Charleston est. 1670, pop. 127,999 (2013)
Marker:
54 Queen Street
The workshop of Thomas Elfe / Erected circa 1760 in the old section of the city. A rare surviving example of its kind containing 4 finely paneled rooms and other trim which makes it exceptional for a house of its modest size.
• Georgian-style single house built by London-born master cabinetmaker, Thomas Elfe (1719-1775) • Charles Town’s most prolific & acclaimed 18th c. furniture craftsman
• Elfe’s work based on designs in The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director, a book self-published in 1754 by furniture designer Thomas Chippendale (1718–1779)
• Elfe was also a real estate investor • owned a 234 acre plantation worked by slaves • politically was a loyalist w/strong ties to Britain
• house restored, 1994 • A Visit to Thomas Elfe’s House -Popular Woodworking • Wikipedia • HABS SC-286 • Charleston Historic District, National Register # 66000964, 1969 • declared National Historic Landmark District, 1973
