A derelict house downtown sits crumbing from neglect and abandonment, hiding stories of its history and fate
I’ve passed an old abandoned/derelict house in downtown Charleston countless times over the years as It slowly deteriorated, becoming more forlorn, tattered and ghostly looking.
I can’t even imagine why what was once an attractive and idiosyncratic early 20th century house has been left to decay in plain sight on what is a very valuable lot in the heart of Charleston’s historic district.
This is a perfect example of the truism that times waits for nothing, and everything crumbles into the dust eventually.
It’s taken many years for this old house to reach the state of decay it’s in now. It’s totally inconceivable to me that such a place, in such a location m, would be abandoned, the generations of stories about families and individuals who lived here probably lost to time. But not necessarily. That’s what’s so mysterious about this and similar abandoned houses: every one of them have rich stories, maybe even horrific. Who knows, except for the lost generations?
I did some brief research and could find nothing about the history of the house. But I didn’t dig into public public property and tax records because knowing those kinds of things is not the point. The fact is, in a city where preservation of every old house and building is a sacred obligation, there are still dwellings like this whose owner or owners cannot be located or who will not sell for whatever reasons, and apparently prefer to let the city eventually, with great reluctance, condemn it and have it demolished. This could happen any time at that address. The large red X on the outside indicates that this particular house is uninhabitable and that it is a danger for first responders to enter it.
Yes, there are many old houses in the not so prime historic areas of our city that are slowly deteriorating and nearing the point of falling in, but to me, this one stands out because of some of the architectural features that give it a novel appearance. I am thinking particular of the half octagonal bay windows which at one time must have been quite attractive. One can imagine an old-fashioned, lighted Christmas tree in one of the windows. The house also has some some rather strangely placed and unusual objects against the windows indoors, including a beautiful and colorful Tiffany-like stained glass panel. A work of art and something of beauty amidst a depressing and rundown exterior, rotting along all sides of the house.
I will likely try to learn more about this place because it so intrigues me. I wish I could walk from room to room inside. All my life I’ve been fascinated by abandoned houses. They are everywhere way out in the countryside, and in small towns where you only have to get out and drive and explore to find them. But this one is only a block from King Street, one of the most famous, and nowadays glitzy, Main Street shopping districts in the county. The small lot this house sits on alone is worth more than one million dollars, I am guessing. So strange that it just sits there crumbling with time, as you can see from these photos I recently took.
Those old shotgun houses are fascinating. I didn’t know they existed outside of places like New Orleans. Two stories as well! I love old houses like this. They have such character. They used to design houses with a personality and warmth that today’s houses just don’t have.
@startingover_1 You got that exactly right. This house seems to have had a lot of personality. Its fate is to suffer a decline like this, unless someone just happens at the last minute to come along and save it!
Interesting you mentioned shotgun houses in New Orleans. I’m very familiar with those, having lived in one in both New Orleans and here in Charleston. But in our city they are called “Charleston singles.”
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Any time I drive by an old abandoned house I wonder about the families who lived there and all that happened in that home. I think about new babies brought home and just the life that happened there. It fascinates me but also makes me a bit sad, you know? I, too, would love to just walk from room to room in them.
Looks like it was once a really nice home. I imagine those close neighbors don’t appreciate having to live so close to such an eyesore.
@happyathome Yes, it’s tragic what that once homey house has deteriorated into. I keep hoping it can be saved, but it doesn’t look like it. My guess is that eventually it was be condemned and someone will build a new house on the lot, but it will have to look historic and conform to the strict rules governing any new structures in our Historic District.
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