July 21, 2010
32 Tradd Street, circa 1790 (eight years younger than Washington College)
An interested reader wrote to tell me yesterday that after Hurricane Hugo ripped through Charleston in 1989 workers from Ireland were brought in because only they had the expertise to repair the roofs.
“Historically, many roofs on Charleston houses were wood shingle. Because of the many fires that plagued the city, this roofing material was outlawed by city ordinance. After Hurricane Hugo in 1989, many metal roofs peeled back to reveal the early wood shingles underneath.”
http://www.historiccharleston.org/preservation/tech_roofs.html
Thanks again to the excellent Preservation Society for their painstaking research.
As fascinating as the history might be, what really drew me to this house was the intense color! I don't know how anyone on Tradd Street sleeps at night because this house glows with a practically religious fervor! The blue shutters vibrate against the stucco wall. No namby-pamby cream or beige here, thank you so very much!
Best Beloved has just read our weather update - it is time to tie down the tchotchkes in the back yard - wet and windy weather headed our way this weekend.
