Samuel Wainwright House

In 1740s Charleston, a determined Samuel Wainwright began his journey. He quickly climbed the ranks, becoming a wealthy planter and a respected member of the state legislature. Right here, at the intersection of Tradd and King Streets, stands the Samuel Wainwright House. This grand 3+1⁄2-story Georgian single house, built around 1760, is a testament to Wainwright’s success. The Samuel Wainwright House boasts tall windows on its first two floors, allowing sunlight to stream in, while smaller windows adorn the third floor, capped with dormers peeking from the roof. The quoined corners and modillioned cornice add to its stately presence. Samuel Wainwright, sadly, died childless in 1780. The Samuel Wainwright House then passed through various hands within the Wainwright and Bacot families. Throughout its history, the Samuel Wainwright House has served a dual purpose, housing both families and businesses. It’s been a bakery, a grocery, and even housed the Tradd Street Pharmacy until 1970. A fascinating piece of history lies within these walls. Famed inventor and artist Samuel Morse once rented a studio on the second floor. Here, he painted a portrait of Mrs. Daniel DeSaussure Bacot, a work that now graces the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 1955, Mrs. James M. Wilson purchased the then-dilapidated Samuel Wainwright House. Following building code violations in the 1970s, she embarked on a significant restoration project, returning the house to its former glory. Part of the restoration included removing an exterior staircase that once clung to the east side of the house. The Samuel Wainwright House stands today as a beautifully restored piece of Charleston’s pre-Revolutionary history.