Fenwick Hall Plantation

 

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Can you help Fenwick ?

Fenwick's History #1

Fenwick Hall Grounds

Fenwick Diaries: 300 yrs

Fenwick Castle Legends

Morawetz Oak Allee

Morawetz Cacti Garden

Fenwick Hall Coach House

Fenwick Hall Interior

In the Details: Fenwick

Octagonal Wing Stair Hall

Fenwick Kitchen House

John's Island Stud Horses

Camellias of Fenwick Hall

Fenwick WildLife Preserve

Fenwick Hall's friends!

Researchin w CLEMSON/CofC

Blanchard Yrs 1943-1979

Fenwick Updates & Links


Fenwick Tower
Past Fenwick  Hall's Interior & Furnishings
Johns Island, SC

Please come in and have some tea....

When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight, nor for present use alone; let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for; and let us think...that a time is to come when men will say, “See, this our fathers did for us!”

John Ruskin,  1848


John Fenwick Great Hall 1943-1976
John Fenwick's Great Hall as it was 1943-1976 during the Blachard family years. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Above-Blanchard's furnishings, photo taken by me 1970's.
Above the photo show the huge beautiful mural in the great hall that was painted over by Charter Hospital  and is gone forever. The mural was dated 1931 and painted by Lydia M. Brown.  Above are Nellie & Claude Blanchard's original furnishings as placed in the home during their residency.

Below-Same room but with Morawetz's furnishings of the 1930's after they save Fenwick from ruins.  That photo was not taken by me!


Great Hall Morawetz furnishings 1930
1930's Great Hall with Morawetz furnishings Victor Morawetz restored the plantation in early 1930's and died in 1938. He left no children behind to inherit his homes.
Above & Below...same room, about 55 years later..

Same room 1980's Charter H.
Same room 1980's Charter H. The Great Hall. With the mural painted over with a very pale yellow paint.
 
2009 Restoration of the Great Hall's fireplace.
2009 Restoration of the Great Hall's fireplace. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Fenwick Great Hall fireplace
1980's Great Hall fireplace. Imagine the souls that warmed themselves by this fire the past 300 years!
architecture detail Fenwick Hall, dentil,
1980's Detail of Great Hall's cornice.
Fenwick Hall Hospital, John's Island, SC, Charleston Plantations
1980's, The Great Hall with Fenwick Hospital Furnishings.
1970's Great Hall before mural was destroyed by Charter Hospital.
1970's Great Hall before mural was destroyed by Charter Hospital looking into SouthEast room. Notice the chandelier is 'crooked' in the photos? The ghost kept moving it! Photographer John R. Hauser.
John Fenwick's original 1730 plan.  Although the stairs may not have been originally placed as in the drawing, near the Stono River side entrance.
John Fenwick's original 1730 plan Note Palladian Windows on North Side (Stono River) true front, of the house.
Above-John Fenwick's original floor plan 1730.
(Built on top of an old wooden fort)

Below-the floor plan from approx 1787 after John Gibbes purchased the plantation from Edward Fenwick as a result of a family law suit (even more drama!).  Shortly after John Gibbes purchased Fenwick,  we think he added the northern wing with its then fashionable octagonal ends.  He then also replaced the simpler entrance with a small portico (porch).   Please note that the octagonal winged end the delicate woodwork is all of white pine, while the heavier panels, carvings and mouldings of the main Fenwick building are of Low Country Cypress.
 Also, the floor plan does not show the 1930's additions put in place by Victor Morawetz.

