Heyward-Washington House - Charleston, SC - Colonial Charleston Life

As part of the Charleston Museum system, the Heyward-Washington House is located in historic downtown Charleston at 87 Church Street. It is open on Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and on Sunday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The price of admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children but it is also included in the Charleston Heritage Passport which costs $44.95 for two days and includes other houses, gardens and historic points of interest. Ticket packages that combine the Charleston Museum, the Heyward-Washington House and the Joseph Manigault House are also available at a discount. The last guided tour of the House for each day is at 4:30 pm but visitors can also view the house and gardens at their own pace.

Although the house was built by Daniel Heyward in 1772 it earned the Heyward-Washington name after the house was used by General George Washington during a week long stay in 1791 during his presidency. This house portrays colonial life in Charleston just as its counterpart, the Joseph Manigault House, portrays Charleston in its post-colonial years.

Daniel Heyward's son, Thomas Heyward Jr., lived in the house his father built for him. He was an ardent patriot, serving in the South Carolina militia during the Revolution and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. During the war he was captured and later released. Thomas sold the house in 1794 and moved to his White Hall estate. The Charleston Museum, America's first museum, obtained the Heyward-Washington House in 1929 and it was opened in 1930, Charleston's first museum-house. Later, in 1978, it was named a National Historic Landmark.

The House contains authentic and locally made furniture including a special book case reputed to be one of the best pieces of American-made furnishings. Once featured on Home and Garden Television the cabinetry inside was made by Thomas Elfe, a renowned cabinet maker in his time. Inside is a stair way landing that ended up slanted after a Charleston earthquake. The personal correspondence between John Rutledge and George Washington while planning the President's visit are on display. Two canopy beds make up the sleeping quarters and family portraits adorn the walls. Also on display is a collection of china dishware owned by the Heywards.

The out buildings at the Heyward-Washington House include a kitchen constructed in the 1740s, servant's quarters, a carriage house with a well and formal gardens. The kitchen is the only historic building of its use that is open to the public. Tour guides offer information about architecture and history, including how a house was run in colonial times and how its occupants kept themselves cool during the hotter months.

Architecturally the Heyward-Washington House is considered a double house with an altered Georgian style. It has two floors with four rooms each and two chimneys. The second floor is more elaborate than the simple bottom floor. Fancy ceiling cornices, shuttered windows and paneled walls set the second story as a place of entertainment. Only one room and part of a hallway have been reconstructed, in 1929, and the rest of the House is original.