Charleston Style Homes in the Triangle

If you’ve ever visited Charleston, South Carolina, then you probably noticed the architecture in the historic downtown. The district features homes dating back to the 1700s in styles such as Georgian, Colonial, Gothic Revival, Art Deco, and Italian Renaissance Revival. Distinctive characteristics of Charleston-style homes include side porches and narrow lots.

One unique style in the historic district is the Charleston Single House. Homes in this style are meant for long, narrow lots, and are usually built one room wide, with the narrow part of the house facing the street. The porch, known as the piazza in Charleston, is attached to one side of the house, looking out over the side yard. The porch faces either south or west in order to ventilate and shade the home as much as possible.

A notable feature of the Charleston Single House is the door from the street that leads to the porch, where the true front door is located. Sometimes called a privacy door, the original purpose was to allow the residents of the home to leave the door open when accepting visitors, and closed when expecting privacy.

While the Charleston Single House is perhaps the most well-known architectural style in Charleston, the historic downtown boasts many other beautiful home styles. Along the harbor lie mansions built from 1809 through 1920 in a variety of styles, like Italian Renaissance Revival and Art Deco. Rainbow Row, a well-known series of colorful townhouses, were built in the 18th century. These homes were built in the Georgian style, with arched doorways and brick and stucco exteriors. Other features you will find in Charleston-style homes include wrought iron gates and fences, stone arches, and granite pedestals flanking the front door.

While you won’t find historic Charleston-style homes for sale in the Raleigh-Durham area, there are numerous newer subdivisions with homes in this style. In Raleigh, a few subdivisions in North Raleigh feature Charleston homes. These include Oakcroft, Bedford at Falls River, and Glen Laurel. Closer to downtown Raleigh, Anderson Heights has Charleston-style homes as well. In Morrisville, the Savannah community has Charleston homes. Briar Chapel, a subdivision in Chapel Hill, also has Charleston homes. 

Below is a complete list of the available Charleston homes in the Triangle, including Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill.