Fenwick Hall
Encyclopedia
The Fenwick Hall, which is also known as Fenwick Castle, is a house built about 1730 on Johns Island, South Carolina
across the Stono River
from James Island
and Charleston
. It is located between River Road and Penneys Creek. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places
on February 23, 1972.
in England. He acquired the plantation on the Stono River by 1721. In 1730, he built the central, rectangular portion of the house.
His son, Edward Fenwick, inherited the plantation about 1750. He constructed a carriage house
to the west and a stable
to the east of the house. He imported and bred English thoroughbred
horses for racing. He built a 3 mi (4.8 km) mile track nearby under the current Maybank Highway. During this period, the plantation was called John's Island Stud as described in Harrison Fairfax's book of the same name. Since Fenwick was a Tory
in the Revolutionary War
, the property was confiscated. Some of it was returned by legislation in 1785.
In 1787, the plantation was sold to Fenwick's cousin John Gibbes. At this time, the octagonal wing was added. Daniel J. Townsend bought the property in 1840. It stayed in his family until 1876.
By 1930, the house was in ruins. It was restored by Mr. and Mrs. Victor Morawetz with the assistance of the architects Simons and Lapham
of Charleston.
style, two story brick house on a raised basement. The original section was about 40 ft (12 m) by 36 ft (11 m). The hip roof
was topped with a balustraded
deck
. The brickwork was Flemish bond. The south elevation has reconstructed nine over nine lights with reconstructed shutters.
The rectangular section has five bays with a Hugenot floor plan. The south facade entrance comes into a three-bay drawing room on the left. There is a smaller two-bay parlor to the left. The central hall extends to stairs at the back. There is rear rooms on either side of the hallway. There is an entrance to the 1787 octagonal wing in the northwest corner of the parlor.
The 1787 two story wing is eight-sided about 50 ft (15 m) by 18 ft (5 m). It has two rooms divided by a staircase.
The drawing room is plastered and has reproduction wallpaper. The other rooms on the first floor are wood paneled. There are seven bedrooms on the second floor. The four in the original section are wood paneled.
In the 1931 restoration, a veranda was added to the east and a small two-story wing on the west with a kitchen and bedroom and bath. A reconstructed simple entrance with pediment
and two engaged
Doric
columns replaced a portico that was added in 1787.
Over forty additional pictures of the interior and exterior are available. A floor plan, architectural drawings, and more photographs are also available. A watercolor of Fenwick Hall prior to restoration is at the Greenville County Museum of Art
.
The two story brick coach house toward the west has been turned into a garage. A similar stable on the east no longer exists. A formal 18th garden was laid out in the 1931 restoration.
Johns Island, South Carolina
Johns Island, also spelled John's Island, is the largest island in the U.S. State of South Carolina. It is one of the many Sea Islands along the coast of South Carolina.-Background:...
across the Stono River
Stono River
The Stono River is a tidal channel in southeast South Carolina, located southwest of Charleston. The channel runs southwest to northeast between the mainland and Wadmalaw Island and Johns Island, from north Edisto River between Johns and James Island. The Intracoastal Waterway runs through...
from James Island
James Island (South Carolina)
James Island is one of South Carolina's most urban Sea Islands. The island is separated from peninsular downtown Charleston by the Ashley River, from the mainland by Wappoo Creek and the Wappoo Cut, and from Johns Island by the Stono River...
and Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. It is located between River Road and Penneys Creek. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on February 23, 1972.
History
John Fenwick, a brother of the former privateer Robert Fenwick, was from a county familyLanded gentry
Landed gentry is a traditional British social class, consisting of land owners who could live entirely off rental income. Often they worked only in an administrative capacity looking after the management of their own lands....
in England. He acquired the plantation on the Stono River by 1721. In 1730, he built the central, rectangular portion of the house.
His son, Edward Fenwick, inherited the plantation about 1750. He constructed a carriage house
Carriage house
A carriage house, also called remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack.In Great Britain the farm building was called a Cart Shed...
to the west and a stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
to the east of the house. He imported and bred English thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horses for racing. He built a 3 mi (4.8 km) mile track nearby under the current Maybank Highway. During this period, the plantation was called John's Island Stud as described in Harrison Fairfax's book of the same name. Since Fenwick was a Tory
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
in the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, the property was confiscated. Some of it was returned by legislation in 1785.
In 1787, the plantation was sold to Fenwick's cousin John Gibbes. At this time, the octagonal wing was added. Daniel J. Townsend bought the property in 1840. It stayed in his family until 1876.
By 1930, the house was in ruins. It was restored by Mr. and Mrs. Victor Morawetz with the assistance of the architects Simons and Lapham
Samuel Lapham VI
Samuel Lapham VI was born on 23 September 1892 in Charleston, South Carolina to Samuel Lapham V and Annie Grey Soule...
of Charleston.
Architecture
It is a GeorgianGeorgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
style, two story brick house on a raised basement. The original section was about 40 ft (12 m) by 36 ft (11 m). The hip roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
was topped with a balustraded
Baluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
deck
Deck (building)
In architecture, a deck is a flat surface capable of supporting weight, similar to a floor, but typically constructed outdoors, often elevated from the ground, and usually connected to a building...
. The brickwork was Flemish bond. The south elevation has reconstructed nine over nine lights with reconstructed shutters.
The rectangular section has five bays with a Hugenot floor plan. The south facade entrance comes into a three-bay drawing room on the left. There is a smaller two-bay parlor to the left. The central hall extends to stairs at the back. There is rear rooms on either side of the hallway. There is an entrance to the 1787 octagonal wing in the northwest corner of the parlor.
The 1787 two story wing is eight-sided about 50 ft (15 m) by 18 ft (5 m). It has two rooms divided by a staircase.
The drawing room is plastered and has reproduction wallpaper. The other rooms on the first floor are wood paneled. There are seven bedrooms on the second floor. The four in the original section are wood paneled.
In the 1931 restoration, a veranda was added to the east and a small two-story wing on the west with a kitchen and bedroom and bath. A reconstructed simple entrance with pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
and two engaged
Engaged column
In architecture, an engaged column is a column embedded in a wall and partly projecting from the surface of the wall, sometimes defined as semi or three-quarter detached...
Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
columns replaced a portico that was added in 1787.
Over forty additional pictures of the interior and exterior are available. A floor plan, architectural drawings, and more photographs are also available. A watercolor of Fenwick Hall prior to restoration is at the Greenville County Museum of Art
Greenville County Museum of Art
The Greenville County Museum of Art is an art museum located in Greenville, South Carolina. Its collections focus mainly on American art, and its holdings include works by Andrew Wyeth, Josef Albers, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, Ronnie Landfield, Eric Fischl, Marylyn...
.
The two story brick coach house toward the west has been turned into a garage. A similar stable on the east no longer exists. A formal 18th garden was laid out in the 1931 restoration.
External links
- http://fenwickhall.com/