Name/Title
36 Chalmers Street (Jane Wightman House)Entry/Object ID
CHALMERS.036.1Scope and Content
Formerly the location of late 18th century wooden tenements, the site of 34-38 Chalmers Street was purchased in 1816 by the owner of the adjacent property, Dr. William Wightman. Wightman left these properties to his free black daughter Jane Prevost (Wightman). After a fire in 1835, Miss Wightman built the house at 36 Chalmers Street as her residence. A 3-story, stuccoed brick Greek Revival style building, it was purchased and renovated in the 1930s by noted Charleston novelist Josephine Pinckney. Although the flat parapet and cast-iron grilles with anthemions are clues to the residence's Greek Revival past, Miss Pinckney, with the help of architect Albert Simons, added the Colonial Revival style piazza screen to the existing porch along with a wrought-iron balcony formerly used on a house that was demolished at 108 Meeting Street.
Three files contain documentation of the easement on the property including related correspondence, including conceptual approval letter; Part I certification (National Register); easement appraisal report; photocopy of architectural drawings (Glenn Keyes, 5/15/2012); house history for 36 Chalmers Street (FOHG?, undated); house history the City of Charleston Tour Guide Training Manual; newspaper article re: 36 Chalmers being on tour (4/2/1948); illustration of 36 Chalmers by Elizabeth O'Neill Verner (date and source not indicated); photocopy of photograph of 34-36 Chalmers Street (unattributed, undated, source not identified); Rosen and Associates inspection report (2005); historical research and supporting documentation prepared by Sarah Fick in preparation for Part I certification application including summary history, notes and sources, Sanborn maps (1888, 1944), will and estate inventory of Jane Prevost, will and estate inventory of William Wightman, photocopy of City Engineer's Block Plat (1882), and photocopies of Library of Congress photographs.
Files may eventually contain additional documentation such as annual inspection reports; requests for alterations; correspondence related to the management of the property; correspondence and other documentation related to the sale of the property; etc.
See Easement Documentation Photo Files for easement donation photographs (Exh. B to Deed of Conservation Easement). No inspection photographs on file (see Easement Manager).Collection
Historic Charleston Foundation Property RecordsAcquisition
Accession
CHALMERS.036.Source or Donor
36 Chalmers Street (Jane Wightman House)Acquisition Method
Collected by StaffLexicon
Search Terms
Chalmers Street, Civic Square, Easement Property, Historic buildings--South Carolina--CharlestonArchive Details
Archive Size/Extent
1 Gift Folder
1 Management Folder
1 Historical/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 Box 19Shelf
Prop File Shelves, Property File ShelvesRoom
Margaretta P. Childs ArchivesBuilding
Missroon HouseCategory
PermanentRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Simons, AlbertRelated Entries
Notes
2021.008.1, CHALMERS.036.2, CHALMERS.036.3, CHALMERS.036.4, CHALMERS.036.5, CHALMERS.036.6a-b, CHALMERS.036.7a-b
Related Units of Description: Easement Manager's working files.
Preservation Consultants files (38 Chalmers conditions report), 2011.022.1Related Publications
Notes
Buildings of Charleston (see Abstract), pg. 176-177
FOH Tour booklets on Lowcountry Digital Library (36 Chalmers)Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
August 8, 2006Updated By
admin@catalogit.appUpdate Date
February 17, 2023