Name/Title
115 Meeting Street (Mills House Hotel)Entry/Object ID
MEETING.115.1Scope and Content
Constructed 1853; reconstructed 1968. John E. Earle, architect.
Reconstructed on the site of the original Mills House, this reproduction was completed in 1968. Otis Mills, a grain merchant and real estate developer, constructed the original in 1853. Mills, a native of Massachusetts, commissioned the architect John E. Earle, also an expatriate New Englander, to design the building, which contained the first large scale running water and steam heat systems in the city. The five story, 125-room hotel cost $200,000 to build and incorporated Philadelphia cast-iron balconies and New England terra cotta window cornices. The Mills House Hotel barely escaped the fire of 1861 and stood in its original configuration for over a century after the disaster. Remaining a splendid hostelry for most of the early 20th century, it was known as the St. John Hotel. By 1968 the original building was in a severe state of disrepair, and its new owners reluctantly demolished it. Although two stories were added in the reconstruction, architects carefully employed the original exterior design and used the 19th century ironwork and some details from the first structure. Fiberglass copies replaced the original terra cotta window surrounds. The hotel opened for South Carolina's tricentennial in 1970. (Poston, Buildings of Charleston.)
Files contain narrative histories from publications; newspaper articles (including DYKYC 1969); building from Information for Guides of Historic Charleston; hotel brochure (date not indicated); illustrations of the building (hotel envelope and Library of Congress photos); graduate student report (Kim C. Norton, 2006) on the history of the building/property, including historical/chain-of-title research, maps, photos, deeds, and other supporting documentation; correspondence and other documentation related to the purchase of the property by Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (investment group called Charleston Associates), including proposed restoration and projections report and "The Charleston Hotel Project" report (mostly 1966-1968).Collection
Historic Charleston Foundation Property RecordsAcquisition
Accession
MEETING.115.Source or Donor
115 Meeting Street (Mills House Hotel)Acquisition Method
Collected by StaffLexicon
Search Terms
Meeting Street, Loutrel Briggs garden, Historic buildings--South Carolina--Charleston, Hotels--South Carolina--CharlestonArchive Details
Archive Size/Extent
2 File FoldersArchive 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 Box 72Shelf
Prop File Shelves, Property File ShelvesRoom
Margaretta P. Childs ArchivesBuilding
Missroon HouseCategory
PermanentLocation
Container
2Shelf
Prop File Shelves, Property File ShelvesRoom
Margaretta P. Childs ArchivesBuilding
Missroon HouseCategory
PermanentRelationships
Related Entries
Notes
2009.007.1, 2016.014.28, 2018.005.19, 2021.005.4a-k, MEETING.115.2, MEETING.115.3, MEETING.115.4, MEETING.115.5, MEETING.115.6, MEETING.115.7Related Publications
Notes
Buildings of Charleston (see Abstract), pg. 189-190General Notes
Note
Notes: Photo #2 from Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog, LC-DIG-stereo-1s04561. See also LC-B8171-3114, and others.Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
July 7, 2010Updated By
admin@catalogit.appUpdate Date
February 17, 2023