A Property History of 18 Archdale Street

Paige Regna

This Story Map explains how the property located at 18 Archdale has evolved since its creation as part of Dutch Town.

Located in Harleston Village, the abandoned residence at 18 Archdale is near two historic churches: St. John's Lutheran Church and the Unitarian church. It is a Charleston Single House with a two-story piazza on the southern facade. This house was constructed sometime between 1880-1884.

This portion of Archdale Street was originally part of Dutch Town. It was called this due to the large volume of German immigrants that moved to this area of Charleston.

1843-1850s John Schirer

The 1852 Bridgens and Allen map shown here notes that a building was on the property. A two-and-a-half wood structure was listed as being here in 1852.

The first known owner of this property was John Schirer. Schirer purchased the property prior to 1843, and it stayed in his name until the 1850s.

"Schirer" was a popular last name among German immigrants; it is possible that he changed his last name to Schirer in order to make himself appear to be English rather than German.

1850s-1860s: Ann Brady

A fire roared through Charleston in 1861 and burned down many wooden structures. Looking at the Halsey Map, one can see that the fire missed 18 Archdale by only a couple of blocks.

During this time, Ann Brady owned 18 Archdale, then known as 10 Archdale. She was a free person of color and had her Trustee, James Macbeth, conduct her legal affairs and business on her behalf. It is intriguing that a female free person of color would have the means to own property in Charleston at this time. In 1861, Ann Brady was the only free person of color to own property on Archdale Street, but several other free persons of color and even some slaves were listed as occupants at various residences.

Although Ann Brady owned this property, she did not live in it. Owen Chattus, also a free person of color, occupied this property in 1861.

1863-1880s: Bernard Roddin

1872 Bird's Eye View of Charleston and a Charleston Courier ad for Bernard Roddin's Livery business

It is unclear what happened to Ann Brady's ownership, but Bernard Roddin purchased the property in 1863 for $2,900 at a public auction from the Master in Equity. At the time, there was still a two-and-a-half wood building on the lot, but this seems to have changed. A structure is not recorded on the lot from 1871-1880. In the 1872 Bird's Eye View map above, there are two buildings depicted on the east side of Archdale in between Clifford and Beresford Streets. The first fronts Clifford Street, and the other, surrounded with a red box, belonged to Albert Elfe and is known as 16 Archdale Street today.

Roddin owned this property for at least seventeen years. Born in Ireland circa 1826, he immigrated to the United States well before 1860. In 1860, Roddin had six slaves- all of whom were men, and he served as a Private in the South Carolina Cavalry Militia as part of the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Newspaper ads in 1855 and 1865 show that Roddin had a Livery business in Charleston. His business was located on Meeting Street and called the Pavilion Hotel Stables. While Bernard Roddin owned the lot on Archdale Street, he could not have lived there since the previous wood building was no longer present. He likely lived somewhere else on the peninsula near his Archdale property and Livery stable.

1880s-1911: The Jones Family

1884 Sanborn Map (left) and 1888 Sanborn Map (right)

Frederick Jones was the next person to own 18 Archdale. It is unknown when the property was conveyed to him, but the residence on the property was built sometime between 1880-1884. 18 Archdale is depicted on the 1884 Sanborn Map as being a two-story dwelling with a piazza. Then, on the 1888 Sanborn Map, a two-story addition on the back is included, as well as multiple single-story structures. These two maps show how the property and surrounding neighborhood evolved in only four years.

The 1886 earthquake caused many prominent buildings to crumble and inflicted catastrophic damage to residences across the peninsula. Jones was fortunate that his home on Archdale Street only required minor repairs. The building was recorded as being in overall good condition after the earthquake, but the chimney needed to be rebuilt from the second story.

On November 11, 1888, Jones conveyed the property to his wife, Sarah Jones, for $5. It is unclear why he did this, but the Jones family continued to live at 18 Archdale. Frederick and Sarah Jones were both African American, and the 1893 Charleston City Directory states that Frederick worked in a wood shop that was also located at 18 Archdale. Sarah Jones worked as a dressmaker, and they had an adopted daughter, Viola Brown, who was born in 1884.

