Williams Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Williams Mansion |
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| Location | 16 Meeting St., Charleston, South Carolina |
| Built | W.P. Russell |
| Built for | George W. Williams |
| Architectural style(s) | Italianate |
| Governing body | Private |
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The Williams Mansion (once known as the Calhoun Mansion) is a grand Victorian house located at 16 Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina. This amazing mansion is open for people to visit and explore its history.
Building a Grand Home
Imagine building a huge house! George W. Williams, a successful businessman, started planning this mansion in 1873. He wanted a very big home with special features. His plans included a room for plants (a conservatory) and even a place to look at the stars (an observatory) on the roof!
The house was built between 1875 and 1876. It was designed by W.P. Russell. It is truly enormous, with thirty main rooms and many smaller ones. The main hallway is very long, about 50 feet! There is also a grand ballroom with a super high ceiling, 45 feet tall.
A Change of Name
When Mr. Williams passed away in 1903, his daughter's husband, Patrick Calhoun, inherited the house. Patrick was the grandson of a famous person named John C. Calhoun. Because of Patrick's ownership, the house became commonly known as the Calhoun Mansion. For a while, starting in 1914, it even operated as a hotel.
In 1976, Gedney Howe and his wife, Patricia, bought the house. They worked hard to restore it and bring back its original beauty. Later, in 2004, a lawyer and preservationist named Howard H. Stahl bought the mansion. He uses the house to display his large collection of items from the Gilded Age. The Gilded Age was a time in American history, from about 1870 to 1900, known for rapid economic growth and cultural change.
In 2020, the house officially went back to its first name, the Williams Mansion. The owner wanted to make it clear that John C. Calhoun never lived in the house. This name change happened around the same time a monument to John C. Calhoun was removed from a nearby park. This was because of the monument's connection to ideas of white supremacy.
Images for kids
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George W. Williams' new house appeared in an illustrated guide to Charleston in 1875.
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The house was shown in a 1909 postcard as the home of Patrick Calhoun.
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The sign for the Williams Mansion
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