Fenwick Hall Floor early plan
Fenwick Floor Plan 1787 after John Gibbes added the octagon wing which included a second staircase. Portico possibly added at that time also.
Morawetz, john Hauser, South Carolina Plantations, LuLu, Best web designs, web award winner
First Floor Plan noting Morawetz Wing
Helena Blanchard, Claude W. Blanchard Sr, Cacti
1970's facing Stono River Entrance. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Stono River Plantation Entrance, Fenwick Hall, John's Island, Edward Fenwick,
1980's Stair Case Facing Stono River.
Fenwick Hall Stairs Mahogany Baluster, Charleston Plantation, John Fenwick,
2009, Baluster and Stringer design on the main staircase. Baluster is made of Mahogany. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Fenwick Hall Stair Case Stringer Design. The Manor house was built in 1730 by John Fenwick.
2009, Stair Stringer Design of Fenwick Hall's Stair Case in it's Great Hall. All hand carved from one block of wood. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Great Hall of Fenwick, charleston plantation, James Island plantation, johns island plantations, Kiawah, Seabrook, Johns Island Slaves,
1970's Blanchard's Furnishings. View of Great Hall. This door faces the main Oak Allee (River Rd). Photographer John R. Hauser.
Great Hall of Fenwick Hall Hospital
1980's Great Hall. Same room as above and below images.
1970's John Fenwicke's Great Hall.   John R. Hauser, photographer.
1970's Great Hall looking toward Oak Allee. John R. Hauser, photographer.
1970's with Blanchard's Furnishings.
1970's with Blanchard's Furnishings. Same SouthEast room as below. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Helena Blanchards furnishings, Fenwick Ghost, Godolphin Arabian, River Road, Maybank Highway
1970's Fenwick. Very intricated carved mantle. SE first floor room that faces Oak Allee. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Same room as above, but during recent restoration of the oldest part of the manor house.
2009, Same fireplace above and below in SouthEast room. This photo was taken during recent restoration. No two fireplace mantels are of the same design in the manor. Photographer John R. Hauser.
As Fenwick Hall Hospital, photo 1980's
1980's as Fenwick Hall Hospital. SouthEast room's fireplace.
charleston fire place
Hand carved original mantle..about 1730
Fenwick SouthEast room during recent restoration.
2009, Fenwick SouthEast room during recent restoration. Original wood floors have been protected by the hospital's old carpet. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Wood Paneling, Fenwick Hall,
Different room, NorthEast room, 1980's Beautiful wood panels NE room, first floor.
fireplace mantles 1700's
Original Fenwick Mantle closeup and personal
NE Corner Paneled Palladian window room after Charter. During renovation.
2009, NE Corner Paneled Palladian window room after Charter. During renovation. Same room as above photo. Photographer John R. Hauser.
fenwick castle
detail detail. Wish we knew who carved this.
Fenwick FirePlace by John Fenwick
1980's Fenwick Hall Hospital, NE chamber
Fenwick Hall formal dining 1970's before it became Fenwick Hospitals dining room.
1970's Blanchard's formal dining room. I do believe the silver continues to be passed down through the Blanchard family. This is another view of the front octagon wing dining room. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Blanchard's furnishings in the formal dining room.
1970's Formal Dining room's fire place mantel in the octagon wing. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Fenwick Hall's formal dining room fire place. In octagonal section constructed in 1780's by John Gibbes.
1980's formal dining room in front octagonal wing.
Helena I Blanchard's formal dining room at Fenwick Hall Plantation.
1970's Helena Igoe Blanchard's formal dining room in the 1787 Octagon Wing which faces Oak Allee, This is the same room as in the below photo of the Fenwick Hospital's dining room. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Octagon wing, 1st floor dining room, Charter Hospital Years, John's Island, SC, Stono River Plantation,
1980's Fenwick Hall Hospital 'commercial' Dining Room. The same room the Blanchard's used as their formal dining.
Fenwick Hall Hospital Main dining room as they left it behind. Wonderful colors! Photo during restoration
2009. Fenwick Hall Hospital Main dining room as they left it behind. Wonderful colors! Photo during restoration. Don't judge a room by its colors! The beautiful wood paneling has hundreds of years of paint applied. Photographer John R. Hauser.
octagon wing
Fenwick Hospitals formal dining room fireplace as left. This is the dining room in the octagonal wing facing River Road.
2009. Fenwick Hospitals formal dining room fireplace as left. This is the dining room in the octagonal wing facing River Road. Photographer John R. Hauser.
1930's Morawetz dining room. Simple but elegant.
1930's Morawetz dining room. Simple but elegant. Same room as above & below images.
1980's Fenwick Hospital formal dining fireplace.
1980's Fenwick Hospital formal dining fireplace.
Formal dining room cornice from the Hospital.  Note the multiple holes in the plaster and wood
2009. Formal dining room cornice from the Hospital. Note the multiple holes in the plaster and wood. Photographer John R. Hauser.
During the Civil War, Fenwick Hall was used by both the Union and the Confederacy as a field hospital. (How ironic it was then used as a substance abuse Hospital in the 1980's). Its usefulness to the Union probably saved it from being burned.When the owner (Townsends) return after the war, the plantation's farmland was in ruins.  The land was then leased for farming.

