Generational Stewardship on Tradd Street: A 2026 Charter Day Honoree Spotlight
Each spring, Historic Charleston Foundation commemorates its 1947 founding with the Charter Day Awards, honoring individuals and organizations whose vision, skill, and dedication have shaped the preservation of Charleston's irreplaceable historic built environment. Among the awards presented is the Whitelaw Founders Award, which recognizes those who actively engage in the long-term preservation of important buildings and places. This year, HCF is proud to honor that work at 60 Tradd Street and its dedicated owner, Dr. John Kerrison.
A House with Deep Roots
Few properties in Charleston embody the meaning of multigenerational stewardship quite like 60 Tradd Street. Built c.1732, the home has been held within the same family since 1967, when Dr. John Kerrison's parents purchased it. Dr. Kerrison grew up in the house, and in 2023, he bought the property from his siblings, who had jointly owned it following their parents' death. What followed was a two-and-a-half-year endeavor to restore a defining feature that had been missing for nearly six decades: the home's historic piazza.
According to Dr. Kerrison, the piazza was likely added approximately 20 years after the original house was built and was removed in 1966, shortly before his parents bought the property. Its reconstruction would require the kind of careful, research-driven detective work that characterizes the best preservation projects.
Following the Evidence
Dr. Kerrison and his wife collaborated with architect Bill Huey of Bill Huey + Associates and a team of engineers and builders to investigate the history of the home's original piazza. Their research drew on Sanborn fire insurance maps, large-scale maps produced from the late 19th through the mid-20th century that documented the footprint, height, and construction materials of city buildings and are now widely used by preservationists to trace architectural changes over time. They also relied on historic photographs and physical evidence embedded within the structure itself.
The process surfaced surprises along the way.
"It was a really fun detective adventure to learn various things about the house, these little mysteries, like why does a staircase end at the roof?" Dr. Kerrison said.
The answer, he discovered, was that the original kitchen portion of the house had three floors.
More Than a Porch
As is so often the case with historic preservation, the project grew well beyond its original scope. What began as a piazza reconstruction came to include a new copper roof, among other unforeseen elements.
"I thought we were just adding a porch. Now I joke that it's a piazza with a house attached." — Dr. John Kerrison
The Kerrisons, however, were serious about doing the work right. From the outset, Dr. Kerrison assembled what he called his “A-team,” setting a high bar for every contributor.
“I gathered my A-team at the outset and told them I wanted this to be the best project you've ever done,” he said.
His commitment was also shaped by something close to home. Dr. Kerrison has long witnessed the level of care and expertise devoted to the ongoing preservation work at his church, St. Philip's, where Bill Huey + Associates has led the congregation's ambitious “Shine the Light” preservation campaign since 2020. That firsthand experience with the firm's dedication to stewardship informed his decision to bring them on at 60 Tradd Street.
"I, too, felt I have a duty to the people of the past, the future, and now," he said.
The reconstruction required both technical precision and historical sensitivity, resulting in a structurally sound and visually authentic addition that reintegrates 60 Tradd Street into its historic street scape.
The completed project reflects a profound commitment to architectural integrity and to the kind of multigenerational stewardship that makes Charleston's built environment so remarkable. Historic Charleston Foundation is honored to recognize the work at 60 Tradd Street, and the inspiring stewardship of Dr. John Kerrison, with the 2026 Whitelaw Founders Award.
Congratulations to the 60 Tradd Street Project Team:
Dr. John Kerrison (owner), Bill Huey + Associates, Matthew and Tim Gochanuer, Gochnauer Construction, Taylor Hill, Taylor Hill Designs, Glenn Gardner
See the full list of 2026 Charter Day honorees HERE.