04/08/2026
The Restored Historic Sanders House
When it came to design, we let history lead the way.
“As discovered by Charleston-based SMHa, the architectural team hired to design and oversee the property’s five-year restoration, Sam Sanders used a catalog or pattern kit to construct his house. ‘It’s much like the Sears catalog houses of today,’ explained the project’s lead architect Jeff Johnston. ‘Back in 1860, there were a few millwork companies in the Northeast selling these home kits. You would buy the lumber; they would have the pieces stenciled, give you simple instructions, and ship it to you in rough lengths of wood. It would be up to you, the owner, to build the foundation for it and put the pieces together.’ When working on the property, Johnston and his team noted letters and numbers on pieces of the home’s framework. And, of course, Sanders’ name. ‘It could either be his signature or it could be a receipt noting this was the package for Samuel Sanders. Pretty doggone neat!’ [Last photo shows lumber with Sanders’ name]
“To maintain the integrity of the home, Johnston and his colleagues worked diligently to retain as many of the structure’s original features as possible... The home was restored using adaptive reuse design principles and is now open to residents of the community as a gathering and event space.”
- excerpts from The Daniel Island News
https://www.thedanielislandnews.com/news/restored-historic-sanders-house-rooted-things-past #
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