Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2020

71 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.BestofMP.com beautiful homes headquarters for Lord Cornwallis following the surrender of Charleston to the British on May 12, 1780. In 1803, James Hibben purchased the plantation from the Jacob Motte estate. The house underwent a remodel in 1890 when the rear of the home became the front. Today, the front view of the home displays the 1890 portico addition, while the rear view shows the 18th century façade. Extensive renovations and modifications have been made over the years. Hibben House is currently a privately-owned residence and has been featured in the American Red Cross Home, Garden and Art Tour in the Old Village. THE GATHERING PLACE Scanlonville If these walls could talk, the home known as “The Gathering Place” — nestled in the historic African- American community of Scanlonville near Remley’s Point — would have plenty to say. Scanlonville was established in 1868 by John Scanlon, a freedman who purchased 614 acres of the former Remley Plantation at auction for $6,100 and divided the land into lots for farming and homes to provide land ownership to freed slaves. Some of the descendants of the original families who settled here in the 1800s still live in the community. Described as a “mix of old and new,” The Gathering Place was built in the early 1960s and constructed with a lot of repurposed materials, as was typical of most homes in African-American neighborhoods of the time, when access to mortgages and loans was either severely restricted or outright denied. Margaret Cochran, who owns the property along with her siblings, moved into the Scanlonville community with her family when she was 6 years old. Cochran said that out of necessity, her parents and uncles used repurposed brick, doors and windows, combining their skilled labor expertise as brick masons, carpenters, painters and architects to collaborate and craft something beautiful. The kitchen and dining rooms feature original cabinets. There is repurposed heart pine in the den and handmade molding in the living room, and examples of repurposed old Charleston brick are evident in the kitchen, the original bathroom and the patio. Modern amenities and conveniences now occupy the home, from big screen smart TVs to a handicap-accessible bathroom and Wi-Fi, but much of the character of the original dwelling has been retained. The original footprint has been expanded to include another living room, a bar, a children’s playroom and an upstairs bedroom addition where family still occasionally stay. Cochran said with everything she and her siblings have done to the home, they have tried to honor their ancestors. “This house has the flavor of the past, and a touch of the future,” said Cochran. “It’s a really special house.” Today, the property is managed through iTrip Vacations and the bottom floor is rented out to visitors. DR. JOHN B. PATRICK HOUSE Sullivan’s Island Built circa 1870 as a second-home, single-family residence, the Dr. John B. Patrick House at 1820 Middle Street is in the Sullivan’s Island Historic District, which Hibben House, circa 1759. Photo by Tonya McGue. The Gathering Place, circa 1960s. Photo by Jennifer Cady.