Classic Charleston Bungalows

Before Charleston’s coastal neighborhoods were overrun by the kudzu-like spread of post-war brick ranch-style homes built by the likes of JC Long, one of the most popular styles of new construction was the classic southern bungalow. Derived from the Arts and Crafts movement, this southern “cottage” was adapted largely from pattern books like this Sears Roebuck catalog, which featured the British-designed Indian bungalows then in vogue throughout the country. It became a desireable style of construction for many middle class southern families in the early 1900s til the mid 1940’s. With a deep front porch, a roof line pitched high enough for attic rooms and shed dormers, and either front or side gables, the design was particularly well-suited for the South’s hot and humid climate. While typically devoid of the arts and crafts ornament found in other parts of the country, the raised, frame-constructed houses built in the south during this period were noted primarily for their distinctive shape, proportion and front porch configuration. One of the more significant contemporary developments for the southern bungalow is its emergent revival. In many neighborhoods around Charleston, Mount Pleasant and James Island, the southern bungalow is one of the most common architecture styles used in custom and semi-custom new construction. The popularity of these seaside houses—which are quite vernacular in inspiration—has rekindled wider interest in the southern bungalow. The southern bungalow is not merely a recent historical type, but a viable housing model that is on the rise again in 2016. Take a look at the homes below, and see if you can pick out which ones resemble the classic southern bungalow.








To see some of the current "classic southern bungalows" listed for sale in the Charleston area, see our dedicated page here: Classic Southern Bungalows.