House & Garden

Governor Thomas Bennett House, Barre St., Charleston, SC   

Waaaaa.....I miss my Thanksgiving day leftovers. I could happily live on turkey dressing and mac and cheese for a long time. I smiled in the car coming home to tasty leftovers to warm up.

I am not enjoying it being dark by the time I got home. I popped into Home Depot to buy a couple bags of mulch and spread them out in the dark. In the morning I'll discover what I did to my yard.

Isn't that a beautiful room? I had these pictures left from when the Charleston History Before 1945 group had a tour of the Governor Thomas Bennett House last month. You can see why it is a popular spot for weddings, in fact I've attended a beautiful wedding in the garden below.

History Tour - Governor Thomas Bennett House

History tour of the Governor Thomas Bennett House, Charleston, SC   

One of the most active local facebook groups is a Charleston History group and I am fortunate to be a member even if I can't rhyme off generations of my lowcountry ancestors. Members of the group share photos and bits of history and figure out puzzles. It is fascinating. Last year we took a field trip to explore Daufuskie Island. This time I had something up my own sleeve to offer.

Roper Hospital owns and manages one of the most beautiful homes in Charleston. The Governor Thomas Bennett House is across the street from the hospital and stays solidly booked as an event and wedding location. The garden is as beautiful as the house. The hospital kindly agreed to open the house yesterday evening for a history tour of the property and we had such a lovely time. A few of our physicians joined us to share stories of years past (thank you Dr. Shapiro and Dr. Sanders!) and group members had their own memories to tell.

The building has incredible detailed wood work, chandeliers and marble fireplace mantels and almost everyone had a camera to capture structural details. Linda McCormick was a wonderful tour guide and even let us explore the attic floor.

The Governor Thomas Bennett House, circa 1825, is one of the most magnificent homes in Charleston, South Carolina. The home is of tremendous architectural importance, with exceptional ornamentation plasterwork. Of particular note is the free-flying staircase, which is only one of two in the entire city. The house has been handsomely restored, providing an elegant backdrop to events and parties. The gracious interior of the house is extended and enhanced by a spacious piazza overlooking the garden. The garden is one of the most beautiful traditional gardens in Charleston. With a large brick courtyard and fountain, it is the perfect setting for distinctive and elegant functions.

Of course we asked about ghosts - and then I found one!

Parking garage views

Jonathan Lucas House, Charleston, S.C. 

I had midday meetings at Roper Hospital today and ended up on the top floor of the parking building on a gray and overcast day. I just had my cell phone with me but grabbed a few shots of some important buildings for today's entry. 

Jonathan Lucas House is at 286 Calhoun St. Jonathan Lucas, Jr., the builder of the house, was born in England and developed milling machines for rice, which led to a boom in rice planting in South Carolina. 

From another angle I could see the back view of the Governor Thomas Bennett House. The Bennett House has a lovely garden and is a popular wedding location.We don't have many high buildings in Charleston so rooftop views are a treat. This is just from the parking deck. I need to see if I can get up on the roof at Roper Hospital in a clear day. 

I am just back from a lovely and lively dinner at a friends house were we enjoyed home made pasta. What a difference there is between homemade and store bought pasta. They shouldn't even be called by the same name. Needless to say, I am very full and grateful for good friends.