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Nathaniel Russell House Tour
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" Welcome to -- thanks now I understand you're kicking off for restoration campaign that's right we've done to -- recession following Perkins you good that we just received a Getty foundation planning grant to conserve -- so what planning have you done so far well we've starting here on the broadest piece of the original. And we've removed a section a later a distant. You'll see ghost marks the original surround was about an inch wider than that -- Which replaced that were studying every element for reconstruction now is everything else here are does to the doors for example date eighteen away the doors are original as is the interior sections of the broad experience and we go to a -- These doors really marked in -- or private space from the more public vestibule. I've never seen a parent or quite like these there. Quite wide -- and I guess this is a -- window that's right we think these were made by soaking the wood experience he wore to bed were really why. Now this is a very very payment. Staircase -- seen pictures -- books it's government's famous architectural feature a cantilever staircase that boxes all the way to the third floor with no visible means of support houses were the structure will -- stood out as like stacking dominoes and then connected each of the land and they only have any kind of relief where they touched the landing I think that's right. It provided a sort of ceremony and that's -- grabbed a reception rooms -- this being one of the reception room here though on the ground floor and it looks like it's a circular room else this is a -- weren't exactly and it was the -- dining room of the house although it's been part of the elaborate today we -- ritual appearance I wondered what was in -- when I was looking at the outside of the house. -- essentially this end of it is the large. -- portion that. Of the structure. This is Nathaniel Russell the builder repeated in 1787. By -- your report Mary age fifty. But over what role would this work Cerro. And they put to beat fortunes again Friday. But other important -- on the ground floor window at the back to the house was your words in the back hall where the family really live it was -- the dining room first -- a when it was extended to match the exterior kitchen. The main are all of these Charleston antiques many of them all are the -- board that Edwards as a particular bar -- made little attic. And how big is really we have on room house with mr. hall. Work. Any idea how much it cost to build -- fifty years after it was built it was sent to call 80000 dollars. And with the charming woman in the portrait here. This is Charleston in Mary abruptly Smith painted in London -- went wrong in 1986. And just been jobless -- Bob with them ram and a corkscrew spiral staircase he rippled surface to -- we're doing a lot of investigation. That African American presence here. Who made the house work we think there were eighteen slaves here with. Now this is another oval room stacked on top of the one below all right yes there's an -- room on each of the three awards. The detailing here really spectacular -- grow out of the cornice molding all plaster the quarters is plaster are the breeze and an up at the top there were richly 81. Condense it came from the ones Tuesday they were -- buck fifty's. We now original -- or some and you still have in the basement reduced that's pray tell me about the front room here well there's another drawing room. Front of the house. It's interesting that it in contrast to the beautifully ornament it lost the floors are very very plain well that's because they have a whole lot today a federal period this room and many others would have been completely corporate wilt an accident or Brussels carpets imported plumbing IC. Is this typical furniture lay out her room like this will win -- you. Sports would be brought not it's it would have been. Against the walls are portions plant something we're working very care what all our assistant curator Robert -- computer -- Charleston federal period in the words to decide just what would have been in before. Are these. Regency chairs these are regency chairs there English but they were here in Charleston months. Ago RW -- descendants of just. Give them to suit nearly 200 years old that's wonderful. And the mantelpiece. The battle has again this London composition and operation you can see how wanting layers of paint obscures bills and again this will be a very important work or restoration to date it's."