Charleston, South Carolina, is the second town for the newest 39th season of This Old House TV. The TOH crew will renovate and restore two historic homes in the city, working with more apprentices to get the job done. The apprentices will come from the American College of the Building Arts, also located in Charleston, the only school in the U.S. that offers a bachelor’s degree in traditional building trades.
Part of the renovation process will be to restore the integrity of these architectural gems while also modernizing them. For the first project, a single house from the 1840s, that means connecting the separate kitchen building to the rest of the home, while keeping the architectural details similar to the other homes in the historic Ansonborough neighborhood. Other projects include renovating the wood floors, plaster and medallions, adding a dining room and living suite, and landscaping. Once completed, the project will be home to a family of four: Scott, Kathleen, and their two teenage children.
The second home, a 2000-square-foot Victorian-era house, has been empty for over a decade. Homeowner Judith is the granddaughter of the most recent homeowner, and she’s committed to maintaining local ownership in this Charleston neighborhood. She and her fiancé, Julia, will move in after the 1890s-era wooden frame house is rebuilt. The renovation will also include the addition of a back porch and a second-floor porch, more east-side windows, and a second-floor master suite with a new bathroom. They’ll also open the floor plan for the kitchen and dining room, expand the first-floor bedroom suite, and add a garden pergola in the backyard.
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