Nathaniel Russell House, South Carolina, United States

4.5 (2.042 reviews) Tuesday: 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM Spent 1-2 hours Ranking #11 in South Carolina Historic Sites • History Museums

A great, inexpensive tour, with or without a guide, benefits the Historical Foundation.

A National Historic Landmark, the Nathaniel Russell House Museum was completed in 1808 by merchant Nathaniel Russell. The home’s graceful, free-flying, three-story staircase is an architectural marvel and the elegant interiors with elaborate plasterwork, geometrically shaped rooms, formal gardens and collection of 18th-century decorative and fine art speak to the wealth of Charleston’s elite in the early days of the American Republic. Restored to its original splendor using forensic analysis and cutting-edge conservation technology by our curatorial staff, we ensure the highest standards of old-world expertise to replicate the finishes, fixtures and textiles appropriate for this 200-year old townhouse. The 18 enslaved Africans that lived on and maintained this property are an integral part of its history. Archaeological artifacts, educational panels and ongoing restoration of the enslaved quarters are vital to learning more about the enslaved and telling their important stories.

Address

51 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401-2536

Mobile

+1 843-724-8481

Website

http://www.historiccharleston.org/Russell.aspx

Email

[email protected]

Working hours

Monday : 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday : 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday : 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday : 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday : 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday : 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday : 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Current local date and time now

Tuesday, May 07, 2024, 17:52

User Ratings

4.5 based on (2.042 reviews)

Excellent
59%
Good
32%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%

Reviews

  • 5Badforever 5:00 PM Mar 12, 2023
    A great, inexpensive tour, with or without a guide, benefits the Historical Foundation.
    We just happened to show up when a guided tour was commencing. Otherwise, the tour is self guided with an audio device. Our guide was very knowledgeable speaking about preservation techniques, interior design, architecture, and, of course, history. We learned a lot and the building is quite fantastic. We appreciated that the beneficiary of our admission fee is the Historical Society and funding the ongoing preservation - and not the descendant family of someone who had built their fortune on the backs of slave labour.
  • 5JessieNoelle 5:00 PM Nov 6, 2021
    The staircase alone is worth the visit
    I bought a combo ticket for Nathaniel Russel house along with the Aiken-Rhett house. I would highly recommend this, as it saves money and gives you a chance to tour both a restoration house and a preservation house. I enjoyed both houses. I took the self-guided audio tour which is excellent for both houses, great history into the family and house. This house has been restored to the time the Russel's lived there, and I quite enjoyed the color of the bedroom that was restored to it's original shade from a tiny piece that was found. It's a sad fact that Nathaniel Russel made his fortune selling human beings and this house was built on enslaved labor. The staircase is certainly the main attraction to this house, it's beautiful and a marvel. The 24k gold leaf in the upper rooms moldings aren't too shabby, either. Archaeologists are uncovering the kitchen, laundry and enslaved quarters at the back of the house, so it would be interesting to revisit in a few years to see what was discovered. The gardens are very nice, you walk thru them to enter and leave the house.

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