Historic Structures

Fort Hill - McElhenny-Calhoun-Clemson House, Clemson South Carolina

The original owner was the Reverend James McElhenny, pastor of the Old Stone Church. Upon McElhenny's death, the house passed into the hands of Mrs. John Ewing Calhoun, John C. Calhoun's mother-in-law. From 1825 until 1836, John C. Calhoun rented the property from her and then gained full possession upon her death. Calhoun died in 1850, but the house remained in family possession. Notably, Calhoun's son-in-law, Thomas G. Clemson was owner from 1872-1888. In his will the property was given to the State of South Carolina for the establishment of an agricultural college. The will also stipulated that the house be preserved in perpetuity. The original ca. 1802 portion of the house was a simple four-room building with its front entrance on the north facade. During their years there, 1825-1850, the Calhouns enlarged the house to its present fourteen-room size, added the portico and porches, and reoriented the main entrance to the east. Many of these alterations were designed by Floride Bonneau Calhoun, Calhoun's wife. During the 1930's, the house ws restored by the South Carolina Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

Transcontinential Terminus Train Depot, National City California

On June 15, 1868, Frank A. Kimball, a builder and contractor from New Hampshire met with Francois Pioche, the owner of Rancho de la Nacion. Kimball had moved west in 1861, first settling in San Francisco where he and his brothers enjoyed immense success in business. However, due to ill health, Frank had to seek warmer climates, and in 1868 he traveled to San Diego. While in San Diego, Kimball had the opportunity to view Rancho de la Nacion fronting on San Diego Bay. It was Kimball's belief that the rancho, with its miles of coastline and favorable climate, would be an ideal location for a new city. The rancho, an original Spanish land grant, had changed hands several times prior to Francois Pioche's ownership. Kimball purchased the land which included 23,623 acres and six miles of waterfront from Pioche for $30,000, and renamed his acquisition, The National Ranch.

North Philadelphia Railroad Train Station, Philadelphia Pennsylvania

At the turn of the century, the Pennsylvania Railroad was the largest railroad company in the country, challenged only by the New York Central. At one point, the Pennsylvania carried one out of every five passengers nationally. General freight accounted for much of the company's early business, but after the Civil War, revenue from passenger service increased to become a significant income source demanding more stations of increasingly high quality. Following the Civil War, established Philadelphia families came to firm control of the Railroad; one such leader was George B. Roberts (1833-1897), fifth president of the Pennsylvania. It was under his leadership that the Broad Street Station was constructed in 1881 and expanded in 1894. Commenced under his tenure was a significant program of capital improvements that included planning a new station at the important Germantown Junction.

Broad Street Train Station, Philadelphia Pennsylvania

Union Station - Bus Terminal, Atlantic City New Jersey

Union Station was constructed as a result of the 1933 merger between the Pennsylvania Railroad controlled West Jersey & Seashore line and the Reading Railroad controlled Atlantic City Railroad. The merger was an attempt to control costs. The new line was called the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines. The Pennsylvania Railroad had taken over control of the Camden & Atlantic Railroad in 1883. The Camden & Atlantic was the original railroad which was responsible for Atlantic City's very existence. A group of investors led by Dr. Jonathan Pitney, an Absecon physician, obtained a charter for a railroad from Camden to Absecon Island in 1852. The railroad began service and Atlantic City was incorporated in 1854.

Seaboard Airline Railway Station, West Palm Beach Florida

Henry M. Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad Line reached Palm Beach in 1894. The Seaboard Airline Railroad Line laid tracks to Palm Beach as late as 1921-1924. It was after 1921 that the Seaboard Airline tracks reached West Palm Beach. Reference to the Seaboard Airline Railroad Station appears in a book printed in 1926. S. Davis Warfield was president of Seaboard Air Line and in 1924 Warfield built a cross-state line which serviced West Palm Beach and Miami and Homestead in 1926,making a direct rail connection from one coast to the other, across the state. In 1938 the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard Airline Railroad Line formed a network over Florida. Trains were air-conditioned, and streamlined, and power was generated by Diesel-electric locomotives. Stockholders in the railroad were important Palm Beach residents, and this station combined their taste in architecture, and their desire for service and convenience, for the community related to their vacation and retirement residences.

