Presqui'ile
Encyclopedia
Presqu'ile, or Presqui'ile, , the French
term for "peninsula
", was an appropriate name for the house built at 2 Amherst St., Charleston, South Carolina
between 1802 and 1808 because, at the time, the house stood on a finger of high ground that projected into the marshes of the Cooper River
. The builder, Jacob Belser, was a planter, attorney, and state senator (1812–15).
It has been speculated that the house was designed by Gabriel Manigault
. The interior has fine Adamesque decorations of carved wood and a spiral staircase. There is a single room on each of the first floors and two on the third, in the main, older portion of the house. The stair is set in a semicircular bay on the rear.
A square, three-story rear wing in the Greek Revival style was added by Henry Grimke, a planter who acquired the house in 1840.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1978.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
term for "peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
", was an appropriate name for the house built at 2 Amherst St., Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
between 1802 and 1808 because, at the time, the house stood on a finger of high ground that projected into the marshes of the Cooper River
Cooper River (South Carolina)
The Cooper River is a mainly tidal river in the U.S. state of South Carolina. These cities are located along the river, Mt. Pleasant, Charleston, North Charleston, Goose Creek and Hanahan. Short and wide, it is joined first by the blackwater East Branch, then farther downstream, the tidal Wando River...
. The builder, Jacob Belser, was a planter, attorney, and state senator (1812–15).
It has been speculated that the house was designed by Gabriel Manigault
Gabriel Manigault
Gabriel Manigault was an American architect. He was born in Charleston, South Carolina, went to study in Geneva, Switzerland, and London, and came back to Charleston after the American Revolutionary War. He died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
. The interior has fine Adamesque decorations of carved wood and a spiral staircase. There is a single room on each of the first floors and two on the third, in the main, older portion of the house. The stair is set in a semicircular bay on the rear.
A square, three-story rear wing in the Greek Revival style was added by Henry Grimke, a planter who acquired the house in 1840.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1978.
External links
- Presqu'ile, Charleston County (2 Amherst St., Charleston), at South Carolina Department of Archives and History