Joseph H. Rainey House, National Historic Landmark in Georgetown, South Carolina.
The Joseph H. Rainey House stands in Georgetown as a two-and-a-half-story wooden structure with clapboard siding and a hip roof topped with dormers. The building displays classic 18th-century architectural features including cypress paneling and pine flooring throughout its interior spaces.
The house was built in the 1760s and later became home to Joseph H. Rainey, the first African American to serve in the United States House of Representatives. His presence here marked a turning point in how Black Americans were represented in federal government.
The house connects to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor and reflects the influence of African American communities in South Carolina. The spaces tell stories of how people lived through a time of major change.
The house is under private ownership and can be viewed from the street, though interior access may not be available. Visitors can appreciate the building's exterior details and understand its role in the broader story of South Carolina's heritage.
From 1870 to 1879, the rooms served as the working office of Congressman Rainey, making the house an unusual place where federal politics happened alongside private life. This arrangement was remarkable for the time, showing a Black politician exercising power from his own home.
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