Date of Award
5-2011
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Legacy Department
Historic Preservation
Committee Chair/Advisor
Hudgins, Carter L
Committee Member
Wilson, Ashley R
Committee Member
Muldrow, Ralph C
Abstract
This thesis examines a portion of the restoration and rehabilitation work Herbert A. DeCosta Jr. and the H. A. DeCosta Company completed in the 1960s and 1970s in Charleston, South Carolina. A third generation, African-American contractor, DeCosta specialized in the restoration of historic structures. A native of the city, he possessed an innate understanding and respect for the city's architectural heritage, and he worked throughout the city and region to promote the preservation of this heritage. Under the direction of Herbert DeCosta, the H. A. DeCosta Company worked with Historic Charleston Foundation on numerous properties in their revolutionary Ansonborough Rehabilitation Project in the 1960s and 1970s. Through an analysis of the type and extent of his work in this neighborhood revitalization effort, as well as through an examination of the quality of his restorations, this thesis explores DeCosta's role in the movement that defined a preservation ethic for Charleston.
Recommended Citation
Keller, Alissa Clare, "'Turning Shambles into Showcases:' Herbert A. DeCosta, Jr.'s Role in the Ansonborough Rehabilitation Project in Charleston, South Carolina" (2011). All Theses. 1133.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/1133