Walking along the paths of the SC Botanical Garden in Clemson, SC, one might run across a quaint Colonial style home of white planks and black shutters. Set on a secluded hill within the garden gates, this house has quite the story to tell.
Built in 1714 by Paul de St. Julien, a descendant of French Huguenots who settled in the low country of South Carolina to escape religious persecution in 1686, the Hanover house was constructed on family granted land in what is now considered Berkeley County in the lower part of the state. This home, finished in 1716, was built three stories tall with an uncommon raised basement. Considered a luxurious home at the time, Hanover house was equipped with a spacious drawing room, dinning room, pantry and home office where the business running of the family planation was conducted. In its original form, this home was constructed of cypress siding and shingles with a brick foundation and chimneys of golden brown and purple, all materials that were native to the land.
The Hanover House stood on its original land until the 1940’s where the formation of man-made Lake Moultrie threatened to destroy the home. After being deemed a place of national significance, Hanover was moved 250 miles north to the campus of Clemson University, considered the home to the state’s architecture school. Before the move, each piece of the home was carefully removed and documented so when the house was reconstructed, it stood in its original position. In 1994, the house was relocated again to its current position within the SC Botanical Gardens.
300 years later, refurbished and redecorated, this home now sits furnished, as it would have been in the days of the St. Julien family. Heirlooms that were collected now hold a place of honor within the home, which is open for public tours. Come celebrate its Tercentennial on Saturday, May 21, 2016, at the Strom Thurmond Institute located on Clemson’s campus. For more information about this event, visit the Hanover House website at www.clemson.edu/about/history/properties/hanover/
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