Charleston is a city that celebrates and cherishes its rich history, including vibrant architectural traditions that have more than stood the test of time. You'll find many historic homes around Charleston in a variety of styles, as well as businesses and public services located within historic buildings that have been preserved beautifully into the present day. Our real estate agents have more on the styles of architecture that you'll discover around Charleston, and how those styles reflect the city's unique history.

• The Single House
  While Charleston incorporates many architectural styles from around the world, the "Single House" is a Charleston tradition that's the result of local ingenuity. These homes are typically narrow in design, two stories, and laid out to make maximum use of the narrow lots that were typical at many points in Charleston's history. They often feature a shaded piazza or deck on the long side of the house, and the narrow design of the home is also meant to maximize airflow on warm summer days. You'll find Single Houses decorated in many architectural styles, but they all carry those familiar design features unique to Charleston.

• Greek Revival
  During the 1800s, Greek Revival architecture was very popular across the country, especially in the South, with a wide range of homes, businesses, and public buildings embracing this design style at the time. Characterized by symmetry, elegant, grand facades, colonnades, and large Greek columns, buildings created in this style have a timeless look that's tough to miss. This style of design, along with the one that's next on the list, is also a popular style for many historic churches around Charleston.

• Gothic Revival
  Like Greek Revival buildings, structures built in the Gothic Revival style often stand out for their grand appearance, ornate design, and tall spires. This style of architecture was not as popular for homes in Charleston, but was very common for churches around the mid-1800s. It was also used for carriage houses and outbuildings, but the best surviving examples of this style tend to be found at local churches.

• Exotic Revival
  The Exotic Revival style is a broad category that was popular among wealthy residents of the city in the late 1800s, drawing on influences from across the world, including Egyptian and Asian architecture. These buildings were often characterized by colorful, vibrant appearances and design features that were considered unusual compared to other design styles of the time.
  
  The result is a unique look that was embraced in Charleston, in part because of the city's status as a popular port. Steamboats and railroads brought the materials, furnishings, and often the ideas that helped bring this unique architectural style to life. It's most common in historic homes built by wealthy families, but examples of Exotic Revival can also be found integrated into many other types of homes around the city.

• Victorian and Colonial Revival
  From the late 1800s through the early 1900s, many Charleston structures were built in the Victorian style, which comprises a variety of different architectural styles popular in England. These include Queen Anne Victorian, which can be found primarily in historic homes and inns. For those who preferred a simpler and understated design style, Colonial Revival architecture provided an appealing alternative to Victorian and other more ornate styles popular at the time.

Whether you're searching for a historic home in Charleston or something constructed more recently, our local team is here to help with all of your real estate needs in the city. Contact us to buy and sell homes throughout the Charleston, SC area.