Tour the Homes: Charleston's East Battery Street
Dream Drives : Episode DRD-110 -- More Projects »
Figures A and B — Charleston style graces the waterfront. Elegant mansions with sweeping side porches line East Battery. Named for the cannons deployed during the War of 1812, East Battery is better known as a waterfront "dream drive." Prosperous traders and merchants built the homes around the mid-1800s. Luckily, these historic houses have been preserved and continue to beautify the street.
Figure C — A favorite of house and garden tours, the Mevers House is known to the neighbors as "perfection." The 1896 Greek Revival Mansion has grand piazzas that wrap from side to front. The stately house "sits in time with Charleston" from inside to out. A stunning Tiffany chandelier is one the many treasures found in Sonny Mevers' home. Period pieces also grace this home, which has been owned by the Mevers family since 1922. Figure D — Travel has always been in the picture for Sonny Mevers, so naturally his favorite room houses his collections from around the world. Known as the "Oriental Room," the sitting room captures the mystique of the Far East.
Figure E — This 1850 Italianate mansion has been converted to three condominium units to accommodate a more modern way of life. Adeline Merrill lives on the third floor and enjoys all the sea breezes and views Charleston has to offer. Figure F — The bold color scheme inside the Merrill House attracts attention immediately, but that is exactly how Merrill prefers it. "I have to have strong dynamic colors ... I don't want pastels," she says. The peaches and blues complement the Zuber wallpaper mural in her living room. Condo life suits Merrill perfectly, especially in this historic home along the waterfront.
Figure G — This house was built in 1845 for William Ravenel, a wealthy shipping merchant. It overlooked Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. During the war, a shelling badly damaged it. The earthquake of 1886 brought down the huge "Tower of the Winds"-style columns from the portico, which were never replaced. Despite all the damage to the facade, the house retained its charm. The Corrys bought the home in 1965 and have been East Battery residents ever since. Figure H — Native palmetto trees appear as a molding detail throughout this Greek revival that is known as the Ravenel House. The large "ballroom" houses many of the Corrys' finest antiques, and the floor-to-ceiling windows allow for the best Charleston harbor views.
Figure I — Preserved as a museum, the Edmondston-Alston House is a living scrapbook of Charleston in the 1800s. A wealthy rice planter named Charles Alston bought the house in 1838 from the original owner, Charles Edmonston. Figure J — Enjoy a peek inside the Edmondston-Alston House, which reveals that much of the furniture in the museum's collection is from the Alston family. The dining room holds many wonderful family pieces, including the Dearendol mirror. An elegant stairway leads to the library that houses 2,000 books, all from the Alston's original collection. This historic home is a true Charleston treasure and it sits along East Battery.
* Note: Guest contact information subject to change.
Resources Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Website:
www.charlestoncvb.com Guests Karen Nugent
House Manager, Edmonston-Alston House
Website:
www.middletonplace.org
Jonathan Poston
Director of Museums and Preservation Initiatives, Historic Charleston Foundation
E-mail:
jposton@historiccharleston.org
Website:
www.historiccharleston.org
Julian Buxton
Historian
184 E. Bay St., Suite 302
Charleston 29401
Phone: 843-723-1670
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