Uncovering the Architectural Gem of the Charleston Single House
We can’t talk about Charleston’s unique architecture, without starting with Charleston’s most storied, recognizable, architectural namesake: The Charleston Single House.
Built on the characteristically narrow city lots of the Holy City, the
Charleston Single House
is always built deeper then it is wide… at least from a street view perspective.
An often heard Charleston myth proclaims homes were built this way as a loophole for property tax prices that were based on rooms visible from the street, but that’s not exactly true. When South Carolina was still a British colony, strict urban planning rules were established by parliament back in London for all land development in the emerging cities of British North America.
Many of the homes built in Charleston from the early 1700s to the 1890s would have, at least at the time, been a
Charleston Single House. That’s a pretty wide architectural epoch. While there isn’t an exact historical date, builder or architect credited to the invention of the Charleston Single House
style, when you see one, you’ll know it.
One major clue to the design origins can be found in the Caribbean island of Barbados. Back in the 1700s, Charleston represented the southernmost border of the British colonies in North America. Many of Charleston’s first inhabitants were actually immigrants twice over; leaving Barbados (then also under British rule) and once again resettling in the new, promised lands of soon-to-be South Carolina.
They brought over the tried and true residential house styles from the coastal settlements of Barbados. A residential building style that was based more around function, than style, in the pounding heat and storm susceptible climate of the tropics.
These homes were often built with business and social needs at the forefront as well. Back then, the home was not just a place to lay your head but also a place to sell your goods and services, often while playing host to lavish parties filled with men in wigs and women in dresses so big they could be used as drapes in those large great rooms.
WATCH THE LIVELY CHARLESTON VIDEO ON CHARLESTON SINGLE HOMES!
You may also notice that most brick Charleston Single Houses are directly adjacent to each other or feature a brick or stone wall right on or flush to an obvious property line. This is not just to keep nosy neighbors out but, in fact, is a leftover of one of America’s first official fire prevention building codes. Early on, Charleston was devastated by a number of fires and these backwalls were established to act as a fire break from one property to another.
These days, when it comes to form and style, the Charleston Single House can be quite ambiguous in its aesthetic design. Today, you will often see
Charleston Single family homes styled in NeoGothic, Greek Revival, Italianate, Victorian, Federal and even modern flavors.
But
while loose with design or architectural form in modern times, when it comes to being a true
Charleston Single House there are some strict functional rules in both exterior and interior layout. In classic form, it is one room wide with 2 rooms to each floor and a centrally located staircase with ascending floors layered the exact same way.
All feature a columned
piazza, or front porch, on the south or west side of the house. This layout allows the home to take advantage of the prevailing winds and maximize sun exposure in relation to Charleston’s geographical location which was a lot more important before the invention of electricity and central air-conditioning, but definitely still has its benefits today.
In modern Charleston, one family and multi-family dwellings, and even storefronts, have kept the
Charleston Single House
style going strong. Its seamless outdoor/indoor living
architectural concept has been lauded and used as a design feature all over the world.
Charleston is such a unique and storied city with a visual style not seen anywhere quite like it. As city with both historical and modern architectural wonders, there is no doubt the
Charleston Single House was the start of Charleston finding its one-of-a-kind, architectural stride.
And if you’re looking for a
Charleston Single House of your very own, make sure to reach out. The Lively Charleston team would
love to help!
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