Southern Pacific Train Station Post Office, Sacramento California

The Railway Post Office and Express Building was constructed by the Southern Pacific Transportation (formerly Railroad) Company. The Railway Express Building remained in the service of the American Railway Express Agency until the mid-1960s. At this time, a commercial enterprise, the Hang 'Em High pottery store leased the ground floor of the railway express building for the following two to three years. The second floor of the Railway Express Building was utilized by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company for Signal Department training classes until the mid-1980s.

William Gibbes House, Charleston South Carolina

The William Gibbes House, built sometime shortly after 1772, and redecorated in 1794, is one of the finest two-story frame residences in America. The grandeur of its classical Georgian elevation is rivalled by the elegance of its very sophisticated Adamesque interiors, featuring richly carved wooden elements, fireplaces and mantles, plaster ceilings, and a dramatic upper floor ballroom, all integrated into the well known Charleston double-house floor plan. The lots upon which the house stands were acquired in 1772, and sometime between then and 1779, the house was completed. The forceful heaviness of the Georgian exterior is typical in feeling of the houses of this style during this period. The contrast we find on the interior is remarkable then with its essentially more delicate and detailed grace. This interior feeling was created by the redecoration of the house in 1794 by Mrs. Sarah Smith who acquired the residence for 25000 pounds, and was eager to make the place as up-to-date as possible. By this date, 1794, ths fashion for so-called Adamesque decoration had passed from England to her former colony and become we11 estab1ished.

Reynolds-Morris House, Philadelphia Pennsylvania

The house was built in 1786 by John Reynolds, a brickmaker, and William Reynolds, a physician, on a plot of ground which was far on the outskirts of the developed city. All other major townhouses of the period were located around Second and Third Streets in the finer residential section. It is likely that John Reynolds was architect and builder of the house. Later in the economic slump which followed the Revolutionary War, he overextended himself in real estate speculation and lost his house in 1796 to Ann Dunkin at a sheriff's sale. In 1817 the house was resold to Luke Wistar Morris, son of Captain Samuel Morris, founder of Philadelphia First City Troop. He was a brewer and his house became a center of social life for the city. Seven generations of Morrises lived in the house, building several rear additions in keeping with the original design of the building and not evident from the street facade. In 1914 the Morrises tore down two adjoining houses built in the 19th century for members of the family and restored the north and south sides of the house to their original appearance. The interior of the house was restored during the ownership of Effingham B. Morris, who died in 1955, and completed in the early 1960s when the house was owned by A. W. Ayer and Company. They used it as a guest house until 1968 when it was sold again as a private family residence.

John Brown House, Providence Rhode Island

John Brown was the youngest of three sons of a wealthy prominent Providence family of merchants. In 1771 he left the family firm, probably as a result of his interest in the slave trade, which was strongly opposed by his older brother Moses, a Quaker. One of his ships, the General Washington, was the first Rhode Island vessel to the East Indies and one of the first American ships to sail on Chinese waters. Brown was an ardent patriot, and was deeply implicated in the Gaspee affair of 1772, a harbinger of the American Revolution. Brown ships supplied gunpowder and war materials for American forces and after the war he was one of the major proponents for bringing a reluctant Rhode Island into the union of states.

