Date of Award
5-2013
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Legacy Department
Historic Preservation
Committee Chair/Advisor
Muldrow, Ralph
Committee Member
Ward, James
Committee Member
Marks III, Richard
Abstract
This thesis represents the assembly of physical architectural analysis, archival investigation, and the study of the work of previous historians on the subject of the main house at Medway Plantation. Medway is a property whose origins can be traced back to the seventeenth century. Since then, it has changed form many times. A great amount of research has been conducted on Medway by historians, both amateur and professional. Few, however, if any have ever been able to study Medway with the stucco removed from the exterior and walls and floors exposed on the inside.
This was the impetus for researching Medway as a thesis topic. In 2012 after Medway was purchased by its current owner, it underwent a large-scale restoration. The work included removing a majority of the stucco from the building and interior finishes to assess the integrity of the structure and to make necessary upgrades to mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. Exposing the 'bones' of the structure provided the opportunity to study Medway holistically and see it in a way it had not been previously seen, maybe ever.
When the investigation was finalized, a more complete understanding of Medway's structural evolution became apparent. Medway's history is presented chronologically throughout the chapters in this thesis. In the end, there are four major building phases that are identified and discussed as effecting the overall structure of Medway, while a fifth phase describes the more recent period of minor, mostly aesthetic, changes.
Recommended Citation
Nickels, Neale Canter, "The Best Brick House in all the Country: Documenting the Structural Evolution of Medway, Mount Holly, South Carolina" (2013). All Theses. 1641.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/1641