Built in 1803, it was designed by Gabriel Manigault to be the home of his brother, and is nationally significant as a well-executed and preserved example of Adam style architecture. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1973.
Manigault Family House
The family were French Huguenots that fled to Charleston due to religious persecution from the French Catholic government. Charleston has one of the first Huguenot Churches in the US (click here to view our article), services are still done in French.
Manigault Family House
At some point this building was to be demolished to allow a filling station on the property. The Charleston Preservation Society was formed, this being their first of many projects.
There are no old houses in Charleston that allow photographic lighting, unless it is arranged in advance for a special occasion.
The last time I used any kind of flash was during the Charleston Jail shoot, and yes that was a special arrangement. (That shoot used Speedlights and Rogue Benders for snoot and soft box.).
The images here, the Manigault House, all used the natural ambient light. Good news is many of these old manors have huge windows.
Grand House, Ambient Light
Above, the curved stair case and chandelier caught all the outside sun. The photographs settings were based on the bright window so everything else was very dark. The crystal sparkles this way.
Grand House, Ambient Light
The next photograph, from a different angle, did not use the the big curved windows for light readings. The ceiling was bright enough to frame the stairs and crystal. Getting this was simply shooting many different images until a had one with balance. Using film that would be sloppy and wasteful. It’s digital and I had space for another 1,000 tries so who cares.
Grand House, Ambient Light
Every old house I visit always has statues on the window sills. Many are original to the homes and really beautiful. The Charleston elite, and plantation owners, collected expensive art works. During the Civil War many homes were looted for their wealth. Most owners hid what they could.
Grand House, Ambient Light
Shooting here is all about contrast and shadows. In the film days you would ‘dodge and burn’ prints in the dark room to get it right. Thanks to digital we sit at desks now.
Grand House, Ambient Light
Above there was actually two sets of light sources. Off to the right was the large bow windows, the door below brightened first floor. Another trial and error shot since the curved stairs on the left were always in the dark.
Grand House, Ambient Light
The last photograph here would have benefited from a graduated filter on the lens. The window light is too bright. I did apply a software filter, top to middle to help.
No high end gear was used here. The camera body was a Canon 70D, my smaller backup camera. It does have a nice touch screen for shoots like these. The negative being it does not do low light very well. In this environment it usually doesn’t matter much.
One lens was used in all the photographs published here. A Canon 18-135 ‘kit’ lens covers all the focal lengths needed. I did have a few prime lens but time is an issue and distance is always guess work. Besides someone walks with you through the homes and I tend to slip away… they eventually come looking for me.
Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, and DxO Silver Efex were the software programs used here.
The designs of a grand house and Charleston may be best seen in the work of the Manigault House. Prior to the US Civil War they were one of the wealthiest families in the country.
Manigault, Charleston
Manigault studied in Europe and also designed the Charleston US Bank building (now city hall) among others.
The winding stair case here is a favorite of architectural students (and me) since it was one of the first created in the US with this style.
Recently I stopped by to shoot the interior again and try for different angles and light.
I need a large black and white for a metal print and now think perhaps one from this day might work.
In Baltimore and Philadelphia it’s about the row house. In NYC the brownstones, Charleston is about the porch.
Charleston Is All About The Porch
Since the 1700’s it has been the place to get a breeze, escape the heat. In many buildings the porch is on the side of a house, in an alley.
Charleston Is All About The Porch
Some buildings you enter on the side of a house, on a porch. Really based on the off shore breeze and the street you live on.
Traditionally the wealthy left town during the summer and went inland to the pine woods. The air was better and misquetoes far less. Charleston was always surrounded by swamps. It’s where they rice grew…and the money.
Charleston Is All About The Porch
Little fact here;
Charleston is the second city here. The first was across the river and called Charles Towne. The first town was founded in 1663.
It seems the settlers sailed into the harbor, got off the boat, and set up a town. Just like that with no real plan on where to build.
Being hearty British stock the town grew to 800 before they realized living in a swamp was a really bad idea. They moved over to the ocean shore with a breeze.
Of course some time later the discovered hurricanes, but that’s a story for another time.
One of my favorite buildings in Charleston. It’s a little outside what we think of as the historic district.
1894, Charleston1894, Charleston
Everything about this building is special.
From the Charleston property files;
House constructed circa 1796; renovated 1890s. Funeral home constructed 1894; complex rehabilitated as residential condominiums 1984. The Charleston single house at 313 Meeting Street was built about 1796 by John Horlbeck on that portion of the original Ansonborough suburb formerly owned by Peter Porcher. Though the house is said to retain much of its original interior woodwork, its exterior was heavily altered with Eastlake/Victorian style alterations after its purchase by Jesse M. Connelley in 1892. Connelley, an Edgefield businessman and salesman, purchased an undertaking business from Frederick Ansel and retained the builder J. D. Murphy to design and construct a new Romanesque Revival style mortuary in 1894 at 309 Meeting Street. This structure’s facade, including sandstone detailing and stained glass windows, is essentially original to construction. Connelley also established Charleston Greenhouses on the site, selling tropical fish from a small outdoor aquarium, which partially survives in front of the greenhouses. Connelley also completed a large brick coffin warehouse at the rear of the site, a structure now facing Burns Lane. Connelley became South Carolina’s first licensed mortician, when such laws were enacted early in the 20th century, and operated the leading funeral home serving Charleston’s elite families for several generations. In 1984 a group of Atlanta investors rehabilitated the house and mortuary as condominiums, retaining their exterior appearances and much of their interiors as well. The former coffin warehouse at Burns Lane/143 Calhoun Street now serves as a maintenance facility for the College of Charleston.
