Built in 1808, the design of a Charleston merchant’s home was all about symmetry. And impressing your neighbors, like this three-story, cantilevered, flying staircase was intended to do.

Sometimes, reality didn’t match the rules, and this window is not evenly placed behind the staircase. But it does illustrate that the staircase doesn’t touch the wall for support.

This window seen from the outside, taken from what is now the narrow driveway to the back of the property. My back was at the wall of the First (Scots) Presbyterian Church next door and the trees reflected in the glass are in the graveyard.

Nathaniel Russell House Museum, Charleston, SC
January 27, 2023
This home has been restored to its 1808 appearance and is part of the Historic Charleston Foundation collection.
Additional posts of the Nathaniel Russell House Museum