Robert William Roper House, Greek Revival residence at East Battery, Charleston, US
The Robert William Roper House is a residence on East Battery featuring five tall Ionic columns supporting a two-story portico with direct views of Charleston Harbor and Fort Sumter. The building contains four main reception rooms and a double parlor on the ground floor, arranged to maximize entertaining space with large windows overlooking the water.
Cotton planter Robert William Roper built this house in 1838 after Charleston began selling waterfront lots to private owners. It became the first residence constructed on East Battery, establishing the neighborhood as a prestigious address for wealthy families.
The house reflects the prosperity of the antebellum period through grand rooms designed for entertaining, showing how wealthy families displayed their status through domestic space and architecture.
The property is maintained by the Classical American Homes Preservation Trust and offers scheduled visits throughout the year to examine period furnishings and original architectural details. Its waterfront location provides easy access and allows you to walk along East Battery to see other historic homes nearby.
The building incorporates its main structure and portico roofs as one continuous unit rather than separate elements, creating an uninterrupted horizontal line that is unusual for Charleston homes of this era. This design choice gives the house a distinctive appearance that sets it apart from other Greek Revival residences in the area.
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