Cliveden - Chew House, Philadelphia Pennsylvania

The Chew House was built in 1763-64 by Benjamin Chew, then Attorney General of Pennsylvania, at Cliveden, his country estate. With the outbreak of the Revolution, Chew, whose patriotism was doubted, was relieved of his political duties, and was paroled to New Jersey. Thus on October 4, 1777, it was not Chew, but Colonel Musgrave and six companies of British infantry who were occupying Cliveden. This outpost was a full mile in advance of the main British line which Howe had positioned in Germantown to defend Philadelphia from Washington's forces which were encamped on Skippack Creek to the northwest. Washington began his attack on the night of March 3 in a march on Germantown. His forces were divided into two columns, one under Sullivan, and the other under Greene, while Lord Stirling held his troops in reserve. Sullivan arrived at Germantown at dawn, and despite the heavy fog, pushed back the enemy outguards until he reached Cliveden. Greene, however, lost his direction and arrived late on the scene. As the colonials attacked Musgrave barricaded his troops in the Chew House and stoutly resisted the assault. Knox, commanding the American artillery, blew in the main entrance, but his fire had little effect on the solid masonry walls. Musgrave continued to hold out while Sullivan pushed on to attack the main British line. In the ensuing engagement, Sullivan's troops were mistakenly fired upon by fellow soldiers and then for reasons not entirely clear, their line broke. Greene was forced to extricate his forces and retreat back to Skippack Creek. Cliveden had not fallen. The main house is two-and-a-half stories, with a full cellar, and measures 54 by 44 feet in size. The front exhibits the characteristic facade emphasis found in Georgian architecture: the front wall being built of regular ashlar gray stone masonry, and the others of rubble masonry stuccoed and grooved to simulate ashlar. The belt course, window sills, and lintels are made of dressed sandstone, and the lintels are grooved to simulate flatkeyed arches. The gable roof has arched dormers with flanking scrolls, a heavy cornice with prominent modillions, and five large urns are positioned on the roof. The large windows have 24 panes, and panelled shutters adorm the first floor windows.

Stenton Mansion - James Logan Home, Philadelphia Pennsylvania

James Logan, one of the founders of the American scientific school, is relatively unknown today. Perhaps because he wrote little, perhaps because Benjamin Franklin's image is so dominant, the Nation has shown little interest in a man who erudition and work almost equalled the sagacity and achievements of Franklin. Logan was a kind of universal man in the Renaissance tradition — statesman, writer, scientist, philosopher, says a biographer; and as a scientist he demands consideration in any study of American science. Born in the north of Ireland in 1674, Logan arrived in Philadelphia in 1699 as William Penn's secretary. Logan, during the next fifty years, occupied a key position in the affairs of Pennsylvania, contributing much to the rapid and successful development of the colony. His seat in the colony's council underscored his political influence, and between 1731-39 he acted as the chief justice of Pennsylvania's court system. Moreover, throughout Logan's career he was the colony's best and most respected negotiator with the Indians. His public life did not prevent him from amassing a fortune from the fur trade, however, which enabled him to retire to his country estate, Stenton, in 1730. Even so, when Pennsylvania faced a crisis in 1736, Logan did not hesitate to re-enter public service, and he became acting governor.

Schuyler Mansion, Albany New York

The Schuyler Mansion is a fine example of the fully developed Georgian mansion as it appeared in the American colonies. It served for over 40 years as the home of General Philip Schuyler, who played an important political and military role in the affairs of his colony and of the new nation. Schuyler evidently began planning the house in 1760. Construction was underway by March 1761, when Schuyler sailed for England, leaving a friend to supervise the ongoing work. In England he purchased wallpapers, window glass, and fabrics for the house. Schuyler returned from England in 1762, and appears to have supervised the interior finishings, not completed until 1764.

