Sword Gate House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Sword Gate House
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 Location in South Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | 32 Legare St., Charleston, South Carolina |
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| NRHP reference No. | 70000579 |
| Added to NRHP | December 18, 1970 |
The Sword Gate House is a very old and special house in Charleston, South Carolina. People think the main part of the house was built around 1803. It might have been built by French families named James LaRoche and J. Lardent. This new house was built where an older, simpler house once stood.
Contents
A Look at the Past
How the House Got Its Name
The Sword Gate House was built in 1803. Later, in 1849, a British official named George Hopley bought the house. He decorated it and added something very unique: the famous Sword Gates. These gates were placed in the tall brick wall on Legare Street.
Each half of the gates has a special design. It looks like two vertical spears meet in the middle of a horizontally placed broadsword. This design gave the house its popular name, the Sword Gate House!
The Story of the Gates
The gates were made by a skilled craftsman from Charleston named Christopher Werner. The city of Charleston had asked Werner to make one "pair" of gates for a new police station. But Werner understood "pair" to mean two matching sets of gates! So, he made two left panels and two right panels.
The city only wanted one set (one left and one right panel). So, Werner sold the extra set to George Hopley. Hopley had them put up at his house. The matching set of gates is now at The Citadel, a military college in Charleston.
Changes Over Time
The house had many additions and changes in the late 1800s. By 1970, a brick wing of the house was separated. It became a different address, 109 Tradd Street. This wing is thought to have been added around 1818. It was later bought by Andre Talvande and his mother, Madame Talvande, in 1819. They used it as a school for girls. During their time, the tall brick walls around the property were also built.
The main house has two and a half stories. It sits over a tall basement and has a roof covered in slate. The brick walls are covered with stucco, which is a type of plaster. The windows on the first floor have solid wooden shutters. The windows on the second floor have louvered shutters, which have slats that let air and light through.
The 1900s and Beyond
The Gaud family bought the Sword Gate House in 1949. It had been empty for almost 20 years! They fixed up the buildings and furnished them. For a while, they even ran a guest house there.
Later, in 1959, the Gauds wanted to divide the property into smaller pieces. They planned to sell two lots facing Legare Street. Neighbors were not happy about this plan. But a city board eventually approved the division.
In 1960, Mrs. H.C. Shackelford bought most of the property. Then, in 1963, George E. Roosevelt bought the house from Mrs. Shackelford. He put all the divided pieces of land back together into one large property.
The Sword Gate House was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1970. This means it's a very important historical place.
The 2000s
In 2002, the house had a big restoration project. This work brought the three divided lots back into one property. The entire building was changed back into a single-family home.
In April 2009, the house was put up for sale for $23 million. The price went down over time. In June 2020, it sold for $10 million. This made it the most expensive house ever sold in Charleston at that time! It took the place of the Col. John Ashe House.
| Preceded by Col. John Ashe House |
Most Expensive House in Charleston, South Carolina June 2020– |
Succeeded by None |
Images for kids
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The brick wing at 109 Tradd Street, once part of the Sword Gate House.
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