A Brief Architectural and Historical Sketch of the Hayne House
The Hayne House is one of the oldest wooden houses in Charleston. The original
portion of the house (the dining room side of the house) was built prior to
1755 and was an early example of the Charleston single house. It retains many
of its 18th century iron window hooks and original window frames (though most
of the glass is 19th century), as well as some original shutters. These L-shaped
hooks outside the window were used to hold the lower sash up when the window
was opened. The 18th century heart pine floors remain under the first floor
and on the third floor. Tradition associates the house with Col. Isaac Hayne,
a hero of the American Revolution, who was executed by the British during the
siege of Charleston. Isaac Hayne and his illustrious nephews Arthur P. Hayne
and Robert Y. Hayne were both born on the Hayne plantation outside Charleston
at Pon-Pon in the ACE basin. See Cap'n
Richard's ACE Basin tour.
In 1819, Col. William Alston (who lived across the street in the Miles Brewton house) bought the old single house and adjoining property as a wedding present for his daughters Rebecca and Elizabeth, who married the Hayne brothers, Arthur and Robert, both of whom were to serve as U.S. Senators from South Carolina. Robert built a new house next door in the 1820s, and Arthur enlarged the house at 30 King Street for his new bride. He had the piazzas removed and added the Drawing Room wing in the Regency style. The Drawing Room retains all its original woodwork, which is some of the most notable hand-carved Regency gouge work in the city. The barred serpentine motif in the window surrounds and the elaborate baseboards are particularly noteworthy, as are the majestic double entry doors. The bow front mantle is original, and the room over the drawing room features an original Regency mantle as well. The Drawing Room ceiling is a unique example of Victorian woodwork, and was installed after the original ceiling collapsed in the 1886 earthquake.
The Kitchen House is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, wooden kitchen houses in the city. It retains its original 18th century heart pine floors in the stairhall and Cypress Suite, as well as some original cypress paneling. The chimney is the original one, and the fireplace on the second floor is an unusual example of 18th century brick fireplaces. A number of the shutters are original as well. Archeological digs on the site have turned up numerous fragments of the 18th century porcelain and glassware, as well as a silver spoon.
The Hayne House has unusually rich historical associations. Arthur and Robert Hayne were among the leading figures in U.S. history in the 19th century. Arthur was a hero of the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812 and a close friend of Andrew Jackson, who made him Adjutant General of the U.S. when he became president. Robert Hayne was one of the premier orators in this country's history. He served as U.S. Senator during the nullification crisis in the 1820s, and was famous for his debates with Daniel Webster in the Senate about states' rights. The Hayne-Webster debates were featured in every newspaper in the country and are still studied in U.S. history classes today.
During the Nullification crisis, Robert Hayne was wakened from his bed next door around midnight by colleagues who were worried that an angry mob was about to provoke an incident that could lead to war with the rest of the country. Hayne rushed down Ladson's Court to his mother's house at the corner of Ladson and Meeting, where he gave a speech from the front steps that miraculously calmed the mob and saved the day (there is a plaque on the house at 35 Meeting Street describing this event).
Until the Civil War the house was scene of many important political and social gatherings of the Hayne and Alston families. The Haynes entertained many of the best and brightest minds of the antebellum South in their neighboring houses. After the war, the Haynes moved to California, and the house passed through various owners until acquired by the Chapman family in the early 1900's, from whom the current owners purchased the house.
