Nathaniel Russell House
Nathaniel Russell House
Nathaniel Russell HouseNathaniel Russell House
Charleston, SC 29401
Hours:
Monday - Saturday 10:00a - 5:00p
Sunday: 2:00p - 5:00p
Nathaniel Russell House is a historic house built by the wealthy shipping merchant Nathaniel Russell in 1808. It is one of the most significant neoclassical houses in the United States. One interesting feature in the house is an elliptical spiral staircase which ascends three floors. The Adamesque ornamentation of the fireplaces' mantles and cornices are among the most detailed in the city. This 19th-century mansion is home to an extraordinary circular dining room and self-supporting three-story spiral staircase.
A visit to the Nathaniel Russell House provides a detailed understanding of wealthy families during the economic booms of the 19th century. The house has three main rooms on each floor with diverse geometric designs - a front rectangular room, a center oval room and a square room in the back.
There are slave quarters behind the house which were used to accommodate 18 slaves who served the Nathaniel Russell House.
An exhibition in the original kitchen house highlights artifacts uncovered during archaeological investigations at the site—pottery sherds, beads, and part of a slave tag. These objects reveal the everyday duties performed by slaves and the spiritual beliefs of the enslaved men and women that maintained the grand townhouse.
Today, the interiors are restored to their original 1808 grandeur and surrounded by formal gardens.
