Project Description
Incorporated in 1965, Historic Beaufort Foundation, under the leadership of Board President Lucy Hall, with support from Mayor Henry Chambers and others, championed the effort to restore the John Mark Verdier House, opening to the public in 1975.
Between 1801 and 1805 John Mark Verdier (1759-1827), a second-generation French Huguenot, built his home in Beaufort’s main business district. A successful merchant representing the Charleston firm of Smith, DeSaussure & Daryl, Verdier acquired over 1,000 acres of land on Lady’s Island along the Coosaw River and was growing sea island cotton in the early decades of the 19th century.
The house which is located at 801 Bay Street in the heart of the downtown historic and commercial district is a premier representation of Beaufort’s residential architecture and was a highly visible statement of Verdier’s rise as a successful merchant and planter. Built with typical Beaufort Style architectural elements, this important Federal Period residence faces south, rests on a high tabby foundation, boasts a two-story pedimented portico and has a low-pitched hip roof.
