ANSONBOROUGH
REAL ESTATE

Renowned for historic architectural elegance amid an atmosphere of cozy serenity, Ansonborough is among the most delightful and sought-after addresses on the Charleston peninsula. Quiet, shaded streets feature a range of handsome properties built during the city’s economic and cultural heyday in 18th and 19th centuries, including Charleston’s oldest private home, the Col. William Rhett house, which dates to 1712.

The charming neighborhood was conceived in 1696 as the first suburb of the original walled city of Charles Town. It came to be known by its current name for colonial naval officer George Anson, future First Lord of the Admiralty, who was said to have won rights to the property in a card game with a wealthy local merchant .

Nationally-recognized as a model for historic preservation and rehabilitation in the 1960’s, Ansonborough today retains a distinctive look and feel of Charleston long ago, yet within a short walk of up-scale restaurants, fine art galleries, libraries and museums, world-class retail , and the very heart of a bustling modern city.

Real estate opportunities include expansive single and double houses dating to Georgian and Greek Revival styles, as well as quaint town and carriage houses and condominiums.
The years 1690 to 1720 marked a period of constant danger for the citizens of Charleston. A walled fortress, the city faced hostile French and Spanish invaders, Native American tribes, and pirates. But as the dangers subsided through the years, Charleston spilled out over its walls into neighborhoods that still exist today.

Construction of grand and beautiful neighborhoods such as Ansonborough, the city’s first suburb, began in the mid-1700s. Sadly, in the decade after that Civil War, Ansonborough fell into slum conditions. But in 1959, the Historic Charleston Foundation began a program in the Ansonborough area which became nationally known as an outstanding example of neighborhood rehabilitation. The plan was conceived, financed and administered by the Foundation, which acquired and restored more than 100 houses. The Foundation’s program has since inspired individuals and families to purchase and rehabilitate houses in Ansonborough, an area that has again become one of Charleston’s most desirable neighborhoods.

The neighborhood of Ansonborough is located just a short walk to many of Charleston’s finest restaurants and shop, and within a few blocks of the harbor and its many waterfront attractions. The homes in this unique neighborhood were built of brick in row-house style, many reflecting the European chic of their owners. Some Ansonborough homes also include Charleston gardens designed in the traditional style of the Old South.

New condominiums located near the waterfront offer additional living options for those who want the Ansonborough lifestyle without the maintenance of a house.