A piece of Bluffton’s history, the Rose Hill Mansion, is for sale.
The house, which spans just over 12 acres at 199 Rose Hill Way, was listed on Friday for $ 1.839 million. The property is owned by the bank after a foreclosure.
Beaufort County tax information indicates that the owner is Chevy Chase Funding LLC of Greenwood Village, Colorado.
Photos with the listing on the Hilton Head MLS website show that the house is empty of furniture.
The house has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since May 1983.
“The reason is not because of its age, but mainly because of its architecture,” said real estate broker Frank Moriarty of Shelton Properties Coastal, who is handling the sale.
The documentation submitted for the house’s entry in the register describes it as an “exceptional example of pre-war Neo-Gothic residential architecture”.
In particular, he notes the proportions of the house with its high and steep roof line; vertical planks and slatted siding; grouped piers; and the size, shape and ornamentation of the windows. He also cites “extraordinary craftsmanship” and the quality of the interior carpentry.
The history of the house described in the documentation indicates that construction began around 1858-60 by Dr. John Kirk for his family, but was not completed until they moved to Grahamville during the Civil War.
“By 1860, when he was probably residing in Rose Hill, he owned real estate valued at $ 50,000, personal property valued at $ 152,000 and 154 slaves,” the registry application form states.
A story of the plantation on the Rose Hill community website indicates that it is not clear why Union forces did not destroy Rose Hill as they did other homes during the civil war, but speculates that it was because of its beauty.
Subsequent owners
The house remained in the Kirk family until the 1930s, although it was largely unoccupied, and in 1946 it was purchased by John and Betsy Sturgeon, who hired architect Willis Irvin to preserve the house and match the new construction to the old one.
Other highlights noted on the house’s official website:
1980: The Welton family’s Rose Hill Plantation Development Co. purchased the land to create a residential community.
1987: A fire melted and collapsed the copper roof, and the house suffered extensive damage.
1996: The house was purchased by the Middleton White Foundation and restored as a private home. It was open for tours and could be hired for weddings and other gatherings.
Moriarty said the Rose Hill Plantation community covenants are written in a way that allows the mansion to be used as a guesthouse or for private events.
He said there were no restrictions on what a new owner could do to change the exterior of the home, but if the historic appearance was changed it would also change the home’s listing. national.
“If the roofline changed,” he explained, “then it wouldn’t qualify”.
Modern appearances
The historic home sits on the northeast side of Rose Hill Plantation and is featured in the community logo.
The 8,222 square foot home features six bedrooms, seven full baths, and two half baths over three floors and a standalone guesthouse.
While much of the house looks in need of updating in the photos, Moriarty said the electrical and sewer systems are modern. The floors in the kitchen and laundry room are brick.
Photos show an elegantly curved staircase in the home’s main hall, as well as massive, intricately carved fireplaces in the living room, family room, and living room.
In the library, built-in shelves flank an arch that mirrors the windows of the house. The doors of the house are in solid oak and the ceilings are high.
Moriarty said: “The architecture and the woodwork are just fantastic.”
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