Originally built in 1911 as the central telephone exchange for the Charleston offices of Southern Bell Telephone Company . It was built to be fire resistant and sound enough to support heavy electronic equipment shortly before WWI. Security for buildings designed for critical uses such as public telecommunications was a concern even then. The first photograph by W. D. Clarke, or someone from his studio, was taken in November 1915.
The telephone company relocated to a larger building on St. Philip Street in the 1930's. The original granite and brick street level facade was later punched out and "remuddled" to make way for a glass storefront in the 1940's when it was occupied by The Sportsman Shop and subsequently by Huguley's Office Supply.
In 2006 the city's Board of Architectural Review and its support staff reviewed an application to change the exterior of the sturdy commercial building. This was tangent to a lease which would allow the first floor to be occupied by Yo Burrito, a restaurant geared toward the college student market. The missing granite and brick was replaced with stucco over concrete block as part of the approved remodeling as seen in the second photo taken in early 2006 while the first floor renovations were still under construction.
The third photograph was taken after the restaurant reopened in the slightly less "remuddled" space in 2007. The building's owner recently removed an awkwardly attached side entrance and enclosed staircase that were added later. The owner is also in the process of continuing renovations to the upper two floors which include a roof top entertainment area. No word on what the replacement windows will look like or if they will be functional.
The first floor windows openings roughly follow the original but the new window systems are fixed and not functional. (So much for authenticity and environmental adaptation when the weather is mild.) Is this a "restoration" or is it something else? The building is being made financially viable again, but the quality of the "restored" parts probably won't last as long as the rest of the building. The cost to maintain the less permanent newer parts will also be higher since they will likely have a shorter life expectancy than the rest of the building.
The original 1915 photo shows some interesting details of other buildings in the area, too. A closer look will show the iron gates of the adjacent driveway, the masonry driveway gate pillar of another house and even a reflection of part of the house on the north side of Wentworth that can be seen in the upper story windows of 77 Wentworth. A closer look reveals that the sidewalk and curb are at least a couple of inches lower today than the were in 1915 causing the original entry step to be higer. These offer clues to historic fabric that have long since been removed with other buildings nearby that were largely demolished for parking facilities constructed after WWII.
The originals of all three photographs are currently in a private collection.
The telephone company relocated to a larger building on St. Philip Street in the 1930's. The original granite and brick street level facade was later punched out and "remuddled" to make way for a glass storefront in the 1940's when it was occupied by The Sportsman Shop and subsequently by Huguley's Office Supply.
In 2006 the city's Board of Architectural Review and its support staff reviewed an application to change the exterior of the sturdy commercial building. This was tangent to a lease which would allow the first floor to be occupied by Yo Burrito, a restaurant geared toward the college student market. The missing granite and brick was replaced with stucco over concrete block as part of the approved remodeling as seen in the second photo taken in early 2006 while the first floor renovations were still under construction.
The third photograph was taken after the restaurant reopened in the slightly less "remuddled" space in 2007. The building's owner recently removed an awkwardly attached side entrance and enclosed staircase that were added later. The owner is also in the process of continuing renovations to the upper two floors which include a roof top entertainment area. No word on what the replacement windows will look like or if they will be functional.
The first floor windows openings roughly follow the original but the new window systems are fixed and not functional. (So much for authenticity and environmental adaptation when the weather is mild.) Is this a "restoration" or is it something else? The building is being made financially viable again, but the quality of the "restored" parts probably won't last as long as the rest of the building. The cost to maintain the less permanent newer parts will also be higher since they will likely have a shorter life expectancy than the rest of the building.
The original 1915 photo shows some interesting details of other buildings in the area, too. A closer look will show the iron gates of the adjacent driveway, the masonry driveway gate pillar of another house and even a reflection of part of the house on the north side of Wentworth that can be seen in the upper story windows of 77 Wentworth. A closer look reveals that the sidewalk and curb are at least a couple of inches lower today than the were in 1915 causing the original entry step to be higer. These offer clues to historic fabric that have long since been removed with other buildings nearby that were largely demolished for parking facilities constructed after WWII.
The originals of all three photographs are currently in a private collection.
1 comment:
A major renovation of an existing building should present an opportunity to insist on the restoration of materials that are of like kind and quality which may have been lost over time. Quality workmanship in the restoration of these elements is also important. Since this approach is likely to improve the sustainability of the building and reduce maintenance costs it doesn't necessarily have to be seen as an undue burden to renovation costs. This consideration is particularly true when it involves a substantial building that is generally well built and contains quality materials like this one.
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