National Historic Landmark

Rhett, Robert Barnwell, House

Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina
Listed
November 7, 1973
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
73001691

About this property

The Robert Barnwell Rhett House is a historic house at 6 Thomas Street in Charleston, South Carolina. A National Historic Landmark, it is significant as the home of Robert Barnwell Rhett, a leading secessionist politician. He opposed John C. Calhoun to lead the Bluffton Movement for separate state action on the Tariff of 1842. Rhett was one of the leading fire-eaters at the Nashville Convention of 1850, which failed to endorse his aim of secession. The house was likely built by James Legare in a proper classical manner. Legare sold the house in 1856 to Robert Barnwell Rhett, who made it his home until 1863. During that time, his son, newspaper editor Robert Barnwell Rhett Jr., also occupied the house. George Trenholm bought the house from Rhett in 1863 but kept it only until 1866. Theodore Wagner next bought the house but very quickly resold it to a trustee for Susan Hanckel for $10,000 in 1867. The Hanckels held the house for about 70 years before selling it to the Shahid family in 1940. The house has an enduring bit of Charleston lore associated with it. Along Vanderhorst St. (bordering the property to the south) are large and very decorative iron gates. The set of gates to the west is said to have been the spot where a woman bid farewell to her fiancé, telling him as he left that she would not reopen the gates until he returned. The man was killed in the Civil War, and no subsequent occupant of the house has reopened the gates to this day; they remain locked shut. The house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1973.

Location

6 Thomas St.
Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina
32.78629, -79.94232

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Old Bethel United Methodist Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
Central Baptist Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Bethel Methodist Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Nicholson, James, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Simmons, James Stocker, House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Rhett, Robert Barnwell, House listed on the National Register?

Rhett, Robert Barnwell, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 7, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Rhett, Robert Barnwell, House?

Rhett, Robert Barnwell, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Rhett, Robert Barnwell, House a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Rhett, Robert Barnwell, House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Rhett, Robert Barnwell, House?

The period of significance for Rhett, Robert Barnwell, House is recorded as the industrial era.

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