Heyward-Washington House

Heyward-Washington House Review

Thomas Heyward, rice king, patriot leader, and signer of the Declaration of Independence, lived in this house, built in 1772. The city rented the house from Heyward for George Washington's use when Washington stayed in Charleston in May 1791. The salons have mid-18th-century Charleston furniture, notably the Withdrawing Room's Chippendale-style Holmes Bookcase, which is considered among the top 10 pieces of furniture in America. The original kitchen building is also significant, as it is the only such structure open to public view in Charleston. The three-story brick house is near Cabbage Row, a neighborhood central to Charleston's African American history and the setting for the book Porgy (and the Gershwin opera based on it), written by Heyward descendant DuBose Heyward.