OPTIMUS E. HUGHES HOUSE

18 LIMEHOUSE STREET, c. 1853

This house, originally three stories tall, is the southern-most antebellum residence built on Limehouse Street. Optimus Hughes sold it to John Eddings just three years after he built it. Sometime thereafter the third story was removed. Today the single-family house, at 3,775 sq. ft., features four bedrooms and 4.5 baths.

A garden bordered by palmetto trees leads to a columned porch and impressive mahogany front door flanked by sidelights and gas lanterns. Interior details include decorative woodwork and moldings (some original), heart pine floors, pocket doors, wine cellar, and a few wavy glass window panes. The first-floor dining room and parlor maintain their original exposed brick fireplaces. 

The roofline features unusual paired brackets supporting a deep fascia. A hidden rooftop deck provides great views of neighboring chimneys and treetops, including a massive oak that rises through the property's back-yard patio. The lot is 6,098 sq. ft. 

Mr. and Mrs. H.N. (Ann K.) Ritter III sold 18 Limehouse Street to Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. (Kristin R.) Tishman for $2.5 million on July 25, 2019 (Post and Courier, Sept. 29, 2019) 

Photo credits: Zillow