64 Warren St, Charleston, SC 29403

James Gabeau (1779-1820) was the eldest of nine children of Pierre Antoine Gabeau of France and Elizabeth Henley of England. Young Pierre and his widow mother were French Huguenots with extensive champagne producing vineyards near Bordeaux. Their quest for religious freedom and a severe storm that set them way off course from their intended destination brought them to Charleston where they were of the last French Protestant colonizers. Financially they were quite better off than most Huguenot refugees of their time. James Gabeau was a cooper (a builder of barrels and casks) and one of the first to purchase a lot and construct a significant residence in the new "suburb" of Radcliffeborough. His plantation style home was built circa 1816 on a very large lot. The style is described as "West Indian" in The Buildings of Charleston by Jonathan Poston. The house underwent rehabilitation in 1980 and was extensively renovated in 2004. A raised basement with brick piers supports the main two and a half story structure which features a central wrought iron railed staircase to the piazza. The top floor is accented by dormers and a pediment with a bull's eye window. The main portion of the house was renovated to include the finest in finishings from heated bath floors and custom marble walls to Baldwin door knobs and granite counters. Top of the line appliances include Thermador double ovens, Sub Zero refrigerator, and Gagenau range. Stunning interior features with numerous fireplaces and a handmade spiral staircase. The ground floor houses two one-bedroom apartments currently grossing $21,600 per year in rental income. Exterior features include a new roof with copper guttering in the 2004 renovation along with new working shutters. Grounds are expansive and lush with mature trees and a stuccoed wall in the rear for privacy while enjoying the charming brick patio.