Nathaniel Russell House

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Building information
Nathaniel Russell House
The front façade of the Nathaniel Russell House, located on 51, Meeting Street in downtown Charleston, South Carolina.
Town	Charleston, South Carolina
Country	United States
Architect	Unknown
Client	Nathaniel Russell
Construction start date	1809
Cost	80,000 dollars^[1]
Style	Adamesque

Nathaniel Russell House
(U.S. National Historic Landmark)

Location:	51 Meeting St., Charleston, South Carolina
Coordinates:	32°46′26″N 79°55′53″W / 32.77389, -79.93139Coordinates: 32°46′26″N 79°55′53″W / 32.77389, -79.93139
Built/Founded:	1809
Architect:	Unknown
Architectural style(s):	Other, Federal
Designated as NHL:	November 07, 1973^[2]
Added to NRHP:	August 19, 1971^[3]
NRHP Reference#:	71000750
Governing body:	Private

The Nathaniel Russell House is a historic house located in downtown Charleston, South Carolina near High Battery. It belonged to Nathaniel Russell, a Rhode Island merchant, who spent 80,000 dollars on this Adamesque building before 1809. He and his wife, Sarah Russell, lived in the house during the early 1800s. It was sold to the state in 1955 by the Pelzer family, sparing the building from demolition, and today is used by the Historic Charleston Foundation as offices and also for tours.^[1] It is currently a museum open for tours and is in the process of restoration.

The house is widely recognized as one of America's most important Neoclassical houses and features three important geometric designs: a front rectangular room, a center oval room, and a square room in the rear.^[4] Other rooms of the house include: the turquoise-color First-Floor Oval Dining Room; the Second-Floor Drawing Room, where the women of the house retired to after dinner; and the Withdrawing Room.

It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1973.^[2]

An interesting fact is that the house has an elliptical spiral staircase, which ascends three floors. It does not touch the house's walls for support nor is it supported by any nails or screws, making it entirely self-supporting. In addition, iron balconies surround the house, however not being interconnected. The house also has a large adjoining garden. Standing in the front garden, a green lawn can be seen behind which stands an arbor bench.

The Adamesque ornamentation of the fireplaces' mantles and cornices are among the most detailed in the city.^[5] Much of the art displayed throughout the Nathaniel Russell House are of of Charleston origin.

According to the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, the "interior detail has all the delicacy and intricate ambition of the American version of the Adam manner."^[6]

Entirely self-supporting elliptical spiral staircase, which ascends three floors

Museum gift shop, former residence of the Russell family slaves

View of the gardens, ending in a small green lawn, surrounding the house

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b Foster, Mary Preston (2005). Charleston, A Historic Walking Tour. Arcadia, 26. ISBN 0-7385-1779-8.
^ ^a ^b Nathaniel Russell House. National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
^ Nathaniel Russell Hous (English). Historic Charleston Foundation. Retrieved on January 12, 2007.
^ The Nathaniel Russell House (English). Talk of the Towne. Retrieved on January 12, 2007.
^ Nathaniel Russell House, Charleston County (51 Meeting St., Charleston). National Register Properties in South Carolina listing. South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.