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Circa 1862-1865. "Brick church near Frogmore, St. Helena Island, South Carolina." Wet-plate glass negative, photographer unknown. View full size.
How wonderful that the church is still there! And still as elegantly simple as it was when it was new. I looked for it on Google, but coundn't find it.
Here in New Orleans there is a tradition of keeping shutters closed - especially between houses and on the sidewalk street side, for privacy. But yes, louvered shutters keep direct sunlight out while allowing cross ventilation. That kept a building degrees cooler inside.
Such beautiful country. I can't believe I grew up just down the coast and I've never been to Charleston or Beaufort. Gotta get up there!
I wonder why all the shutters are closed. Was it to keep it cooler inside?
I would give my eye teeth for that rod iron gate and fence.
Friend Jill
I live 10 minutes away from this church, on adjacent Lady's Island. It's at Penn Center, a site founded by the Quakers to provide services to the newly-freed plantation slaves just after the Union Army occupied the Beaufort SC area in 1861.
Lord, what a beautiful church! Incredible brickwork! Elegant brick pilasters. I may not know much about moving pictures, but I do know Old Southern Architecture. The datestone up in the gable end seems to say 1855, but stylistically the house could be about 20 years earlier. Still, if it says 1855, it must be. I wonder if it was a Charleston architect or builder?
Oh! The live oak trees and the Spanish moss - I grew up with them in Jacksonville, Florida - and that same sand that almost repels grass...
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