Early Houses of Williamsburg County

Williamsburg County, South Carolina has numerous examples of early vernacular architecture. However, many of these structures are being lost to any number of circumstances. Among these are demolitions by neglect, fire, being dismantled for their parts, or even being relocated to places outside of the county. The lack of documentation makes these losses even worse. This thesis has attempted to collect information on as many of the County’s pre-Civil War houses as possible. Basic information was collected using the survey form used by the South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. This information was then used to create a study of a vernacular form known as the I-house, which is the most widespread type in the county. The purpose of survey and study is to provide evidence of these houses for future generations to admire and study.