Charleston County Courthouse | |
 Charleston County Courthouse, southeast corner | |
   | |
 Interactive map showing the location of Charleston County Courthouse | |
| Location | 84 Broad Street,Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 32°46′35.814″N79°55′52.752″W / 32.77661500°N 79.93132000°W /32.77661500; -79.93132000 |
| Built | 1790–1792 |
| Architect | James Hoban |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Part of | Charleston Old and Historic District |
Charleston County Courthouse (1790–1792) is a Neoclassical building inCharleston, South Carolina, designed byIrish architectJames Hoban. It was a likely model for Hoban's most famous building, theWhite House, and both buildings are modeled afterLeinster House, the current seat of the Irish Parliament inDublin.[1]
PresidentGeorge Washington visited Charleston on his Southern Tour in May 1791, may have met with Hoban, and summoned the architect toPhiladelphia, the national capital at the time, in June 1792. The following month, Hoban was named the winner of the design competition for the presidential mansion, later named the White House, inWashington, D.C. He later altered his design under Washington's influence.[2]
In 1883–1884, the courthouse underwent a large renovation performed by Kerrigan & Grant.[3]
The Courthouse remains in use, located in thehistoric district near the park atWashington Square. It was built on the site of and incorporated the ruins of the South Carolina Statehouse (1753, burned 1788), the capitol building for theColony of South Carolina underBritish colonial rule.[4] Hoban also designed a new statehouse building nearby, which was burned down during theCivil War.
