PROJECT: Low-Country Plantation House, near Hilton Head, S.C.
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, S.C.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: Don Hooten, Decatur, Ga.
GENERAL CONTRACTOR/BUILDER: Willis Ponds, Ponds Construction, Lodge, S.C.
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RESTORATION WITH AN HISTORIC TWIST
To imbue a “plantation” designed and built in the 1990s
with historical accuracy, the Langford House, c.1914,
was moved from its original site to a site near Hilton Head,
S.C. Special engineering and five feet of fill were required
to accommodate the footings of the derelict farmhouse. These
images show a side elevation prior to the move (left) and the front
elevation after the house landed on its new site where Historical
Concepts of Peachtree City, Ga., would give the structure another
life as a low-country raised plantation house. (All photographs
courtesy of Historical Concepts, Inc.)
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.
The house is well-situated thanks to sensitive landscaping by Don Hooten of Decatur, Ga. Two lines of palms indigenous to the low country
form an allee that flanks either side of the garden to dramatic effect. Here, the side elevation with the open porch is visible on the left,
and the enclosed “porch” of the master suite is on the right.
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.
The completed Langford House is seen here from the front drive. The new addition of the partially enclosed wraparound porch takes its
cue from what was a traditional practice in the 1920s. In sum, the old house and the new porch together make good on the driving philosophy
behind the project: What was old is new again, and vice-versa. Materials were carefully chosen to reflect the period of the original
farmhouse and include the seamed-metal roof and custom-milled windows and doors by Fracasso Custom Woodworking, Walterboro, S.C.
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.
See details about the restoration in the Summer 2002 issue of
Period Homes Magazine.
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