations in the united states. The foundation created the nation's first revolving fund for neighborhoods, saving and protecting 140 historic structures, and stressing the importance of revitalizing entire neighborhoods rather than just individual buildings. Its ansonborough project is credited with inspiring community-based conservation efforts in historic neighborhoods throughout the nation. The foundation's neighborhood impact initiative is an arm of the revolving fund. Established in 1995, the goal is to be a catalyst for the preservation of entire neighborhoods by creating community gathering spaces and rehabilitating deteriorated properties with architectural merit, while also preventing displacement of residents. In 2014, hcf provided funding to establish the romney urban garden, a joint project with new israel reformed episcopal church which owned an abandoned lot in the north central neighborhood. The community garden continues to flourish as the site of community events to include musical performances, poetry readings and pizza parties, with pizza and pies made in the garden's cob oven. The community gathering space concept has been so successful that hcf expanded the program to include work with local partners to establish a book nook reading and pollinator garden in the same neighborhood. Historic charleston foundation also is known as an innovator in historic easement and covenant programs. The foundation holds 452 easement and covenant properties, which protect historic buildings in the city and outlying areas as well as 2082 acres of open land of historic significance. Properties protected by easements and covenants held by hcf are as diverse as the magnificent william gibbes house in charleston to auldbrass near beaufort, sc, the only plantation designed by frank lloyd wright. Through its dedicated easements manager, the foundation provides technical outreach to all of our easement and covenant property owners, helping with appropriate conservation techniques for issues ranging from brick re-pointing to window restoration to the cleaning of architectural stone. Historic charleston foundation has an active advocacy arm that continually monitors and addresses preservation and development issues across the city of charleston. The preservation department attends weekly zoning and design review hearings to provide hcf's position on projects, and meets regularly with property owners, developers, and architects to review their proposed projects and provide input. Special projects include research and documentation of historic properties, national register nominations and assisting the city with the development of new preservation policies. In 2017, hcf played a vital role in improving the bar application process by splitting the bar into a bar-l for new construction and the bar-s for smaller projects. New guidelines including a new re-zoning of height districts also were spearheaded by hcf through a study by duany plater-zyberk and associates, financed by hcf and the city. In 2017, the foundation in partnership with the city of charleston established the palmetto community land trust to address a shortage of affordable housing in the area. The foundation gave the trust its lead gift of $70,000 in commemoration of the foundation's 70th anniversary (1947 - 2017). One of the many ways historic charleston foundation seeks to protect charleston's architectural, historical and cultural integrity is through scholarly research and documentation. The margaretta childs archives include historic building documentation, photos, drawings, and other materials that are useful to those researching historic charleston. The online catalogue contains records for 2,308 books in the foundation's library and 7,030items from the archives, making the foundation's archives and library even more accessible. Historic charleston foundation also is an advocate for archaeology and has sponsored investigations at its own museum houses as well as plantations and other historic sites in and around charleston. Archaeological digs help to answer questions about charleston's history that the documentary records alone cannot provide. A significant find in 2017 was that of a revolutionary war musket ball in the backlot of the aiken-rhett house museum, firmly establishing the first confirmed area of the revolutionary war siege lines in charleston. One of the most significant contributions that historic charleston foundation has made to the city of charleston was the development of a new preservation plan in 2007-2008. The plan emphasizes that preservation encompasses more than saving historically significant buildings. Rather, it states, "preservation is a social, economic and cultural endeavor that incorporates how new development is added within the historic district and beyond into outlying areas of the lowcountry. " sound preservation planning is all the more necessary as the range of historic resources located in charleston has become much broader as the city has grown. The preservation plan for charleston provides a pioneering policy framework from which the city and the community as a whole can grow in a preservation-centric and sustainable manner for many years to come. Historic charleston foundation works diligently to ensure the implementation of the preservation plan. As community needs change, updates are made to this and to other city plans. In 2017, the foundation worked with the city on updates to the comprehensive plan and to the city's tourism management plan.

public programs - as part of hcf's mission to educate the public about the benefits of historic preservation, the foundation provides two spring events which allow visitors to learn about and visit the city's finest historic private houses and gardens, as well as study and/or purchase some of the nation's most impressive antiques. The charleston antiques show takes place during the first weekend of the foundation's long renowned annual spring festival of houses and gardens, which runs mid-march to mid-april. The spring festival is an award-winning series of heritage tours and educational sessions, which in 2017 provided a rare opportunity for 15,929 visitors to enjoy behind-the-scenes peeks at some of the most magnificent private interiors and gardens in order to learn more about charleston's old and historic district, an area celebrated for its history and architecture dating from the 18th century. The festival coordinates the efforts of nearly 150 homeowners who have granted hcf the privilege of sharing their properties, and more than 650 community volunteers who make these tours possible. Proceeds from the festival support preservation programs throughout charleston and its historic environs. Established in 2004, the charleston antiques show has quickly become a premier destination for seasoned collectors as well as those who enjoy seeing and learning about the decorative arts. Around 30 nationally renowned dealers feature a diverse range of antiques from the 17th to mid-century modern including american, asian and european furniture, silver and porcelain, textiles, ceramics, vintage jewelry and clothing and garden furniture. More than 2,586 visitors in 2017 enjoyed learning about antiques and collecting through educational programs and exclusive behind-the-scene-tours with experts. In 2017, hcf partnered with the slave dwelling project to bring awareness to the living and dwelling spaces of the enslaved. The beyond the big house tour featured interpretation by african-american historians who discussed the living and working conditions of the enslaved at six historic properties. Guests were able to tour these dependency buildings and see how the spaces have been adopted into modern day life. The tour was a sold-out success. The foundation offers a lecture series called history matters, which offers donors the chance to engage regularly in unique educational events. In 2017 lecture topics included archaeology on peninsular charleston, carolina gold rice, the evolving charleston waterfront and courts and alleys of charleston. The art and architecture lecture series 2017 included a daytrip to georgetown, sc, and talks on decorative arts at williamsburg, the influence of chippendale on american cabinetmakers, a discussion of connections between early charleston and italy and a look at current development projects on peninsular charleston. Additional education opportunities are offered to children through field programs and summer programs at both museum houses. "children's discovery tours" highlighted topics like revolutionary charleston, pirates, period tea parties with alicia russell and gullah culture. The foundation continues to grow its curriculum-based field trip opportunities, targeting 2 - 8th grades in underperforming schools. In 2017, 3,810 school children visited the house museums on field trips.

