Squire Pope Carriage House Preservation Plan

Executive Summary: "The ca. 1850 Squire Pope Carriage House is one of ten antebellum structures within the Bluffton Historic District to survive the 1863 'Burning of Bluffton' by the Union Army during the Civil War. Located at the South end of Calhoun Street along the May River, the two-story frame structure originally served as two separate outbuildings for the larger main Squire Pope House. The main house was destroyed in the 1863 fire and the outbuildings were joined together by the Pope family to serve as their home. Today, the modified vernacular structure is culturally and historically significant to Bluffton and the state of South Carolina. Recently acquired by the Town and currently awaiting restoration, the structure necessitates additional study and treatment prior to the loss of any further architectural material or future modifications to the site. Meadors performed extensive structural and conditions assessment of the existing building, focusing on the structure's most critical existing deficiencies. Selective disassembly was performed at identified locations to understand the evolution of the building. Concurrent with documentation, Meadors and the Town of Bluffton identified and involved the multiple community stakeholders. The purpose of the stakeholder involvement is to create, facilitate, and maintain open channels of communication with stakeholders to allow for full consideration of stakeholder views, feedback, and information in the preservation process. Initial outreach of identified stakeholders focused on a online survey. Input garnered from the stakeholders assisted in guiding and refining the treatment philosophy for the Squire Pope Carriage House. Abiding by the defined treatment philosophy, recommendations have been formulated for each historic element, feature, and space. Additionally, a comprehensive conservation assessment and analysis was incorporate into the preservation plan to further understand and document the Squire Pope House. A detailed paint analysis of several architectural elements both in-situ developed a historic paint chronology for the structure and highlighted changes to the structure over time. In addition, petrographic was conducted on the samples taken from the chimney bedding mortar and the first-floor plaster. This analysis was conducted to understand the composition of the mortar materials and to further determine the evolution of the structure. Materials analysis of these elements provides a new avenue of information relating to the structure. Based upon input from the stakeholders, material analysis, and the conditions assessment, proposed treatment solutions for stabilization or repair have been outlined and prioritized. Specific recommendations have been created for the physical preservation of the building fabric. Recommendations are based on a tiered system and prioritized sequentially to address the most pressing deterioration issues. Accompanying the recommendations and the phasing plan, a detailed estimate of probable construction costs and expected time frame for repair has been created in order to assist the Town of Bluffton in planning the restoration work." Project funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the State Historic Preservation Office, South Carolina Department of Archives and History, administered by the State, Tribal, Local Plans and Grants division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior (grant number P18AF00032).

Squire Pope Carriage House Preservation Plan

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