Miles Brewton House facts for kids
|
Miles Brewton House
|
|
|
U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
|
Miles Brewton House
|
|
 Location in South Carolina
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 27 King St., Charleston, South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1765 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Part of | Charleston Historic District (ID66000964) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000699 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | October 9, 1960 |
| Designated NHLDCP | October 9, 1960 |
The Miles Brewton House is a very old and important house in Charleston, South Carolina. It is known as a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a special place recognized for its history.
This house is a great example of a "double house." This means it has four main rooms on each floor, with a hallway and stairs in the middle. It was designed using ideas from a famous architect named Andrea Palladio. The property is quite large, about 2 acres (0.81 ha), and has many smaller buildings around it. This makes it one of the most complete old house complexes in America. The house was built around 1765-1769 for Miles Brewton, a very rich merchant and planter.
Building Design and Features
The architect Ezra Waite began building this "double house" in 1765 for Miles Brewton. It was finished in 1769. The house is famous for its beautiful design and how well it has been kept over the years. Because of its importance, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1960.
The Miles Brewton House sits on the west side of King Street in Charleston. The 2-acre (0.81 ha) property is surrounded by walls with iron fences on top. The front wall is lower, with an iron gate that leads into a courtyard. The main house is a two-story brick building. It sits on a tall stone basement, and marble steps lead up to a fancy two-story porch on both sides.
The porch has columns: strong Doric columns on the first floor and more decorative Ionic columns on the second. The very top of the porch has a triangular shape called a pediment, with small block-like decorations called dentils. Inside the house, you'll find rich wood, plaster, and marble decorations. The entrance even has some old defensive spikes, called chevaux de frise. These were used to keep out unwanted visitors, especially during times when people were worried about uprisings.
On the north side of the house, there's a path often called a "plantation lane." This path leads to other buildings on the property. These include the living areas for enslaved people, a kitchen, and a small building called a pavilion. All these buildings are connected by a covered walkway. The large garden behind the house still looks much like it did in the 1700s.
House History
Miles Brewton's Life
Miles Brewton was born in 1731. His parents were important people in Charleston. His father was a goldsmith and worked in banking. Miles married Mary Izard, whose family owned a lot of land. Through his marriage, he gained more property. He became a very successful merchant, involved in the trade of enslaved people. He became one of the richest men in the area. He owned eight trading ships and several plantations. In 1765, he asked for this beautiful Georgian-style house to be built in Charleston.
Miles Brewton was chosen to be a delegate for the Second Continental Congress. This was an important meeting where leaders from the American colonies discussed their future. In August 1775, Miles Brewton and his family were traveling to Philadelphia for this meeting. Sadly, their ship sank, and they were all lost at sea.
From Wars to Today
After Miles Brewton passed away, his sisters, Frances (Mrs. Charles Pinckney) and Rebecca (Mrs. Jacob Motte), inherited the house. During the American Revolutionary War, in 1780, British soldiers took over Charleston. They used the Brewton house as their main office for General Henry Clinton. You can still see where General Clinton scratched his profile into a marble fireplace mantel!
Rebecca Motte's daughter married Captain William Alston. He bought the Charleston house to be his family's home in the city, instead of living only at his plantation. Their daughter, Mrs. William Bull Pringle, later inherited the house. Because of this, the house is sometimes called the Pringle House on King Street.
Later, during the American Civil War in 1865, the house was again used as a military headquarters. This time, it was for the Union Army. US Brigadier General Alexander Schimmelfennig used it as his office during the federal occupation of Charleston.
As of 1979, the Miles Brewton House was still owned by a family member related to the original Brewton-Motte family.