Charleston Plantations, Historic Charleston Homes, Johns Island, River Road, Maybank Highway, Angel Oak, Stono River, Pennys Creek, Victor Morawetz, Cactus, Claude Blanchard, Helena Blanchard, John Gibbes, Cornwalis, general green, civil war, revoluntary war, fenwicks point,
1974, Main Staircase Upstairs Landing facing River Road. Note the baby's bed with childrens toys inside. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Photographer John R. Hauser.
Helena Igoe-Blanchard's bedroom during the 1970's. Located in the upstairs octagon wing facing the Alley of Oaks. Photographer John R. Hauser.
2009 Restoration of former Helena Blanchard's bedroom.  Many layers of paint to be removed.  Old wood floor is protected by the old hospital carpet.
2009 Restoration of former Helena Blanchard's bedroom. Many layers of paint to be removed. Old wood floor is protected by the old hospital carpet. Photographer John R. Hauser.
1980's hospital upstairs octagonal front bedroom.
1980's hospital upstairs back octagonal wing bedroom, Fenwick Hospital.
Fenwick Octagonal wing front upstairs bedroom with view out this window of the coach house. Photo taken during recent restoration
2009, Octagonal wing front upstairs bedroom with view out this window of the coach house. Photo taken during recent restoration. Same window as above photo. Photographer John R. Hauser.
1970's SouthEast 2nd Floor Bedroom in the Octagonal Wing overlooking Penny's Creek & Stono River.  Blanchard's furnishings.
1970's SouthEast 2nd Floor Bedroom in the Octagonal Wing overlooking Penny's Creek & Stono River. Blanchard's furnishings. More fantastic wood paneling. John R. Hauser, photographer.
NE 2nd floor bedroom, Fenwick Hall Castle
1974, NE 2nd floor bedroom. Per Bob Blanchard, legend goes the cypress walls were sanded smooth by the slaves with stones from the River. John Fenwick held over 500 slaves on his various plantations around Charleston. Great bed! As a kid, I asked Bob Blanchard if I could "have" that bed one day. He said 'not that one' but he would give me his antique bed (shown in another photo). I never did get either bed! Photographer John R. Hauser.
1974, Guest Room with the childrens toys  1970's. Upstairs bedroom facing the Stono River.  This is the room haunted by Edward Fenwick's Daughter. Lucky guest stayed in this room with the ghost.  Photographer John R. Hauser
1974, Guest Room with the childrens toys 1970's. Upstairs bedroom facing the Stono River. This is the room haunted by Edward Fenwick's Daughter. Lucky guest stayed in this room with the ghost. Photographer John R. Hauser.
1974, Upstairs guest bedroom, with beautiful unpainted paneling. 1974, Guest Room with the childrens toys  1970's. Upstairs bedroom facing the Stono River.  This is the room haunted by Edward Fenwick's Daughter. Lucky guest stayed in this room with the ghost.   Photographer John R. Hauser
1974, Upstairs guest bedroom, with beautiful unpainted paneling. 1974, Guest Room with the childrens toys 1970's. Upstairs bedroom facing the Stono River. This is the room haunted by Edward Fenwick's Daughter. Lucky guest stayed in this room with the ghost. Photographer John R. Hauser
Fenwick 1980's NE bed chamber fireplace
1980's NE bed chamber fireplace, same as above photo.
1970's SouthEast Upstairs bedroom which is in the oldest main section of the castle. Shown are more of the Blanchard's what would now be antique beds.  Note more of the heavily paneled walls.  Photographer John R. Hauser.
1970's SouthEast Upstairs bedroom which is in the oldest main section of the castle. Shown are more of the Blanchard's what would now be antique beds. This is the bed Bob Blanchard said he would give to me one day. Note more of the heavily paneled walls and carpet protecting the huge old wood plank floors. No laminate in this house! Photographer John R. Hauser.
 
There are secret passage ways....