Blendon Estate, Owings Mills Maryland

The Blendon Estate is the northernmost portion of the Caves Estate operated by the Carroll family during the 18th and 19th century. The land was first acquired by Dr. Charles Carroll in the 1730's and 1750's. By the time that the original wing of the tenant house and the hank barn on the Blendon section of the estate were constructed in the 19th century, the Caves property had grown to 2,500 acres. Under the ownership of John Henry Carroll (1803-56) and his son John Nicholas Carroll (1847-1926), the Caves was a grain and livestock farm, consisting of multiple fields extending on both sides of what is now Park Heights Avenue and Caves Road. On sloping land such as is found surrounding the site of the tenant house and nearby bank barn, livestock production seems to have been paramount. The tenants of the Carrolls resided in the dwelling and raised the livestock and hay needed for feed in their portion of the estate. Hay was stored in the main level of the barn, and the livestock were kept in pens in the lower level. The Caves mansion house and main cluster of outbuildings stood over a mile to the southwest, across what is now Park Heights Avenue. In 1897, the son of John Henry Carroll, John Nicholas Carroll (1847-1926) defaulted on a mortgage he had taken on the Caves estate, and the tract was sold at auction. The portion containing the tenant house and barn passed in 1925 to Janon Fisher, a retired engineer who resided in the Caves mansion to the south of the parcel containing the barn. In 1935, Fisher and his wife sold the 110 acres surrounding the barn and tenant house immediately to the south to Richard E. Breed, 3rd, President of the General Perm Refining Co. of Baltimore. It was probably Breed who erected the Breed-Krongard House, the large, Neo-Georgian residence that now stands on the top of the hill above the barn. Breed, who lived on the property until selling it in 1946, apparently also remodeled the lower level of the barn to serve as a garage and horse stable. Since 1946 the estate has been known as Blendon, a name that Breed may have given it. Three other families owned Blendon and resided there during the period since World War II.

Whitehall House, Annapolis Maryland

Constructed in 1765 for Horatio Sharpe, Governor of Maryland, Whitehall is one of America's foremost Georgian structures. Hugh Morrison called it one of the most interesting and important houses of the eighteenth century. Overlooking the Chesapeake and enhanced on the land side by a series of ha-ha's, Whitehall has a giant two story pedimented entrance portico supported by four fluted columns with Corinthian capitals. When Sharpe sailed to England in 1773 and never returned, the property passed to his secretary, John Ridout. Ridout married Mary Ogle, daughter of Governor Samuel Ogle. She was the woman for whom Sharpe was said to have built Whitehall, but never married. Ridout descendants farmed the land until 1895 when Mrs. John P. Story of Washington, D.C., purchased Whitehal1 with sixty acres. Francis P. Garvan bought Whitehall in 1929 and intended to offer it as a summer White House for the President. In 1946 Mr. and Mrs. Charles Scarlett purchased Whitehall; they spectacularly restored the house and landscape.

Harmony Hall - Battersea, Friendly Maryland

Harmony Hall represents what remains of an 18th century house situated at the baactwaters of Broad Creek in Prince George's County, Maryland, on a gentle slope which leads down to tidewater a few hundred. feet distant. The briok building which stands today, was the central portion of the house as it stood in the latter half of the 18th century, and was, no doubt, the original house as first built. Wings, however, were added on the north and south at an early date but by 1900 there was nothing left of the wings except portions of the stone foundations partly buried in the earth. The tract or land on which Harmony Hall is situated was patented. on October 27, 1662 under the name of Battersea by Humphrey Haggett, a lawyer, who practiced in the country court, and a residence has been on this site from that time.

