A $17.9 Million Historic Charleston Home Is Heading to Auction

A historic Charleston home that dates back more than 200 years could soon be yours, if the price is right.

Built between 1810 and 1818, the waterfront property was created by the merchant and naval officer Nathaniel Ingraham, who served on John Paul Jones’s Revolutionary War ship Bonhomme Richard. With views of the Charleston Harbor and Fort Sumter in the distance, it’s an architecturally significant estate in one of the city’s most coveted locations. On the market for $17.9 million with Lisa Patterson, Ruthie Ravenel, and Middleton Rutledge of Daniel Ravenel Sotheby’s International Realty, the home will be brought to auction next month with Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions. Bids are expected to begin around $7 million to $10 million when the auction opens on January 15.

“This home has been meticulously maintained through the decades, allowing its architectural integrity and historic charm to remain beautifully intact,” Patterson said in a statement. “Its craftsmanship, harbor views, and location on the High Battery make it one of Charleston’s most extraordinary offerings.”

RELATED: Moss-Draped Oaks Envelop This $6.2 Million Waterfront Retreat Near Downtown Charleston

The solid brick and stucco abode spans four stories and more than 7,000 square feet, sitting on a double lot that includes a private Charleston garden and a gated motor court. Its Federal architecture is complemented by a Second Empire mansard roof that was added sometime between 1865 and 1885. Inside, additional period details like the millwork and moldings have been preserved, making some rooms feel like museum-worthy spaces.

A peachy-keen drawing room runs across the front of the home, with space enough for a piano on one side and a fireplace-warmed seating area on the other. There’s both a formal living room and dining room, the latter done up in a bright-blue hue. The eat-in kitchen is a more modern affair that spills open to a wrap-around porch, an ideal place for enjoying a cup of coffee or a quick snack.

Upstairs—an elevator can take you to the second floor—the primary suite includes a fireplace in the bedroom and a bathroom with its own wallpaper-covered sitting area. There are six bedrooms and six bathrooms in total, plus an additional powder room. Other indoor amenities include a wooden study with floor-to-ceiling bookcases, a finished basement for casual hangs, and a sauna. Outside, the grounds are rounded out by a sizable in-ground swimming pool with plenty of space for lounging around the stone perimeter.

Click here to see all the images of the historic Charleston estate.