Samuel Wainwright House

The Samuel Wainwright House is a three-story Georgian residence on Tradd Street with tall, evenly spaced windows, dormer windows on the upper level, cornered quoins, and a decorative cornice running along the roofline. The building retains its original proportions and architectural detailing from its construction period.

Built around 1760 by Samuel Wainwright, a prosperous planter and state legislator, this house originally stood at the northeast corner of King Street. Over the following centuries, it served various commercial and residential purposes before undergoing major restoration work.

The house accommodated artist Samuel Morse, who created a portrait of Mrs. Daniel DeSaussure Bacot in his second-floor studio for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The house is visible from the street and displays its architectural features clearly from the sidewalk, making it easy to observe during a walk through the neighborhood. It sits in a central part of Charleston within a district containing other historic buildings of similar age and style.

Artist Samuel Morse worked in a second-floor studio inside the house and painted a portrait of Mrs. Daniel DeSaussure Bacot that now belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This reveals how Charleston residences served as working spaces for notable painters of the era.

Location: Charleston

GPS coordinates: 32.77460,-79.93240

Latest update: December 14, 2025 13:06