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263:, a prominent rice planter who lived there while he was governor of South Carolina. In 1870, Allston's executors sold it to the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, who used it as a boarding school until 1905, when the Mullally and Pelzer families converted it back to private use. In 1953, the owners offered the house for sale and in 1955, having failed to find a buyer, proposed subdividing the property.
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408:. The fireplace mantles' Adam-style ornamentation are among the city's most detailed. The curved entry doors are faux-grained to resemble flame-grained mahogany on the exterior and tortoise shell on the interior. Curved, mullioned mirrors on one side of the room balance the windows on the other and reflect light into the room.
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patterned beds of flowers, ornamental shrubs, and large orange and grapefruit trees. Today there is a formal
English garden with gravel paths, boxwood hedges, and plants favored in the 19th century. In the rear of the house is the two-story slave quarters where many of the house's estimated 18 slaves lived.
314:. Sited on a large lot in downtown Charleston, the house is rectangular in plan, three stories tall, and faced in gray Carolina brick. A bracketed cornice and paneled balustrade separate the walls from the low hip roof, concealing it from view to better express the pure geometrical shapes of the house.
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that give the walls character. With windows on three sides, the room was used primarily during the day to take advantage of the daylight and breezes. At the rear of the house is a square master bedroom; additional bedrooms are on the third floor. Though most of the art and furniture displayed in the
288:
In
December 2023, after a year-long self-study, the board of Historic Charleston Foundation decided to sell the house and use the proceeds to support its other interests. Following an intense backlash from the preservation community, donors, and others, the board of directors of Historic Charleston
254:
to
Charleston, where he prospered as a slave merchant. In 1788, at the age of 50, he married Sarah Hopton, the daughter of an affluent Charleston family. As one of Charleston's more prominent citizens, Russell required a residence commensurate with his status. He began construction of his house in
341:
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The more important facades—the entrance facade, facing east, and the garden facade, facing south—are treated formally and arranged symmetrically. The windows of the second, most important story, the "bel etage", are the tallest; all 11 are capped with marble voussoirs and set into niches with red
394:
painting resembling a plaster cornice and an elliptical medallion painted by
Charleston artisan Samuel O'Hara. Off the central stair hall is the oval dining room, with turquoise walls that appear painted but are small squares of unpatterned wallpaper bordered with red and gold interlocking rings
381:
edged with a leaf motif. The adjacent office was where
Russell conducted business. Separating the public rooms at the front of the house from the more private rooms used by the family, wide faux-grained double doors with glazed rosette patterned insets and an elliptical, fan-shaped transom give
433:
The house and grounds are separated from the street by a wrought iron fence set atop a low brick wall, with an iron entrance gate flanked by tall brick piers capped with limestone ball finials. To the south of the house is the garden that was originally laid out in a geometric arrangement with
321:
The entrance facade's principal feature is its single-leaf, faux-grained, eight-paneled door, capped by an elliptical fanlite and flanked by four fluted pilasters. On the floor above, an elegant iron balcony with bowed, elliptical projections bearing the monogram "NR" spans the facade's full
368:
in France), popular during the last two decades of the 18th century and the first two of the 19th. In their interior design, neoclassical architects and craftsmen often created rooms in a variety of geometrical shapes (square, circular, ovoid, elliptical), embellished with elaborate plaster
395:
above cypress wainscoting painted white. The heart-pine floors and the wood interior shutters are original. At the rear of the house is a square parlor that was enlarged at a later date to connect the house to the kitchen, and was used by the family for everyday dining.
403:
The second-floor oval drawing room, to which the women of the house retired after dinner, is the house's most decorated room. Papered in apricot, its elaborate plaster moldings are embellished with 24-karat gold leaf. Plinth blocks at the base are painted to resemble
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The south side's principal feature is the polygonal bay rising the full height of the house. A second balcony, as light and elegant as the first but lacking the monograms, wraps around the bay, emphasizing the preeminence of the second story.
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Grants and donations have enabled the foundation to acquire a significant collection of objects with a
Charleston provenance, allowing it to show visitors an interpretation of the lifestyle of Charleston's early 19th-century merchant class.
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The large rectangular withdrawing room at the front of the house has soft gray walls and white wainscoting topped by a multilayered gilded cornice. The windows are surrounded by tall slender pilasters and overhanging
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decoration and striking polychrome. The
Nathaniel Russell House has three main rooms per floor, each of different geometric designs: a rectangular room in front; a central oval room, and a square room in the rear.
