2-4 Courthouse Square (Blake Tenements)

Archive

-

Historic Charleston Foundation

Blake Tenement, ca. 1898

Blake Tenement, ca. 1898

Name/Title

2-4 Courthouse Square (Blake Tenements)

Entry/Object ID

COURTHSSQ.002-4.1

Scope and Content

Constructed 1760-72; some renovation ca. 1800, late 20th century. Daniel Blake inherited this portion of the original Archdale Square, a site that had been reserved for an early Quaker governor on the old town plan. Blake sold much of the property for development of buildings that subsequently saw extensive use as lawyers offices and lodgings for attorneys and judges. By 1772, one deed noted that Blake had extensively improved the westernmost part of his property by building "two substantial brick tenements together with convenient outbuildings." The layout of the buildings, outbuildings and formal garden with a privy for the western tenement are shown in a detailed plat of 1788. The outbuildings were demolished in the 1960s for county offices. Stone staircases lead to the original pedimented door architraves. Most of the windows were replaced about 1800, but a few eighteenth century windows with heavy muntins remain on side and rear elevations. The brickwork of the front facade is laid in Flemish bond, while that of the less public facades is the less expensive English bond. (Poston, Buildings of Charleston.) Files contain narrative histories; newspaper articles (including DYKYC); historical/chain-of-title research notes including copies of plats, deeds, and other legal documents (some illegible); HCF staff research notes; journal/book articles; copies of historic photographs; correspondence about HCF's consideration of the building for its headquarters; correspondence about renovations, including detailed memorandum regarding windows and landing; 1990 Survey of Conditions and Recommendations for Repair by Phillips & Oppermann (includes architectural description, floor plans, photos, and other documentation); paint analysis "Cross-Section Microscopy Report: Blake Tenements" (Susan L. Buck, 2002); photocopy of 1791 plat.

Collection

Historic Charleston Foundation Property Records

Acquisition

Accession

COURTHSSQ.002-4

Source or Donor

2-4 Courthouse Square (Blake Tenements)

Acquisition Method

Collected by Staff

Lexicon

Search Terms

Courthouse Square, National Register of Historic Places, Historic buildings--South Carolina--Charleston, Paint--Analysis

Legacy Lexicon

Object Name

Property File

Archive Details

Archive Size/Extent

2 File Folders

Archive Notes

Finding Aids: Index to Property Files Level of Description: Folder

Location

Location

Shelf

Property File Shelves

Room

Margaretta P. Childs Archives

Building

Missroon House

Category

Permanent

Date

February 7, 2023

Location

Container

PF Box 32

Shelf

Prop File Shelves, Property File Shelves

Room

Margaretta P. Childs Archives

Building

Missroon House

Category

Permanent

Location

Container

2

Shelf

Prop File Shelves, Property File Shelves

Room

Margaretta P. Childs Archives

Building

Missroon House

Category

Permanent

Relationships

Related Entries

Notes

2005.004.022, 2006.010.105-125, 2017.005.1, 2018.003.013a-i, 2018.003.014a-e, COURTHSSQ.002-4.2, COURTHSSQ.002-4.3, COURTHSSQ.002-4.4, COURTHSSQ.002-4.5, COURTHSSQ.002-4.5a-b, COURTHSSQ.002-4.6, COURTHSSQ.002-4.7, COURTHSSQ.002-4.8a-c Related Units of Description: "Some Charleston Mansions" (White Pine Architectural Monographs), v. 14, n. 4 (see Media link)

Related Publications

Notes

Buildings of Charleston (see Abstract), pg. 180-181

General Notes

Note

Notes: Photo from Oversize collection.

Created By

admin@catalogit.app

Create Date

June 13, 2007

Updated By

admin@catalogit.app

Update Date

February 17, 2023