Charleston renovation story

From forgotten to charm

21 Hampden Court is a late-19th-century timber-frame Charleston home that was carefully restored circa 2008–2009. The project focused on preserving historic character where possible, while rebuilding critical systems so the home could be lived in comfortably for the long term.

The house

When work began, the home showed extensive deterioration: peeling exterior boards, structural and porch failures, and interior areas stripped back to framing. Over roughly two years, the restoration returned the property to a tidy Charleston single-style residence with rebuilt porches, stabilized structure, and renewed interior spaces.

The work was intentionally preservation-minded. Original materials and details were retained whenever feasible, including heart-pine flooring patches, core stair components, and key masonry/fireplace elements. New work was detailed to respect period character while improving durability and everyday function.

Restoration photo gallery

These project photos show the restoration in sequence: exterior repair, porch reconstruction, site work, interior preservation, and finished details.

Exterior

Front facade as found: peeling paint, boarded front window, rotted clapboards.
The restored front facade with Charleston single-style trim, side balcony, dormer-style attic vent, and the address reset above the door.
Three-quarter view showing the full extent of exterior deterioration before work began.
The same view after restoration, with rebuilt double-stacked side porches.
Rear gable elevation, showing failed siding and a boarded second-story door.
Rear gable restored, with new HVAC condensers tucked beside the chimney.
Twin stacked side porches with paneled rear entry door in the finished view.
Looking down the restored upper side porch: tongue-and-groove ceiling, square columns, painted floor.

Site work

Side yard before clearing, fenced in undergrowth and abandoned debris.
Side porch and rear yard after restoration, with privacy fence and graded grounds.
Mid-construction view: roof framing exposed, Tyvek wrap, and porch-deck work underway.
Porch skirt going in, with column bases set and lattice frames being built.
Finished porch skirt with restored cast-iron foundation vents and brick walkway.
Rear side alley filled with demolition debris during gut-out.
The same alley reborn as a brick walkway with planted beds.

Interior: stairs and halls

The original stair stripped to bare wood, showing intact treads and balusters worth saving.
The same stair after restoration: risers painted white, treads stained, beadboard wainscot installed.
Upper landing before: exposed lath and a paint-encrusted newel post.
Upper landing after: period sconce, refinished newel, plaster restored.
Refinished heart-pine hallway looking back to the staircase.

Interior: fireplaces and floors

Parlor fireplace mid-construction: new drywall around the original brick firebox and cast-iron insert.
Finished parlor fireplace with carved Victorian-style mantel and overmantel mirror.
Second fireplace stripped back to original brick during reconstruction.
Second fireplace finished with fluted column mantel and white subway-tile surround.
A new heart-pine board scarfed in beside the original 19th-century flooring.
Detail of board-by-board floor patching across the threshold.
Original brick hearth uncovered during demolition.

Interior: doors and rooms

Original interior French doors as found: paint-checked, with wavy old glass intact.
The same French doors restored, re-glazed, and rehung.
Rear interior door open to the back porch during work.
The same rear door finished, with restored four-light transom.
Chimney chase enclosed in drywall during interior framing.
Finished chimney chase, painted, with refinished heart-pine and air return.
Original arched plaster doorway re-framed in drywall.
Same arched doorway restored, looking through a six-panel door to a finished bedroom.
Final interior view through the doorway, with the new electrical panel set discreetly into the back wall.

Neighborhood context

Hampden Court sits on Charleston’s East Side near Hampton Park, an area with layered 18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century history. The restoration story is part of a broader neighborhood arc where historic housing stock has been adapted and preserved over time.

Research sources

Background context for this page references the source list provided with the restoration notes.