The Governor John Rutledge House is a historic house at 116 Broad Street in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

. Completed in 1763 by an unknown architect, it was the home of

Founding Father The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...

John Rutledge John Rutledge (September 17, 1739 – June 21, 1800) was an American Founding Father, politician, and jurist who served as one of the original associate justices of the Supreme Court and the second chief justice of the United States. Additio ...

, a

Governor of South Carolina The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the ''ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making yea ...

and a signer of the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...

. It was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...

in 1973. and

Description and history

The John Rutledge House is located in historic Charleston, on the north side of Broad Street, opposite its junction with Orange Street, and the

Edward Rutledge House The Edward Rutledge House, also known as the Carter-May House and now The Governor's House Inn, is a historic house at 117 Broad Street in Charleston, South Carolina. This 18th-century house was the home of Founding Father Edward Rutledge (17 ...

, the home of John's brother. It is a tall three-story structure, rendered even taller by its placement on a raised basement. It has a hip roof with a front-facing gable, stuccoed walls, and corner quoining. The front facade is distinguished by an ornate two-story wrought iron balcony, which is believed to have been made by

Christopher Werner Christopher W. Werner (1805–1875) was a nineteenth-century wrought iron manufacturer, artisan, and entrepreneur based in Charleston, South Carolina, US. He was one of three noted German-American ironworkers in Charleston, who created most of ...

. The house was built as a two-story structure for John Rutledge in 1763, by which time he had already established a successful law practice. Rutledge played a significant role in organizing the

Patriot A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American Revolution * Patriot m ...

forces of South Carolina during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, serving as the state's executive for much of the conflict. He also attended the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and is a signer of the

. The house passed out of his family, and was enlarged by the addition of the third story in 1853 by Thomas M. Gadsden. The house served as a law office in the 20th century.

John Rutledge House Inn

In 1989, the house was renovated and opened to the public as the John Rutledge House Inn. The inn has 19 guest rooms, ranging from standard hotel rooms to large suites. 11 of these rooms are located in the main house, with the remaining 8 being in the carriage houses (located at the rear of the property). In addition to the guest rooms, the house contains a ball room (open to the public), which is used for afternoon tea as well as breakfast. The John Rutledge House has received a 4 diamond rating from AAA, and is a member of both the Select Registry and

Historic Hotels of America Historic Hotels of America is a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that was founded in 1989 with 32 charter members; the program accepts nominations and identifies hotels that have maintained their authenticity, sense of pla ...

. File:John Rutledge House Charleston SC.jpg , John Rutledge House, October 2011

References

External links

Governor John Rutledge House, Charleston County (116 Broad St., Charleston)
at South Carolina Department of Archives and History
Historic Federal Courthouses
from the

Federal Judicial Center The Federal Judicial Center is the education and research agency of the United States federal courts. It was established by in 1967, at the recommendation of the Judicial Conference of the United States. According to , the main areas of respo ...

Website for the John Rutledge House Bed & Breakfast
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rutledge, John, House National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina Houses in Charleston, South Carolina Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Former federal courthouses in the United States Houses completed in 1763 National Register of Historic Places in Charleston, South Carolina Bed and breakfasts in South Carolina Historic district contributing properties in South Carolina Governor of South Carolina Historic Hotels of America Homes of United States Founding Fathers

Description and history

John Rutledge House Inn

See also

References

External links