Heyward-Washington House facts for kids
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Heyward-Washington House
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U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
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Heyward-Washington House
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 Location in South Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | 87 Church St., Charleston, South Carolina |
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| Built | 1772 |
| Part of | Charleston Historic District (ID66000964) |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000576 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 15, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | April 15, 1970 |
| Designated NHLDCP | October 9, 1960 |
The Heyward-Washington House is a special old house in Charleston, South Carolina. It was built in 1772. A very important person named Thomas Heyward, Jr. lived here. He was one of the people who signed the United States Declaration of Independence, which declared America's freedom. Later, George Washington, who was the first President of the United States, stayed in this house when he visited Charleston in 1791.
Today, the Charleston Museum owns and takes care of the house. You can visit it to see how people lived in the late 1700s. It has old furniture from that time. The house was recognized as a very important historical place in 1970.
Contents
A Home for Important People
This beautiful house was built in 1772. It's a type of house called a Georgian-style double house. Its first owner was Thomas Heyward, Jr.. He was one of the "Founding Fathers" of America. He was also one of the four people from South Carolina who signed the Declaration of Independence.
During the American Revolutionary War, Heyward was a leader and an officer. He was captured when the British took Charleston in 1780. He was sent away to St. Augustine, Florida. But he was later set free in 1781.
President Washington's Visit
The city of Charleston rented this house for George Washington. He stayed here for a week in May 1791. This is why it's often called the "Heyward-Washington House."
Heyward sold the house in 1794. It was bought by John F. Grimké. He was also an officer in the Revolutionary War. His daughters, Sarah and Angeline Grimke, became famous later. They worked to end slavery and fought for women's rights.
Changes Over Time
In 1824, Mrs. Margaret Munro bought the house. She ran a boarding house there. Her granddaughter, Elizabeth Jane Hervey, later inherited the house. Elizabeth married Tobias Cambridge Trott in 1857. They lived at 87 Church Street.
Tobias Trott passed away in 1863. During the American Civil War, Charleston was attacked. Elizabeth and her children left the city for safety. After the city was taken, Union soldiers stayed at the house.
On May 23, 1901, a special bronze marker was placed at the house. It tells the story of George Washington's stay there in 1791.
Becoming a Museum
The Charleston Museum bought the property in 1929. It opened to the public the next year. It was Charleston's first historic house museum. In 1978, it was officially recognized as a National Historic Landmark.
What You Can See Today
The museum has a collection of old furniture made in Charleston. This includes the valuable Holmes Bookcase. It is considered one of the best examples of American colonial furniture.
The property also has a kitchen building from the 1740s. This is the only kitchen from that time open to the public in Charleston. There are also beautiful formal gardens. These gardens feature plants that were common in the South Carolina Lowcountry in the late 1700s.
See also
