For most of my time here at the Chancognie House, work has focused on restoration – bringing various parts of the house, such as the second-floor piazza archways, pictured below, back to their original appearance. Recently, as you may have noticed from my posts on Instagram and Facebook, I embarked on a renovation project here…
Like most early American cities, Charleston has a long history of fires both small and large. Wooden buildings in close proximity to each other along with fire-building for cooking and warmth were all too often a combustible combination. The fire of April 27-28, 1838 burned over 500 properties and stopped just down the street from…
People often ask me when work at the Chancognie House will be finished. (For the record, my parents stopped asking this question years ago.) I answer that question with a smile and say, “Probably never.” There is work involved with owning any home, no matter the age. Historic homes are a special undertaking, especially if…
For those of you who follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you have likely seen posts that I have done from the archaeological dig here on the property. We have found and continue to find a lot of fascinating artifacts, but what you may not know is that the impetus for the dig was not…
When I took up residence at the Chancognie House, I must admit that I did not know much about it other than what was on the historical marker on the wall – Simon Jude Chancognie House, c. 1816. Only half of that turns out to be correct, but more about that later. In my search…
The Accidental Preservationist 