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The Accidental Preservationist

An unexpected journey

East elevation of the Chancognie House.

 

The Chancognie House

 

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What is The AP?

Join me on an unexpected journey in restoration and research at the circa 1810 Simon Jude Chancognie House in Charleston, South Carolina and beyond.

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I am excited to announce a new acquisition here at the Chancognie House! After years of searching antique stores, auctions and antique shows - and not just me, but my mother as well - and after being told that we would never find anything remotely close to the many mochaware sherds that we have dug up, I found a match at @jeffreysevansassociates! While it is not an absolute exact match, it is incredibly close in terms of design and color and given how far away we have been from finding pieces that match the mochaware that we have found thus far, I am thrilled to be able to add this bowl to the collection. For more on what I collect here at the Chancognie House, see my blog post from 1/11/18 – link in profile. #theaccidentalpreservationist #chancogniehouse
Also intact at Calke Abbey are the service spaces and outbuildings in various states of deterioration as they were abandoned over the years. Slide for images of the brew house, the stables and the kitchens. For more on my visit, see my latest blog post. #theaccidentalpreservationist
One of the upsides of the Harpur-Crewe family never rarely anything away is that it provides a wonderful historical record. This room showcases a fantastic display of the evolution of hygiene from the chamber pots on the shelves at the back to a very early shower to 20th century plumbing. If only there had been a bathing house.... Slide for pictures of some of the first rooms I went through in the house which are quite presentable and give little indication of the state of things to come. For more on my visit to Calke Abbey, see my latest blog post - link in profile.#theaccidentalpreservationist
Amidst the renovation here, I have been thinking about my visit to Calke Abbey with the Attingham Summer School last year. With all my possessions stuffed into a much smaller space, I sometimes think that the Chancognie House is slightly reminiscent of those packed rooms, minus the taxidermy. For more on my visit and the National Trust’s unique approach to preserving this English country house, see my latest blog post, link in profile. #theaccidentalpreservationist
Back on October 19, 2018, when I posted about finding the base of this pearlware transferware bowl (slide for photo), I had no idea if I had or would find more pieces. A container full of rim fragments sat a few inches away from the base for months, but it was not until this weekend that I realized that they went together. Developed in Staffordshire, England in the 1760s, transferware was made by printing images from engraved copper plates on paper and applying them to unfired clay vessels which absorbed the ink. The paper was removed and then the vessel was glazed and fired. Sometimes the patterns ended up slightly askew as this one did where the pattern does not quite stretch around the bowl. I find this imperfection quite endearing and remain hopeful that I will find the last missing pieces! #theaccidentalpreservationist
It is another installation of Mystery Object Monday Renovation Edition! We have made many discoveries during the renovation, but this one, made while digging a hole for a pier to support the steel beam to span the cistern (more about that soon) was most unexpected. The hole is small, approximately seven feet deep, four feet long and about three feet wide. Less than a foot from the bottom of the hole, we found part of a wooden structure with end posts that appear to have been purposely shaped to a point. The board at the end, removed during digging, is about three feet long and 6 inches wide and appears to be heart pine – slide for more pictures. There is no evidence of a structure or the remains of a structure in the soil above this and there is at least one more board below this one. This truly is a mystery, so if you have any thoughts about what it might be, please let me know! #theaccidentalpreservationist

Recent Posts

  • Calke Abbey – A Unique Approach to Preserving an English Country House
  • A Fascinating Visit to Flintham Hall with the Attingham Summer School
  • The Accidental Peach Tree
  • Historic House Inspires a New Coffee Blend
  • Restoration and Renovation at the Chancognie House

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The Accidental Preservationist: Juliana Falk


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