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Nathaniel and Sarah
Russell had two daughters, Alicia Hopton Russell and Sarah Russell Dehon. Dehon inherited her father's house and lived there until her death in 1857, after which her children sold it to
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In 1995, the foundation began a multi-year program of research and reconstruction to restore the house's architectural details and interior finishes to their 1808 appearance.
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brick arches. The whole ensemble is connected by a continuous stone string course, creating a kind of architectural necklace running around the house's east and south sides.
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267:, formed in 1947, resolved to preserve it intact, raised $ 65,000 (~$ 696,543 in 2023), bought the house and grounds, and soon thereafter opened the house to the public.
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house is not original to the
Nathaniel Russell House, it is from the period when the Russell family inhabited the house, and much is of Charleston origin.
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An elaborate tripartite window dominates the north facade, placed to sit indoors between landings of the house's elliptical staircase.
814:"Whole Building Systems Completes Energy Survey and Engineering Analysis of Nathaniel Russell House Museum in Historic Charleston, SC"
226:. Built in 1808 by wealthy merchant and slave trader Nathaniel Russell, it is recognized as one of the United States' most important
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757:
Parker, Adam (January 12, 2024). "Historic
Charleston Foundation reverses decision to sell Nathaniel Russell House".
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Behre, Robert (December 9, 2023). "One of Charleston's grandest house museums, Nathaniel Russell House, to be sold".
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access to the golden-walled stair hall that showcases the house's best-known architectural feature, the cantilevered
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The house is 9,600 square feet (890 m) with 6,000 square feet (560 m) of living area.
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Russell commissioned an unknown architect to build a large townhouse in the then fashionable
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is an architecturally distinguished, early 19th-century house at 51 Meeting Street in
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Foundation reversed course and voted to retain the museum house in January 2024.
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Nathaniel Russell House, 51 Meeting Street, Charleston, Charleston County, SC
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386:, which rises to the third floor. The asymmetrical hall is illuminated by a
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National Register of Historic Places listings in Charleston, South Carolina
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916:
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View of the gardens, ending in a small green lawn, surrounding the house
907:
Nathaniel Russell House, Charleston County (51 Meeting St., Charleston)
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The rectangular entrance hall has a black-and-white diamond-patterned
663:"Nathaniel-Russell House Museum Tours & Tickets | Charleston, SC"
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Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina
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National Register of Historic Places in Charleston, South Carolina
419:
339:
301:
241:
502:
945:
919:", 11 photos, 3 data pages, 1 photo caption page
535:
National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory
902:
Nathaniel Russell House, at the Historic Charleston Foundation
593:"Enslaved People Lived Here. These Museums Want You to Know"
255:
1803, and completed it five years later (at the age of 70).
1431:
Historic district contributing properties in South Carolina
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Elliptical spiral staircase, which ascends three floors
909:, at South Carolina Department of Archives and History
473:
List of National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina
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Historic American Buildings Survey in South Carolina
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
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526:Stephenson, Tray; Bernard Kearse (April 25, 1973).
200:
192:
184:
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166:
151:
141:
133:
96:
81:
932:— Gallery of images of the Nathaniel Russell House
691:. Charleston: The History Press. pp. 74–85.
687:Smith, Alice R. Huger; Smith, D.E. Huger (2007).
651:. Charleston, SC: Historic Charleston Foundation.
816:. reuters.com. February 21, 2013. Archived from
16:Historic house in South Carolina, United States
1436:Slave cabins and quarters in the United States
1391:National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina
957:
277:The Nathaniel Russell House was designated a
8:
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926:", 2 photos, 1 photo caption page
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950:
942:
938:— Satellite image centered on the building
717:National Historic Landmark summary listing
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250:In 1765, Nathaniel Russell relocated from
73:
973:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
761:. Charleston, South Carolina. p. A1.
40:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
1411:Historic house museums in South Carolina
58:U.S. National Historic Landmark District
719:. National Park Service. Archived from
649:The Nathaniel Russell Papers, 1765-1837
489:
441:
1421:Biographical museums in South Carolina
503:"National Register Information System"
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495:
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424:Nathaniel Russell House Slave Quarters
23:
1441:1808 establishments in South Carolina
1416:Museums in Charleston, South Carolina
924:Nathaniel Russell House, Dependencies
782:Charleston Architecture and Interiors
348:The house's interior exemplifies the
7:
1386:Houses in Charleston, South Carolina
508:National Register of Historic Places
283:National Register of Historic Places
913:Historic American Buildings Survey
14:
689:The Dwelling Houses of Charleston
591:Mzezewa, Tariro (June 26, 2019).
