On Monday April 26th, 1875 George Walton Williams was finally ready to build his mansion.   A crowd of friends, family, and even a few of the local press had gathered at the large empty lot on lower Meeting Street to be part of the ceremony.  The four young Williams children were given the task of laying the first brick, and placing in the cornerstone a tin box containing copies of various newspapers, family documents, and keepsakes.  William B. Yates, who had been born near this spot, was called upon to give the blessings on these exercises. 

Williams was no doubt glad to finally begin construction of the house.  For over a decade he had been intent on moving his family from their George Street home into a new residence. Back in 1863, when the Civil War had been in its second year, Williams had purchased this land for $40,000 in Confederate script. Although no structure had stood at the site, it was considered a historic property none the less.  The Fenwick House, popularly known as the Pinckney-Lowndes House, had once graced this lot almost a century ago in the past.   Besides being home to several of Charleston’s prominent families, the Pinckney-Lowndes house had been frequented by President Washington during his 1791 visit to Charleston. By the time the Civil War erupted, this venerable old house, home to so many had fallen into disrepair, and had been pulled down. 

Williams’ new residence was to be built atop the site of the old mansion, its’ design influenced by the many European homes seen in his travels, especially those homes in Southern Italy.    Architect W.P. Russell is credited with bringing Williams plans their final form.   In 1876 the project was completed at was then the staggering cost of $200,000, making it most of the most expensive mansions in the South.  It was also one of the most luxurious.   The three story house had several dozen rooms divided over a vast 24,000 square feet.  Ceilings were fourteen feet high, many hung with elaborate chandeliers.  Ornate plaster and wood moldings covered the walls.  Linking the levels together was a soaring Grand Staircase crafted from hand carved walnut.  Atop the house was a 90 foot cupola, from out of which could be seen a breath taking view of the harbor.  Several grand piazzas allowed the inhabitants to catch the breeze sweeping off the nearby water.

Williams spared no expense in decorating the rooms, which included a Gentleman’s library, a ladies sitting room, and a ballroom boasting a glass skylight.  Exquisite works of art adorned the walls and scores of valuable antiques and specially designed furniture fleshed out the rooms.

Sarah Williams, and her husband, Patrick Calhoun, grandson of John C., inherited the mansion after the death of George and Martha Williams.  The Calhoun’s lost the property after the 1929 stock market crash, and it passed through a succession of owners, eventually winding up in the hands of Mr. Gedney Howe III who stabilized the deteriorating structure.  In 2004 the property was sold again to another S.C. native, Mr. Stahl, who has since reopened the mansion for tours. 

Images from the Library of Congress

 

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