 At the beginning of the twentieth century, 18 Archdale was located in an area known for vice and prostitution. The 1902 Sanborn Map depicts a brothel directly north of 18 Archdale and another one at the corner of Archdale and Beresford. A brothel at the corner of Archdale and Clifford was only two doors away from the Jones’ residence. Many other brothels could be found throughout Ward 4, so it was not a desirable place to be living at the time.

1902 Sanborn Map

1911-1937: The Jackson Family

In 1911, five years after Frederick Jones died, Sarah Jones conveyed 18 Archdale to Laura Jackson for $1,775. Interestingly, Laura Jackson was married to Eugene Jackson when the property was purchased, but she owned the lot instead of her husband. Laura Jackson was born in 1889 in South Carolina and was an African American who was not employed. Eugene Jackson was born in 1879 in South Carolina and worked as a tailor at his own shop. They had four children together: Essie, Alice, Leroy, and Harold Jackson.

The residence at 18 Archdale remained in the Jackson family’s name after Laura Jackson died from tuberculosis in 1924. According to the 1930 census, the property was known as 18 Charles Street. A city ordinance in 1920 changed Archdale Street to Charles Street until 1927 when it changed back to Archdale, but, evidently, it was still referred to as Archdale in 1930. At the time, Elizabeth Porter rented the property from the Jackson family.

By looking at old newspapers, it appears that the family began to have some financial troubles. In 1933, there was a sheriff’s sale on the property. Even though Laura Jackson had already died, she was still listed as the owner. Then, in 1936, the City Council of Charleston transferred 18 Archdale back to the Jackson family. On March 7, 1937, Eugene and Leroy Jackson conveyed their shares of the property to Harold Jackson, the youngest son, for $50 each.

1937-Present: The Chisolm Family

1944 Sanborn Map (left) and 1955 Sanborn Map (right)

Sanborn maps from 1944 and 1955 show how the property changed from the previous 1902 Sanborn map. The single story building that used to be in the backyard of 18 Archdale did not exist in 1955. A single story dwelling at the back of the lot, referred to as 18 ½ Archdale, was no longer there in 1955. Also, a single story structure that was to the south of the piazza was not depicted on the Sanborn.

Shortly after becoming the sole owner of the property, Harold Jackson conveyed 18 Archdale to Edward Chisolm on April 9, 1937 for $1,000. The Chisolm family still owns 18 Archdale, meaning it has been in their possession for eighty-five years. Edward Chisolm was an African American man who was born in 1887 on Johns Island, South Carolina and worked as a porter for Frierson Drug Company. He married Martha Chisolm, who did not work, and they had six children together: Edna, Clarence, Martha Ann, William, Paul, and Juliette Chisolm. Sadly, their child, Harold J. Chisolm died from natural causes in 1941 when he was only two years old.

Edward Chisolm died in December 1962 from an acute pulmonary edema caused by heart disease. After his death, Martha Chisolm became the owner of 18 Archdale. Fortunately, Edna, Clarence, and Paul still lived in Charleston and helped her with the house. The house began to fall into disrepair, and in 1973, the city began to take notice of its state. On March 8, 1973, the city told the Chisolms to start repairing the house within ten days, and they were given a deadline of sixty days to finish the repairs or risk having their property demolished.

Charleston Evening Post newspaper clip from 1973

Based on photos and inspections after Hurricane Hugo in 1989, it is clear that the city never demolished the residence at 18 Archdale. The damage assessment done by the city after the hurricane showed that the building did not sustain any major damage, and minor damage was only recorded for the first floor and roof. The photo taken of the house as part of the inspection demonstrated that the exterior was in good condition and not in need of extensive repairs. The inspector also wrote on the form that the “woman who owns the house is weird.” This is quite a humorous comment and seems out of place on an official form for the City of Charleston.

When Martha Chisolm died in 1991 at the age of ninety-three, her daughter, Edna Chisolm, received the property. The property is still in the Chisolm name today, but it has been deemed structurally unsafe by the fire department.

Comparison of 18 Archdale in 1990 after Hurricane Hugo (left) and in 2023 (right)

Sources

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Charleston Evening Post newspaper clip from 1973

Comparison of 18 Archdale in 1990 after Hurricane Hugo (left) and in 2023 (right)