1031:
1024:
444:
49:U.S. National Historic Landmark
930:Historic Charleston Foundation
867:Gardens of Historic Charleston
627:Historic Charleston Foundation
265:Historic Charleston Foundation
246:Nathaniel Russell House (1883)
168:
1:
840:"The Nathaniel Russell House"
746:. Charleston, South Carolina.
230:houses. It was designated a
156:Charleston Historic District
21:United States historic place
1332:National Historic Landmarks
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864:Cothran, James R. (1995).
667:www.historiccharleston.org
463:Charleston Female Seminary
279:National Historic Landmark
232:National Historic Landmark
87:Charleston, South Carolina
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1022:
922:HABS No. SC-145-A, "
915:(HABS) No. SC-145, "
713:"Nathaniel Russell House"
623:"Nathaniel Russell House"
560:"Nathaniel Russell House"
528:"Nathaniel Russell House"
281:in 1960 and added to the
167:NRHP reference
72:
68:
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1406:Houses completed in 1808
142:Architectural style
468:Edmondston-Alston House
212:Nathaniel Russell House
32:Nathaniel Russell House
1345:Keeper of the Register
996:Keeper of the Register
647:Leath, Robert (1995).
425:
364:in Great Britain; and
356:in the United States;
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307:
306:South bay of the house
247:
1365:Contributing property
1011:National Park Service
991:Contributing property
779:Sully, Susan (2007).
571:National Park Service
539:National Park Service
513:National Park Service
423:
343:
305:
245:
118:32.77389°N 79.93139°W
62:Contributing Property
352:style (often called
193:Designated NRHP
201:Designated NHL
123:32.77389; -79.93139
114: /
85:51 Meeting Street,
597:The New York Times
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390:and ornamented by
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1360:Historic district
1001:Historic district
844:Talk of the Towne
820:on April 15, 2015
322:three-bay width.
293:House and grounds
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180:Significant dates
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196:November 7, 1973
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515:. July 9, 2010.
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881:. Retrieved
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818:the original
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743:
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725:. Retrieved
721:the original
716:
707:
688:
682:
670:. Retrieved
666:
657:
648:
642:
630:. Retrieved
626:
600:. Retrieved
596:
586:
574:. Retrieved
566:
554:
542:. Retrieved
534:
521:
506:
432:
414:entablatures
410:
406:lapis lazuli
402:
399:Second floor
392:trompe-l'œil
376:
350:neoclassical
347:
331:
328:
324:
320:
316:
309:
298:Architecture
287:
276:
272:
269:
257:
252:Rhode Island
249:
228:neoclassical
211:
209:
18:
1320:Other lists
1255:Spartanburg
936:Google maps
849:January 12,
632:January 12,
567:Photographs
373:First floor
366:Louis Seize
121: /
97:Coordinates
1380:Categories
1301:Greenville
1291:Charleston
1235:Orangeburg
1160:Greenville
1155:Georgetown
1135:Dorchester
1125:Darlington
1095:Charleston
484:References
379:floorcloth
362:Adam style
216:Charleston
160:ID66000964
109:79°55′53″W
106:32°46′26″N
1311:Rock Hill
1220:McCormick
1205:Lexington
1190:Lancaster
1165:Greenwood
1145:Fairfield
1140:Edgefield
1115:Clarendon
1060:Allendale
1050:Abbeville
1043:by county
883:April 14,
824:April 12,
798:April 13,
727:March 22,
285:in 1973.
234:in 1973.
137:1803–1808
1296:Columbia
1245:Richland
1225:Newberry
1215:Marlboro
1150:Florence
1120:Colleton
1100:Cherokee
1085:Berkeley
1080:Beaufort
1075:Barnwell
1065:Anderson
672:June 10,
457:See also
336:Interior
174:71000750
82:Location
1327:Bridges
1240:Pickens
1195:Laurens
1185:Kershaw
1170:Hampton
1105:Chester
1090:Calhoun
1070:Bamberg
602:July 7,
576:May 26,
544:May 26,
438:Gallery
429:Grounds
238:History
152:Part of
1260:Sumter
1250:Saluda
1230:Oconee
1210:Marion
1180:Jasper
1130:Dillon
984:Topics
874:
789:
695:
1265:Union
1175:Horry
1055:Aiken
1041:Lists
563:(pdf)
531:(PDF)
134:Built
1275:York
885:2015
872:ISBN
851:2007
826:2015
800:2015
787:ISBN
729:2008
693:ISBN
674:2019
634:2007
604:2017
578:2012
546:2012
210:The
1200:Lee
975:in
360:or
169:No.
1382::
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767:^
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222:,
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965:e
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951:v
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158:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
