81 Gordon St, Charleston, SC 29403

Welcome to this lovely Craftsman home located in the heart of Wagener Terrace. This home boasts 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths with the third bath and 4th bedroom being included in the space located above the detached garage. It sits on a corner and thus offers an ample amount of yard space that has been fenced in with high-end aluminum metal fencing. The house has been lovingly renovated and restored by the current owners who tried to bring the home back to the original design as much as possible and no detail has been spared. As you enter into the home through the solid mahogany front door you walk into the family room that boasts a wood burning fireplace that is plumbed to be converted into a gas fireplace if one so desires.The 2 chimneys in the home had been exposed to bring the natural element of brick into the home, the living room mantel is made of Water Oak from the Charleston Area. Hundreds of bricks had been left over from the construction of a backyard wall during the original construction of the home, including English ballast brick and bricks from Fort Sumter. At the time of original construction, during the Great Depression, materials were salvaged whenever possible and used in the construction of the home bringing a wonderful design element to this house. Also as you enter into the home you will note the picture molding which is reminiscent of the period in which the home was built. Through the family room you enter into the formal dining area. From the dining area you can enter into the kitchen through a brick wall with a window original to the house that was repurposed in the space to help bring in light but also to add an extra architectural element. It is also interesting to note that the kitchen's white oak floors were reclaimed from another peninsula property and the exposed beams came from an 1890's row home on Coming Street that was being gutted. The kitchen located in the back of the home boasts a breakfast area and a small kitchen bar for casual dining. Because the kitchen is the hub of a home, the craftsman that renovated it in 2013 added structural elements to the floor to ensure another 80 years of life. The built-in cookbook shelf in the kitchen was once the back door that was enclosed to maximize the kitchen space and the French doors that lead out to the back patio are located where a single window once was, bringing light in abundance into the space. The cabinets and countertops were hand crafted to incorporate the timber frame elements using walnut, cherry and maple that was over 30 years old at the time of renovation. The shelves and deep drawer boxes were built with Pecan, the trees stood in Magnolia Cemetery until Hugo when they fell. The timber was saved and sawn, then waited patiently for 25 years to be used a few blocks away in the kitchen of 81 Gordon St. Reeded glass was added to the upper cabinet doors that is held in by this same Pecan wood as well. On the upper outside corner of the chimney in the kitchen there is a non-structural exposed mortise and tenon joint highlighting a component of the building style, as well as several half lap joints elsewhere. Through the kitchen into the hall is a door that leads to the second floor bonus room where the current owners worked to fully utilize the space for a second living room, office and play area for grandchildren. To keep down the noise from a typical second floor, the owners installed 1/2 inch cork underlayment before having brand new oak hardwood flooring installed. The upper stair surround is capped with curly, sinker axe cut heart pine salvaged from the Ashley River. On the left side of the home there are three spacious bedrooms with the master bedroom located in the rear of the home. The master bedroom boasts an ensuite bathroom complete with Craftsman style tile work throughout, a towel warmer and a large walk-in shower. It has double sinks with a central cabinet in between allowing for ample storage. There is a large walk-in closet in the master as well that also houses the stacked full-size washer and dryer for added convenience. The two secondary bedrooms share the hall bathroom where the bathtub was reglazed to original condition. The tiles were replaced or repaired (when possible) with New Old Stock tiles. In the back of the property the original single story, low ceiling garage was in too much disrepair to be saved and was replaced by the current owners who also added the fourth bedroom and third bathroom on the second floor of the garage. This space can be utilized as a guest room or it can be rented as a potential short term rental or can be rented out long term. The original design of the home had no covered porches, a Southern staple, so the front and rear porch roofs were added to enhance the outdoor living space. Tongue and groove bead board was used on the porch ceilings and painted the quintessential Charleston Haint Blue. The plumbing and electrical were redone since the current owners have owned the home and the HVAC duct work was moved to the second floor. All of the windows in the home were replaced to match the original window style with highly energy efficient double hung vinyl windows as well during the current homeowners tenure. Also the trim, all interior doors, doorknobs and all brass hardware was replaced in the home and the owners chose it to match the 1930s style. Other features the current owners added include Spray Foam in the attic and they installed a Solar fan to the master closet/bath to enhance the energy efficiency of the home. Also the mirrors in the front hall bath and the garage bathroom were repurposed from the mirrors taken from the master bedroom walls. This home is located just a few short blocks away from one of the most beautiful Charleston parks, Hampton Park, that has extensive walking trails, a playground, drinking fountains and bathrooms and some of the most beautiful gardens in the entire city. There are multiple restaurants in the area including Park and Grove, Lewis Barbecue, Santi's, Rutledge Cab Co. and more. Downtown Charleston and the hospital district are both located just a few short minutes from the home (driving or biking) and the area beaches are also just a hop skip and a jump from this fabulous property.