Old St. Michael’s Rectory

This Georgian-era dwelling was constructed as the parsonage for St. Michael’s Church by master builders Martin Miller & John Fullerton, one of the earliest known partnerships of house builders in colonial Charleston. Reverend Robert Cooper, the first minister at St. Michael’s Church and England native, lived in the new rectory until he was dismissed in 1776 due to his loyalty to the British Crown. In 1826, the church sold the property to St. Michael’s vestryman Dr. William Read, who served in the Revolutionary War as Surgeon General under General George Washington.

The three-story, hipped-roof structure reflects the Charleston single house typology, defined by a one-room wide and two-room deep floor plan with a central hall. Miller & Fullerton’s surviving specifications for the property indicate that many original interior elements are intact, including six fireplaces and an elaborate, Georgian-era Rococo window architrave within the stairhall. Originally constructed with an exposed brick exterior laid in the Flemish bond, the building sustained significant damage in the earthquake of 1886, resulting in the partial collapse of the primary façade, chimneys, and an original brick kitchen outbuilding. The current stucco finish was likely applied to cover extensive masonry repairs, and the bracketed cornice is a later addition dating to the early 20th century.

Between 1917 and 1921, the property was home to poet Helen von Kolnitz who played a significant role in the Charleston Renaissance, a period of cultural renewal between World War I and II. During her occupancy, she was named curator of the South Carolina Historical Collections at the Charleston Museum at the age of 22, and co-founded the Poetry Society of South Carolina. In 1926, Harry and Rosamond “Rosy” Salmons purchased the property where they resided with their family for more than sixty years.

View from public sidewalk only