museums - hcf fulfills its educational mission through the interpretation of its collections and two outstanding museum houses: the nathaniel russell house, c. 1808, at 51 meeting street, one of america's most significant neoclassical federal townhouses; and the aiken-rhett house, c. 1820, at 48 elizabeth street, where visitors can step back in time to experience life in antebellum charleston. More than 87,950 visitors toured the museum properties in 2017. Historic charleston foundation purchased the nathaniel russell house, c. 1808, a national historic landmark, in 1955. Visitors continue to admire the grand federal-style townhouse of prominent merchant, nathaniel russell. Completed in 1808 when russell was 70 years old, the lavishly ornamented house serves as a testament to the great wealth he accumulated over his distinguished lifetime. Then as now, the russell house is considered to be among the finest dwellings in charleston. The house also stands in contrast to other contemporary charleston residences with a unique geometric floor plan and fine architectural detailing. The interior boasts a spacious reception room with intricate glazed doors, an elegant free-flying staircase, and elaborate trompe-l'oeil decoration from the first to the third floors. Painstakingly restored to its 1808 appearance, the russell house also serves as the ideal exhibition space for hcf's outstanding collection of fine and decorative arts. Currently, historic charleston foundation is implementing a soft furnishings renovation of the nathaniel russell house museum. In 2017, dimity bed coverings based on a family photograph believed to have been the russell's bed, were installed in the 2nd floor bed chamber. As the soft furnishings project winds down, another exciting project to investigate the kitchen house began in late 2017. By removing sections of 20-century fabric, historic experts uncovered what turned out to be the original plaster walls in the kitchen house. Plans are being formulated to include future work on the structure, including forensic study and interpretation of this important living and working space of the enslaved. Also operated as a museum house is the aiken-rhett house, c. 1820, built by john robinson and greatly expanded by governor and mrs. William aiken jr. In the 1830s. The property, which remained in the family until 1975, has survived as a unique time capsule, virtually unaltered since 1858. Original dependencies include the kitchen, slaves' quarters, stable, coach house and privies. Together with the main house these structures combine to form a rare and unique 19th century urban complex. The buildings and the artifacts within them poignantly illustrate the connections among all members of the household, those who lived in the main house as well as those who lived and worked as enslaved african-americans on the property. Historic charleston foundation has adopted a unique approach to its stewardship of the house. Thanks in great part to a prestigious save america's treasures grant, hcf has restored and thus protected the building's exterior to its 1858-1860 appearance. The preservation plan for the original historic interior is stabilization and conservation. This rare approach enables the interpretation of the house's continued habitation and its changes over time as new technologies, such as gas lighting and electricity were adopted. The period finishes, such as original 19th century wallpapers, alone make the aiken-rhett site one of the nation's most important house museums, and the intact decorative layers help us better understand nineteenth-century conceptions of refinement, patterns of consumption and decorative preferences in the carolina lowcountry. Unlike the majority of other historic house museums, all objects in the house are original to the house. Many of the objects currently on display in the aiken-rhett house were purchased by gov. Aiken and his wife, harriet lowndes aiken. During their residency, the house went through several decorative periods as the couple kept current with the latest fashions. While the majority of the furnishings in the house were in the plain grecian style, gothic-inspired and rococo revival objects were acquired and added to their collection over time. Linking the interior and exterior, it is no coincidence that these items closely relate to the gothic elements found in the outbuildings. In 2017, a new exhibit opened at the aiken-rhett house in the former laundry. Using a selection of the over 10,000 artifacts discovered in a previous archaeological dig, the space now features a floating walkway over the dig site itself and displays interpret the lives and living conditions of the enslaved who lived and worked on the property.

retail/ licensed products - historic charleston foundation began its licensed products program in 1972 as an innovative way to extend the foundation's restoration and preservation efforts beyond historic architecture and interiors to charleston's material culture as well. The program strives to keep charleston designs alive and make those designs available to a broad audience. Items selected for inclusion are those whose origins are steeped in charleston's history, culture, decorative arts and architecture. The licensed products of historic charleston foundation range from furniture, china, mirrors, jewelry, porcelain, decorative accessories and historic paint colors. Many of the original objects, which are reproduced or are used for inspiration, may be seen in the historic museum house collections of historic charleston foundation and other museum collections in charleston. The shops of historic charleston foundation showcases the licensed products of the foundation as well as an extensive selection of books on charleston history, architecture, gardens and culture. Within the shops of historic charleston foundation is the frances r. Edmunds bookstore, providing the most comprehensive selection of books on charleston and lowcountry history in the city. In addition, the shops include a wide range of decorative arts and gift items, including china; jewelry; formal, casual and garden furniture; lamps; mirrors and a palette of historical paint colors inspired by residences in charleston's old & historic district, as well as the rural lowcountry sea islands. The market shop of historic charleston, which opened in the summer of 2011, is the anchor shop in the great hall of the historic charleston city market. With displays that demonstrate the foundation's mission and a selection of the items found in the main retail location, the shop allows the foundation to reach a wider audience with the millions of annual visitors who go through the market each year.