By James K. Hare
Manager of Easements and Technical Outreach, 1999-2001
Historic Charleston Foundation
 uch of the charm of Rome, they say, is that amid its ancient treasures, modern life goes on.
The same can be said of Charleston. In Rome however, as here at home, charm has its price.
Owning a house in Charleston, be it 50 or 250 years old, means accepting the responsibilities of
curatorial character. They are frequently inconvenient, occasionally expensive, but always rewarding
for the way they preserve the qualities that make Charleston unique. They are the reasons why
Charleston remains one of America's best preserved urban environments.
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The great "gentleman architect" Gabriel Manigault designed the Charleston Orphan House of 1807. It was demolished in the 1950s. |
Preservation has always been the goal of Historic Charleston Foundation. But preservation means
more than just safeguarding the city's cultural resources from inappropriate change. It also
means maintaining the city as a city, a fully functional complex of the components of human
life - homes, churches, businesses, schools and institutions. HCF encourages the interweaving of
modern life with the past in a way that presents Charleston to the world not as a museum, but as
a vibrant and evolving place where the continuum of Charleston's long and colorful history is both
visible and authentic.
For homeowners this requires stewardship of a special and dedicated nature. The stewardship of
historic houses, as well as newer houses within historic districts, has been the subject of much
research, some of it complex. And yet, by adopting a basic philosophy from medicine - first off,
do no harm - the essence of stewardship in Charleston is best summed up.
| Not only is it important for historic structures
to be preserved through protective easements, it
is important that they remain an active, functional
part of the city's life. |
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"Doing no harm" in Charleston doesn't mean never making changes. But it does require that change
be more the product of necessity than popular fad. This approach, which demands a degree of
restraint not always common to 21st century lifestyles, is outlined in the Secretary of the
Interior's Standards and explained in technical terms in the National Park Service's Preservation
Briefs, which are available on the National Park Service's website.
These important guidelines have been used to direct preservation, reconstruction and rehabilitation
of historic buildings in America for the past quarter century. By following them, you can ensure that
the historic integrity of your house will remain intact while it is adapted to the demands of modern life.
Historic Charleston Foundation can assist you in meeting these demands. You may contact the Foundation
at any time to discuss the preservation options that will protect the investment you have made in your
home, as well as the contribution your house makes to Charleston as a historic city.
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