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Hanover House

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This is a contributing entry for Hanover House and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.

The master bedroom is the only upstairs room retaining its original shape at Hanover House. In the 18th century, there would have been an identical room on the opposite side of the house. The walls of this room are left unpainted since, historically, all the walls upstairs were not painted. All the walls and ceilings upstairs were originally whitewashed.

The upstairs rooms were used exclusively for the family’s personal use. The fireplace here provided needed heat, especially in the winter time, and has its own flue, independent of the fireplace downstairs. Looking at the bricks, one may notice a range of colors from deep purple to golden brown. This color variation is one of the surviving Gallic features of the home.


Left side of Master Bedroom at Hanover House

Brown, Property, Picture frame, Furniture

Right side of Master Bedroom at Hanover House

Brown, Picture frame, Wood, Building

In the 18th century, all bricks would have been made on site. The necessary dry materials were brought in as the sandy soil of South Carolina’s Lowcountry would not have been conducive to making bricks.

The process of making one kiln load of bricks could take up to two months. Water would have to be stomped into the dry materials, then the clay would be placed in molds to take its shape. The molded clay would be left out in the sun to dry so that all the moisture evaporated before being placed in the kiln.

Originally, Paul de St. Julien envisioned a house where the basement, matching triple-flued chimneys and entire first floor would have been made exclusively from bricks. However, after needing four large kiln loads, the first floor had to be made with local Black cypress instead. Most of the cypress paneling is original thanks to the material’s resistance to water damage and insects. During the home’s reconstruction in the 1940s, some paneling from upstairs was removed and used downstairs.

Master Bedroom, Clemson University Historic Properties. Accessed October 4th 2021. https://www.clemson.edu/about/history/properties/hanover/gallery.html.