secret passage ways
Secret doors.. Photo taken in 1980's.
Victor Morawetz addition of a wing to fenwick hall, johns island,
1973, Victor Morawetz secret door to a secret room down a short flight of stairs. The secret room had wonderful wood paneled walls. The secret room suffered major water damage while owned by Charter Hospital. Photographer John R. Hauser
Fenwick Castle photo 1970's, Photographer John R. Hauser
1974, Music Room (real gold leaf mirrors!) Photographer John R. Hauser
1973 Kitchen as used by the Blanchard Family.  The kitchen is in the additional smaller wing that was added by Victor & Marjorie Morawetz when they saved the estate from ruins about 1930.
1973 Kitchen as used by the Blanchard Family. The kitchen is in the additional smaller wing that was added by Victor & Marjorie Morawetz when they saved the estate from ruins about 1930. Photographer was me, John Hauser, when I was a kid. Sorry these old photos are not better quality but I did take them long ago and never would have imagined the photos would end up on an internet. This kitchen was 'gutted' by Charter Hospital and a commercial kitchen was installed in 1985. Currently the commerical kitchen has been removed and the space gutted again.
Edward Fenwick Johns Island SC
1974, Upstairs view from main hall looking toward River Road. Photographer John R. Hauser
Same window, 1970's, Photographer John R. Hauser
1974, View from on top roof (widows watch) looking toward River Road. Photographer John R. Hauser
Fenwick Hall, River Road, John's Island, SC, Charleston Estates, Colonel John Fenwick, England, Edward Fenwick, Robert Fenwick,
Fenwick Hall Oak Allee 2009. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Palladian window of Fenwick Hall's music room as seen in1970's.  Hard to see the windows behind the window treatments.
1970's Fenwick Music Room with Palladian windows hidden by the draperies. This window view looks toward the Stono River. With Blanchard furnishings. Photographer John R. Hauser.
1980's same room, but as Fenwick Hall Hospital.
1980's same room, but as Fenwick Hall Hospital.
Another View of the Palladian Windows during the recent renovation.  Note the Fenwick's Hospital old sofa that was left behind.
2009. Another View of the Palladian Windows during the recent renovation. Note the Fenwick's Hospital old sofa that was left behind. This is the same room as the photo above. Note 16" thick exterior walls. Photographer John R. Hauser.
charleston period lighting
palladian window
Palladian side window in Fenwick Hall with the wood paneling detail of the window surround.
2009. One of the side lites to the Palladian Window of Fenwick Hall that faces the Stono River. You can see the detail of the wood paneling and the old glass. Window glass was very rare, expensive and in small sheets in the 1700's. Architects, historians, contractors and art students may find this work unique. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Palladian window in Fenwick Hall's music room which contains heavily carved wood work and trim.
1970's Another view of the music room in Fenwick with glimpse of one of the Palladian windows that faces the Stono River. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Palladian Window of Fenwick Hall Plantation on John's Island, SC. One of the earliest Palladian Windows used in a home in S.Carolina.
2009. One of Two Palladian Windows of Fenwick Hall under restoration. Fenwick has not one, but two of the earliest documented Palladian Windows in S.Carolina. This very fancy window design for the period flanked the Stono River Entrance Door. This window's critical wood paneling had been painted over. From this image you can get an idea of the light and view the window allows. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Photographer John R. Hauser.
Music room fireplace. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Photographer John R. Hauser.
right rear upstairs bedroom. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Photographer John R. Hauser.
2nd floor right front bedroom. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Strap Hinge used on Fenwick Hall Plantation, 1730's oldest doors.
Strap Door Hinge from oldest part of the Manor House.
Shutter Hinge used on many doors to the old part of Fenwick Hall Plantation, 1730.  Also note the door handle and lock.
Shutter Hinge used on many doors in the oldest part of the Fenwick House. This was the door as left behind by Fenwick Hospital. They placed 'stickers' on these very old doors! Note door handle and lock also.

Above--Fenwick's Door Hardware:  Two types of hinges were used in the oldest part of the manor house.  Strap hinges and shutter hinges.  Buildings can be dated by the door and window hardware used along with the type of nails, if these items had not already been replaced my a more modern version.  It was the very late 1700's before nails were even mass produced and not hand made.


I'll work on some better photos of Fenwick's hardware....


Fenwick Hall interior Brick Wall section from oldest part of the manor house. This is what is behind the wood panels. Photo taken during 2009 restoration of that room.
2009. This is a section of the 'inside' brick wall from the front wall of the oldest section of the manor house. This brick is inside the wall paneling behind an old fashioned water heating radiator used to heat the room. Note the different design used for each row of bricks. Photo taken during current restoration and brick section is from 1730's. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Hall of Fenwick
The Great Hall. Awesome floors
Fenwick, Quoines, Georgian Architecture, Georgian Plantation, Georgian Manor House, Stono River, Johns Island SC, Charleston,
Quoines
Fenwick Cypress Interior Wood Shutters pre-date glass windows.  Let's keep out the Indian's, their arrows and bullets during attacks!
Ancient cypress interior wood shutters pre-date glass windows. Let's keep out the Indian's, their arrows and bullets during attacks!
Camellia's of Fenwick Hall Plantation on John's Island, SC
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Fenwick, Johns Island, South Carolina, USA