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Sunrise (Charleston, West Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Sunrise, also known as MacCorkle Mansion, is a historic home located at Charleston, West Virginia
. It was
built in 1905 by West Virginia's ninth governor, William A. MacCorkle
(1857-1930). It is a long, three-story stone mansion. Its gabled roof is dotted with dormer
s and chimneys and surmounts an intricate, but wide, cornice
which gives the illusion that the house is smaller than it actually is. The Georgian
structure rests on a bluff overlooking the Kanawha River
, and from the northern portico one can see nearly the entire city of Charleston. The north side features four magnificent Doric
, or neo-classic, columns
which support the cornice and ashlar
-finished pediment. In 1961 Sunrise Foundation, Inc., was formed for the purpose of purchasing the mansion and grounds.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1974.
The mansion was the former home of the Sunrise Museum, a science and art museum that became the Avampato Discovery Museum when it moved into the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences - West Virginia
when in opened in 2003. Currently the house is privately owned and is not open to the public.
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
. It was
built in 1905 by West Virginia's ninth governor, William A. MacCorkle
William A. MacCorkle
William Alexander MacCorkle , was a United States teacher, lawyer, prosecutor, the ninth Governor of West Virginia and state legislator of West Virginia, and financier.-Biography:...
(1857-1930). It is a long, three-story stone mansion. Its gabled roof is dotted with dormer
Dormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
s and chimneys and surmounts an intricate, but wide, cornice
which gives the illusion that the house is smaller than it actually is. The Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
structure rests on a bluff overlooking the Kanawha River
Kanawha River
The Kanawha River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, it has formed a significant industrial region of the state since the middle of the 19th century.It is formed at the town of Gauley...
, and from the northern portico one can see nearly the entire city of Charleston. The north side features four magnificent Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
, or neo-classic, columns
which support the cornice and ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
-finished pediment. In 1961 Sunrise Foundation, Inc., was formed for the purpose of purchasing the mansion and grounds.
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 1974.
The mansion was the former home of the Sunrise Museum, a science and art museum that became the Avampato Discovery Museum when it moved into the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences - West Virginia
Clay Center (West Virginia)
The Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences - West Virginia in Charleston, West Virginia, USA is a facility dedicated to promoting arts, visual arts, and the sciences...
when in opened in 2003. Currently the house is privately owned and is not open to the public.
External links
- Sunrise, 746 Myrtle Road, Charleston, Kanawha, WV: 1 photo, 2 data pages, 1 photo caption page, and 1 color transparency at Historic American Building Survey