City: Charleston, SC

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (843) 723-2996

Address: 350 Meeting St.

Insider Pick:

Description: At the beginning of the 19th century, Charleston architecture was still very much dominated by what was fashionable in Mother England. This house, designed and built in 1803 by Charleston gentleman-architect Gabriel Manigault for his brother Joseph, was certainly no exception. Today it remains one of America’s most beautiful examples of the graceful Adam style. Both Manigault brothers were wealthy rice planters with sophisticated tastes. Gabriel had studied in Geneva and London, where the Adam influence was at its height, and he maintained an extensive architectural library of his own. The house is distinguished by one of the most graceful staircases in the city and displays an outstanding collection of Charleston, American, English, and French furniture of the period. Don’t miss the charming gate temple in the rear garden. During the 1920s, when the Manigault House was very nearly torn down in the name of progress, Gabriel Manigault’s classical gate temple was used as the restroom for an oil company’s service station, then on the garden site. Later, during World War II, the house served as a USO canteen for servicemen passing through Charleston’s busy Navy Yard en route to battle stations overseas. Today it is a National Historic Landmark owned and operated by the Charleston Museum. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon through Sat and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sun. The last tour begins at 4:30 p.m.