The Leaning Piazzas of Charleston – Why do so many porches look like they are about to fall over?
An unexpected journey
Tagged Historic Charleston
It was Never Supposed to be Perfect – Some Thoughts on Woodwork at the c.1810 Chancognie House.
I recently had a conversation about early 19th century woodwork with my friend Chris Swan, Senior Furniture Conservator at Colonial Williamsburg. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, architectural woodwork and furniture were all made by hand and although there would have been differences in the levels of refinement, they had one thing in common – the…
The Mystery Man in the Wall of the Chancognie House
A small scrap of paper in the walls of the c.1810 Chancognie House in Charleston, SC led to an interesting discovery about early 20th century patent medicines.
Why I’m Wielding a Heat Gun on Sultry Summer Days
It’s all in the details as the saying goes – and with historic houses, once details are gone, they are often gone for good. And details are why I am stripping paint here at the Chancognie House in the midst of a heat wave. The wooden siding on the Chancognie House was made with a…
Charleston in the Time of Coronavirus – Part 2 – East Battery
I have seen East Battery deserted in advance of a hurricane, but I have never seen it this quiet on such a beautiful day. Before a hurricane, most of the houses here would be boarded up with shutters closed, bracing for the weather ahead, so this was an unusual opportunity to take pictures of the…
Charleston in the Time of Coronavirus – Part 1
Charleston enacted a stay at home order at midnight March 25 and a statewide order took effect April 7 at 5pm until further notice. For the past two weeks, I have been walking around downtown, taking pictures during my travels while carefully avoiding other pedestrians. At first, it felt similar to how the city feels…
The Accidental Peach Tree
The harvest is in at the Chancognie House and I thank you for following the trials and tribulations of cultivating peaches here in downtown Charleston. I received quite a few questions about the peach tree, so I thought that I would provide a short history – like many things here at the Chancognie House, my…
Historic House Inspires a New Coffee Blend
Thank you to the Post and Courier for the fantastic feature on Chancognie Coffee! You can read the full article here – more about this project coming soon!
Restoration and Renovation at the Chancognie House
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…
The Day the Chancognie House Almost Burned Down
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…
The Accidental Preservationist 