Fireproof Building

Fireproof Building

Fireproof Building
Location 100 Meeting St., Charleston, South Carolina
Coordinates 32°46′36″N 79°55′55″W / 32.77667°N 79.93194°W / 32.77667; -79.93194Coordinates: 32°46′36″N 79°55′55″W / 32.77667°N 79.93194°W / 32.77667; -79.93194
Built 1827
Architect Robert Mills
Architectural style Greek Revival
Part of Charleston Historic District (#66000964)
NRHP Reference # 69000161
Significant dates
Added to NRHP July 29, 1969[1]
Designated NHL November 7, 1973[2]
Designated NHLDCP October 9, 1960

The Fireproof Building, also known as the County Records Building, is located at 100 Meeting Street, Charleston, South Carolina. Built in 1827, it was the most completely fire-resistant building in America and it is believed to be the oldest fire-resistant building in America today.[3] It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973.

Description and history

The Fireproof Building is set in central Charleston, at the northwest corner of Washington Square. It is a two-story masonry structure, set on a tall stone foundation with an arcade of round-arch openings and built out brick that has been stuccoed to resemble stone.[4] The building is in the Palladian style, with Doric porticoes north and south, and achieves a sophisticated appearance with clean and crisp lines, and relatively little ornamentation. Inside, the building has an oval stair hall lit by a cupola. The stone stairs are cantilevered through three stories.

The building was designed by Robert Mills and constructed by John G. Spidle in 1827. Mills, the nation's first domestically-trained architect, was an early advocate of buildings designed to include fire-resistant materials. It was originally used to house offices and records for Charleston County offices. Today, the building is the home of the South Carolina Historical Society.[5]

The Fireproof Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969,[1] and further was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1973.[2][4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2007-01-23). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 "Fireproof Building". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  3. ↑ "Fireproof Building, Charleston County (100 Meeting St., Charleston)". National Register Properties in South Carolina listing. South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  4. 1 2 Tray Stephenson and Bernard Kearse (April 20, 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: The Fireproof Building" (pdf). National Park Service. and Accompanying one photo, exterior, from 1971 (32 KB)
  5. ↑ Edgar, Walter, ed. The South Carolina Encyclopedia, University of South Carolina Press, 2006, p. 325, ISBN 1-57003-598-9
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fireproof Building.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/25/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.