69 Barre Street Gov. Thomas Bennett House

Barre (pronounced Barry) Street was surveyed in 1 770 as the westernmost street of Harleston Village, running south to north from a creek just below Beaufain Street and crossing a creek just to the north of Bull Street. The street. however. was platted through marsh lands and never actually laid out. Gov. Thomas Bennett's House was built on land inherited from his father. Thomas Bennett. Sr. (1754-1814). The senior Bennett. in cooperation with Daniel Cannon, built and operated large lumber mills that used both wind and tidal power. After the partnership ended, Bennett took his son, Thomas Bennett Jr. (1781-1865) into partnership and in 1802 the vounger man continued the business alone. In addition to the lumber business. which Thomas Bennett Jr. eventuallv turned over to his son-in- law. Jonathan Lucas III. in 1847. Bennett was active in rice milling, building Bennett's Mill on the Cooper River side of the city. When built Bennett's house looked out on his rice and saw mills and his mill ponds to the south and east. which were filled in the 1880s and 90s. He was also active in banking, serving as president and director of the Bank of the State of South Carolina and director of the Planters and Mechanics Bank of South Carolina In addition to his business interests. Thomas Bennett Jr. served as a member of the S.C. House of Representatives, 1804-06, 1808-10. 1812-18. Speaker of the House, 1814-18: member of the South Carolina Senate. 1819-20 and 1837-40: and Governor of South Carolina. 1820-22. He was Intendant (mayor) of Charleston, 1812-14. The brick house is two-and-a-half stories on a raised basement of stuccoed brick. The one-story piazza on the south side of the house has a fanlighted entrance with entablature and segmental arches rising from unfluted Roman Doric columns. The piazza and iron-railed entrance platform with curving steps rest on arcades of stuccoed brick.