Name/Title
57 Laurens Street (Augustus Taft House)Entry/Object ID
LAURENS.057.1Scope and Content
Constructed ca. 1836; restored 1970s. This 3-story townhouse is a good example of early Greek Revival style in the emerging Charleston interpretation. The dwelling is built of black cypress and exhibits little ornamentation on its exterior save the simple Greek key motif in the pilasters of its door architrave and the fine marble staircase approaching it. The house retains much of its original interior including black marble mantels, plaster cornices, and ceiling medallions in its downstairs double parlors. The site includes a 3-story brick kitchen and quarters at the rear, built after the fire of 1838 (which narrowly missed this house) and a notable garden on the west side, occupying an additional lot that has always been part of the property. Although the black cypress siding is very durable, it has been painted in the past and is currently coated with a stain. The house was built around 1836 by Augustus R. Taft, a member of a prominent New England family that also produced a president and a senator. The builder's daughter married Pierre Gaillard Stoney and the house remained in their family for over a century, except for a 16-month period in 1865 when the house was confiscated by the Freedman's Bureau to provide housing for freed slaves. (Poston, Buildings of Charleston.)
Three files contain documentation of the easement on the property (two, 1983 and 2000) including related correspondence and Confirmation of Understanding; Part I certification (National Register); annual inspection reports, requests for alterations, and correspondence related to the management of the property; FOHG house histories (undated, 1992, 2002, 2014); FOHG house histories for the kitchen building at 57½ Laurens (1992, undated); house history from Vernacular Architecture of Charleston & Lowcountry; newspaper articles; measured drawing of first floor; photocopy of ARP photo; copy of photo of HCF plaque.
See Easement Documentation Photo Files for easement donation photographs (Exh. B to Deed of Conservation Easement) and Covenant/Easement Inspection Photo Files for inspection photography.Collection
Historic Charleston Foundation Property RecordsAcquisition
Accession
LAURENS.057.Source or Donor
57 Laurens Street (Augustus Taft House)Acquisition Method
Collected by StaffLexicon
Search Terms
Laurens Street, Ansonborough, Ansonborough Rehabilitation Project (ARP), Easement Property, Historic buildings--South Carolina--CharlestonArchive Details
Archive Size/Extent
1 Gift Folder
1 Management Folder
1 History/Miscellaneous FolderArchive Notes
Finding Aids: Index to Property Files
Level of Description: FolderLocation
Location
Shelf
Property File ShelvesRoom
Margaretta P. Childs ArchivesBuilding
Missroon HouseCategory
PermanentDate
February 7, 2023Location
Container
PF BoxShelf
Prop File Shelves, Property File ShelvesRoom
Margaretta P. Childs ArchivesBuilding
Missroon HouseCategory
PermanentLocation
Container
PF Box 58Shelf
Prop File Shelves, Property File ShelvesRoom
Margaretta P. Childs ArchivesBuilding
Missroon HouseCategory
PermanentRelationships
Related Entries
Notes
LAURENS.057.2, LAURENS.057.3, LAURENS.057.4a-b, LAURENS.057.5a-e, LAURENS.057.6
Related Units of Description: See also "Ansonborough" document box, Preservation Topics shelves.
See also Easement Manager's working files for more information.Related Publications
Notes
Buildings of Charleston (see Abstract), pg. 454-455Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
October 7, 2009Updated By
admin@catalogit.appUpdate Date
February 17, 2023