Republic Iron and Steel Company Youngstown Works, Ohio

The Republic Iron and Steel Company was established in 1899 through a consolidation of various rolling mills and blast furnace plants primarily in the central and southern states. Capitalized at over $55 million, the company was one of the largest organizations to emerge at the end of the 19th century. It included thirty-six bar-forged iron plants, five blast furnaces, and numerous mining concerns (Lake Superior ores, Connellsville coke, and Alabama coal). Many of the facilities, however, were outmoded, and Republic moved to acquire new facilities while consolidating existing facilities to maximize production efficiency (this often involved shifting machinery between plants). Of particular concern to Republic was the enhancement of its steelmaking capabilities to supply their finishing mills. In its first year, Republic actively sought additional mining properties and purchased open-hearth plants in Birmingham, Alabama, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Youngstown, Ohio. In the eight months between May, 1899 and the end of the year, Republic produced 525,951 tons of goods, including merchant bar iron and steel, foundry and mill pig iron, a large percentage of finished products such as nuts, bolts, washers, rivets, nails, railroad spikes, shafting, axles, and a variety of specialty items. By 1900, Republic was recording gross assets of over $17 million. Between 1899 and 1905, the general offices of Republic Iron and Steel were located in Chicago, after which they moved to Pittsburgh until 1911 when operations were centered in Youngstown, Ohio. In 1936, the headquarters would move again to Cleveland, marking a greater orientation toward the Great Lakes, and Republic's largest consumer, the automobile industry.

Pleasant Prospect - Isaac Duckett House, Woodmore Maryland

Pleasant Prospect reflects the wealth and elegance of the upper class of planters in Prince George's County during the late 18th and early 19th century. The house was unusually large and well appointed for its time, with a large hall or passage, formal parlor, separate dining room and a library in the main block of the first floor. The 1839 inventory of the personal estate of John Contee gives indications as to the use of the rooms. The parlor is referred to as the drawing room in the inventory. This is another term for the best parlor where guests were received. Contee*s inventory lists all the common accoutrements of the early 19th-century middle-to-uppermiddle class parlor including; drawing room carpet, large mahogany sofa, two lounges, one pair of mahogany card tables, mahogany tea table, one dozen mahogany chairs, mantel glass (mirror) and pair of mantel lamps, lot of books in drawing room and a piano. This compares well with what Elisabeth Garrett in her book At Home; The American Family 1750-1870 refers to the salient features of the late-18th to early 19th century drawing room which included: a pair of sofas, a dozen chairs, a twain of piers glasses (a mirror between two windows usually with a table beneath it) and tandem tables. Likewise, the dining room at Pleasant Prospect was an indicator of wealth. Garrett points out that a separate room purely for dining was a symbol of economic success during this period. Generally, dining was done in the kitchen or multi-use room where other items (desks, game tables, sofas, etc.) might also be found. Contee's inventory lists a sideboard, one mahogany dining table, one set of mahogany dining tables, eight rush bottom chairs, eight green arm chairs, two knife cases, two large looking glasses, a brussels carpet, hearth rug and a (horse) hair (stuffed) sofa.

Seaboard Airline Railroad Freight Depot, Columbus Georgia

In 1902 the Seaboard Airline Railway leased the freight line, running down Front Avenue in Columbus, from the Columbus Railroad Company, The latter company was primarily involved in operating streetcar lines within the city and in retailing electric power, and had not been very active in the railroad freight business. The industries, cotton warehouses, and other commercial operations along Front Avenue were eager for Seaboard to acquire those tracks, since that railroad would provide competition to the Central of Georgia Railroad, the primary carrier out of Columbus-. The Columbus Railroad Company also owned the Alabama Warehouse and hoped to sell that building to the Seaboard Airline Railway for them to use as a freight depot. Seaboard built its own depot, however, in the 1000 block of Front Avenue in 1902.

Poplar Hill - His Lordships Kindness, Rosaryville Maryland

His Lordship's Kindness is one of the finest of a number of Georgian plantation houses built by Prince George's County's wealthy planter and merchant class during the late 18th-century. Only His Lordship's Kindness and Montpelier, however, incorporate the five-part plan, pavilion front and other elaborate and distinctive features of the Palladian-influenced, late-Georgian design. The main block displays the symmetry and detailing of classic Georgian architecture. The hyphenated wings—a palladian ideal—formulate the fivepart plan. The five-part plan is rarely seen in Georgian architecture prior to the American Revolution. Thus, His Lordship's Kindness is one of a few, high-style, five part- plan Georgian homes built by an elite class in Maryland and Virginia during the late 18th-century.