2015 Festival of Houses and Gardens

36 Chalmers Street (Jane Wightman House): Formerly the location of late 18th century wooden tenements, the site of 34-38 Chalmers Street was purchased in 1816 by the owner of the adjacent property, Dr. William Wightman. Wightman left these properties to his free black daughter Jane Prevost (Wightman). After a fire in 1835, Miss Wightman built the house at 36 Chalmers Street as her residence. A 3-story, stuccoed brick Greek Revival style building, it was purchased and renovated in the 1930s by note Charleston novelist Josephine Pinckney. Although the flat parapet and cast-iron grilles with the anthemions are clues to the residence’s Greek Revival past, Miss Pinckney, with the help of architect Albert Simons, added the Colonial Revival style piazza screen to the existing porch along with a wrought-iron balcony formerly used on a house that was demolished at 108 Meeting Street.