Charleston's Grandest
20 South Battery Street
Charleston, SC 29401
$6,500,000

Listing Agent: Drew Drury
Carolina One
843-345-6767
[email protected]
http://www.carolinaonerealestate.com/agent/proplist.asp?CEQ_AgentCode=13178

Property Description

20 South Battery Street is the premier Charleston residence, prominent for its location and presence as a historic and social feature of the community. Local businessman Samuel Stevens built this Antebellum home in 1843, selling it after the war to Colonel William Lathers, a native of Georgetown, South Carolina and an officer in the Union Army. In 1874 the home sold to South Carolina's Calhoun family patriarch, Andrew Calhoun Simonds, a well-known Charleston banker and entrepreneur. Almost 150 years later this grand residence is owned by Simonds' great-great-grandson and remains one of the city's most iconic architectural landmarks. 

Features and Amenities

Classic elements abound within this historic home's expansive halls and rooms, including a spiral staircase ascending four floors, eight elegant fireplaces, and original wood parquet flooring. The main structure is a private residence that faces stunning water views of Charleston Harbor with legendary Fort Sumter in the distance. As Susan Sully described in the magazine Charleston Style, ''The interior seems to dwell in an international time warp that could exist in Venice, Paris or even Pompeii''. To enter the tall front doors of this home is to enter an idyllic wonderland of geometric mosaic encaustic tiles with elegant cornices and pilasters in the expression of the Greek Rival and Second Empire styles. The ballroom, a focal point of the main entrance, provided the meeting room and founding of the oldest community-based historic preservation organization in America, the Charleston Preservation Society. Highlighted as a primary Charleston landmark in the ABC miniseries North and South (1985) starring Patrick Swayze and James Read, the main residence is gracefully clad in mellowed pink stucco with surrounding white piazzas and a whimsically unique mansard roof. 

The large adjoining garden and rear dependency hold The Battery Carriage House Inn. This elegant, successful establishment is a relaxing oasis in the midst of Charleston Harbor's White Point Garden and Battery. With eleven intimate guest rooms, each gracefully decorated to complement the time and theme of its historical lineage, the Inn is perfect for a romantic getaway. All rooms feature a private entrance from the brick-lined carriageway and the Charleston gardens beyond.

This offer is a rare opportunity to purchase the most impressive of all income-producing historic properties in one of the most historic waterfront cities in America.