MUSC wins preservation award

The Medical University of South Carolina has received a Pro Merito award from the Preservation Society of Charleston for its restoration and reuse of the 1802 Anderson house.

Studio A architect Whitney Powers restored the Federal-style house, which also had Greek Revival modifications, into office space for the College of Pharmacy.

The Historic Charleston Foundation described the house as one of the “largest, most intact Federal period houses in the city with architectural details equaled only by those within the Nathaniel Russell House.”

Powers decided restore the house from a composite angle, rather than from one particular style, while incorporating the functional needs of the pharmacy school.

Powers removed ad hoc enclosures and a first-floor piazza, as well as a rooftop balustrade that caused water leakage. The interior required all-new electrical and mechanical systems and repairs to every wall, floor and ceiling.

The Pro Merito Award is an addition to the Preservation Society’s Carolopolis Award. It recognizes properties that have undergone a major restoration since receiving the Carolopolis Award.