October 25th Beaufort SC City tour- The Verdier House

Verdier House

1. Verdier House Marker   Inscription. John Mark Verdier 1759-1826 Builder Of This House 1795-1800 General Lafayette Spoke To The People Of Beaufort From This Portico March 18, 1825 Erected by Beaufort County Historical Society. Marker series. This marker is included in the South Carolina, Beaufort County Historical Society marker series. Location. 32° 25.846′ N, 80° 40.265′ W. Marker is in Beaufort, South Carolina, in Beaufort County. Marker is on Bay Street, on the right when traveling west.  Marker is at or near this postal address: 801 Bay Street, Beaufort SC 29902, United States of America.   By Mike Stroud, February 2008 2. Verdier House with Marker   Regarding Verdier House. National Register of Historic Places : Verdier, John Mark, House ** (added 1971 - Building - #71000746)  ♦ Also known as Lafayette Building ♦ Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering ♦ Architect, builder, or engineer: Unknown ♦ Architectural Style: Federal ♦ Area of Significance: Architecture ♦ Period of Significance: 1750-1799 ♦ Owner: Private ♦ Historic Function: Domestic ♦ Historic Sub-function: Single Dwelling ♦ Current Function: Commerce/Trade ♦ Current Sub-function: Organizational, Professional Also see . . .  1. The Verdier House,. The house is in Beaufort's National Historic Landmark District. 2. John Mark Verdier House. John Mark Verdier House, also known as Lafayette Building, is a building in Beaufort, South Carolina., South Carolina.) 3. John Mark Verdier House. The John Mark Verdier House has been a Beaufort landmark since the 1790s, when it was built by John Mark Verdier. 4. Historic Beaufort Foundation. The mission of Historic Beaufort Foundation is to support the preservation, protection and presentation of sites and artifacts of historic, architectural and cultural interest throughout Beaufort County, South Carolina. (   By Mike Stroud, February 2008 3. Verdier House, 801 Bay St   5. Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), often known as simply Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France.   Additional comments.  1. John Mark Verdier House - National Register Nomination Form (1971) Description The house is frame with clapboarding. It has two stories on an elevated stuccoed tabby basement. The roof is hipped. On the front is a double-tiered portico. The interior, which follows a modified Adams style, has the traditional center hall with drawing room on the right, dining room on the left, and two additional rooms behind. In the hall, an archway frames the staircase. On the landing is a handsome Palladian window. From the landing a divided stairway leads to the second floor where there is a large ballroom with a retired room. Exceptionally, fine, handcarved mantels featuring allegorical figures, ribbons, fruit, flowers, and sheaves of wheat. The molding and cornices are beautifully decorated. The house is in good condition, and    4. Verdier House   partially restored. Historic Beaufort Foundation, for which the house is headquarters, plans to continue restoration already begun: restoration of elaborate plaster molding; scraping and painting of walls, ceilings and mantels in five rooms; exterior painting; replacing of porch banisters and shutters will follow comprehensive restoration plan by Charleston architect Albert Simons. Also planned is restoring of historic garden area, according to Simons plan. Significance Beaufort landmark since the 1790s, when built by john Mark Verdier. Son of a french Huguenot emigrant, Verdier was a wealthy planter and merchant whose house typified Beaufort's gracious architectural style and was a focal point of the town, providing entertainment for Lafayette during his Southern visit, and in the 1860s, headquarters for Union troops. (Historic Beaufort Foundation has a picture of the house with Union troops in front.) In the ballroom, Beaufort's first telephone was installed. The heirs of the builder owned the house until 1940 when it was bought by a committee for the Preservation of the Lafayette Building through public subscriptions. In 1967, this committee founded the Historic Beaufort Foundation, which now owns the house as headquarters, and makes it the focal point of the Historic Beaufort District which is listed on the National Register of    Historic American Buildings Survey, 1940 5. Verdier House Historic American Engineering Record HABS SC,7-BEAUF,6-1 Significance: A late 18th century house where Lafayette was a guest in 1825, with elegant architectural features. Click for more information.   Historic Places.

Historic American Buildings Survey, March 1979 6. Verdier House , southeast view Historic American Engineering Record,HABS SC,7-BEAUF,6-5	Historic American Buildings Survey, March 1979 7. Verdier House stair landing ,first floor, rear Historic American Engineering Record, HABS SC,7-BEAUF,6-11
Historic American Buildings Survey, March 1979 8. Verdier House Northeast room, first floor Historic American Engineering Record,HABS SC,7-BEAUF,6-22