Project: Low-Country Plantation House, near Hilton Head, SC
Architect: Historical Concepts, Peachtree City, GA; Project Team: Jim Strickland, the late Philip Windsor, Terry Pylant, David Bryant, Andrew Cogar, Sandra Guritz, and Michael Moss
Interior Design: Ruth Edwards, Ruth Edwards Antiques and Interiors, Bluffton, SC
Landscape Architecture: Don Hooten, Decatur, GA
General Contractor/ Builder: Willis Ponds, Ponds Construction, Lodge, SC
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Restoration with an Historic Twist
Known for their sensibility for the past, Historical Concepts of Peachtree City, Ga. – led by President James Strickland – combined vernacular styles and classical proportions with functional interior amenities for their work on a long-forgotten farmhouse. Originally constructed in 1914, the Langford House was uninhabitable when discovered by the current owner. Practically falling down, the structure was moved from its original site to rest on a 1,000-acre coastal hunting preserve near Hilton Head, S.C. Several recently constructed ancillary buildings (also designed by Historical Concepts) – a boathouse, a cane mill, and a series of one-bedroom guesthouses – are reminiscent of an old village, and were designed to appear as if from the same era as the farmhouse. It was the owner’s intent to add a main structure that would lend historical authenticity to the compound and serve as the “main house” for his family and guests.
Strickland says of this project that “it presented challenges and opportunities like no other. The chance to look back in time and re-create an entire farm and homestead as it would have existed a century ago was both thought-provoking and extremely gratifying.” Strickland adds that “every great project starts with the client.” In this particular case, the client came to Historical Concepts with his vision and worked together with them to develop a “storyline” for how the complex might have actually evolved over the past century.
To render the Langford House both habitable and large enough to meet the needs of the owner, the design team at Historical Concepts was confronted with the task of restoring and reconfiguring the old structure, as well as designing an addition that would expand and update the farmhouse without compromising its vintage charm.
The first challenge, which required special engineering considerations, was the chore of moving and re-siting the derelict, neglected house. The next consideration was how to meet the client’s design program without seriously altering the existing structural framework or the original elements.
The authenticity of the millwork was also of great concern, so the design team worked with custom craftsman Richard Fracasso of Fracasso Custom Woodworking (Walterboro, S.C.) to create new windows, door surrounds, and cabinets to match existing features.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the need to add a significant amount of heated square footage led the design team to come up with a solution steeped in historical precedent: Retaining the original form of the farmhouse, the team wrapped the house with generous porches compatible with the existing architecture. Then, as was a traditional practice in the 1920s, portions of the porches were enclosed to gain more interior space without any major additions.
Historical Concepts' approach of considering how an "old" house might have evolved with each generation is typical of their work and led the design team to create architecture with a charm and quirkiness that many new constructions lack. Designs were complemented by a mix of old and new materials in order to gain the period effect desired by the client.
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