Brick House Ruins
Brick House Ruins is the surviving masonry shell of the 1725 Paul Hamilton House, a nationally significant colonial plantation house ruin on Edisto Island, South Carolina.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Brick House Ruins is the commonly used name for the remains of the Paul Hamilton House, an early eighteenth-century plantation residence on Edisto Island in South Carolina. The site is not a commercial brand but a historic property and architectural landmark whose name identifies the surviving structure. The house was built around 1725 for Paul Hamilton, a wealthy South Carolina planter, on a plantation of approximately 300 acres. At the time, Edisto Island formed part of the Province of South Carolina and was one of the Sea Islands whose plantation economy depended heavily on enslaved labor, although the supplied reference material does not provide a detailed account of the people enslaved at the property. The building was a two-story residence constructed through a combination of imported and local materials. Its exterior brick was brought from Boston and was harder and denser than locally produced brick. The interior relied primarily on local lumber that had reportedly been seasoned for seven years, as well as local gravel and sand transported from the Pon Pon area. The resulting structure combined recognizable American colonial planning with architectural details associated with French Huguenot traditions. Its high-pitched roof and extensive stucco ornament have been interpreted as evidence of that influence, and the design has been compared to the seventeenth-century Château de la Haye d'Esquermes near Loos-les-Lille in France, possibly through a simplified adaptation. The property passed to the Jenkins family in 1798, and the family has retained ownership according to the cited historical account. The house remained largely unaltered until a major fire in 1929. The wooden portions were mostly destroyed, while the brick exterior walls, stuccoed quoins, and decorative trim survived. The fire transformed the property from an intact plantation house into the picturesque ruin by which it is now known. The remaining walls are considered architecturally unusual in the United States, particularly because of their combination of colonial form, French Huguenot influence, and distinctive masonry ornament. The ruins received sustained documentation and preservation attention during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The National Park Service recorded the remains through the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1936 and 1939, producing photographs, measured drawings, and descriptive documentation. The site was designated a National Historic Landmark and entered on the National Register of Historic Places on April 15, 1970. Its significance has been associated with the early French influence visible in South Carolina architecture and with the unusual character of the surviving exterior walls. After the fire, stabilization work included the installation of metal supports around some openings. Over time, the expansion of those supports contributed to damage to historic material. The upper portions of two chimneys were removed as a precaution against collapse-related damage to the walls. In February 2013, the National Park Service characterized the ruin as being in emergency condition because of major cracking and deformation in the south wall. A stabilization project was completed in 2018, but preservation work remains ongoing. Today, Brick House Ruins is best understood as a protected historic site and architectural artifact rather than an operating business, consumer product, or conventional brand.
History
The structure now called Brick House Ruins was built around 1725 for Paul Hamilton, a wealthy planter on Edisto Island in what was then the Province of South Carolina. It served as the principal house of a roughly 300-acre plantation. The residence was two stories high and used an unusual combination of materials: its exterior brick was imported from Boston, while much of the interior was made from locally produced lumber that had been aged for several years. Local gravel and sand from the Pon Pon area were also used in construction. Architecturally, the house belonged to the broader tradition of American colonial domestic building but displayed strong French Huguenot associations. Its high-pitched roof and extensive stucco ornament were distinctive features. The design may have been a simplified interpretation of the Château de la Haye d'Esquermes near Loos-les-Lille in France. Later historical assessments have treated the surviving masonry as important evidence of early French architectural influence in the Carolinas. The property was acquired by the Jenkins family in 1798 and remained in that family's ownership according to the cited account. The house reportedly underwent no major alterations before a fire in 1929. That event destroyed most of the wooden portions of the building, leaving the brick walls, stuccoed corner details, and decorative trim standing. The remains subsequently became known as Brick House Ruins, a name that emphasizes the site's post-fire identity rather than the original house's formal name. Following the fire, portions of the structure were stabilized. Metal bracing was installed at some openings, although the later expansion of those supports caused additional stress and damage to historic fabric. The tops of two chimneys were removed to reduce the danger that falling masonry would damage the walls if the chimneys collapsed. The National Park Service documented the remains through the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1936 and 1939, creating photographs, measured drawings, and written records that remain important to the site's interpretation. On April 15, 1970, Brick House Ruins was designated a National Historic Landmark and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The designation recognized both the architectural character of the surviving walls and the site's role in illustrating early French influence in South Carolina. State historical authorities have described the remains as a distinctive and picturesque ruin whose outer walls are unusual in the United States. By February 2013, structural deterioration had become severe. The National Park Service considered the property to be in emergency condition because of significant cracking and deformation, particularly in the south wall. Stabilization work was carried out and completed in 2018. The site remains a fragile historic structure requiring continuing preservation rather than a fully restored or reconstructed house. Its present significance lies in the combination of colonial history, French Huguenot architectural influence, fire-created ruin character, and the surviving physical evidence of eighteenth-century construction.
- 2018
Structural stabilization completed
[1]Stabilization work was completed to address structural threats, while ongoing preservation remained necessary.
- 2013
Emergency preservation condition identified
[1]The National Park Service reported major cracks and deformation in the south wall and classified the structure as being in emergency condition.
- 1970
National Historic Landmark designation
[1]The ruins were designated a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 15.
- 1939
Further Historic American Buildings Survey documentation
[1]Additional survey documentation was produced, expanding the recorded photographic and measured evidence of the structure.
- 1936
Historic American Buildings Survey documentation
[1]The National Park Service documented the ruins through photographs and architectural records as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey.
- 1929
Fire destroyed most of the house
[1]A fire consumed the wooden portions of the residence, leaving the brick walls and stuccoed architectural details that produced the present ruin.
- 1798
Property acquired by the Jenkins family
[1]The plantation property passed into Jenkins family ownership, which the cited account says continues to the present.
- 1725
Paul Hamilton House constructed
[1]A two-story plantation house was built for Paul Hamilton on Edisto Island using Boston brick, local timber, and locally sourced aggregate.
Products and positioning
A preserved colonial architectural ruin and National Historic Landmark representing early South Carolina plantation architecture with French Huguenot influence.
Brand decisions
2013
Emergency stabilization responseStrategyBackground
Structural cracking and deformation, especially in the south wall, created a serious risk to the surviving historic masonry.
Action taken
The National Park Service identified the ruin as being in emergency condition, supporting a preservation response rather than continued passive maintenance.
Aftermath
Stabilization work was subsequently undertaken and was reported as completed in 2018; the site nevertheless remains subject to ongoing preservation needs.
Recent events
- 2018
Stabilization of the Brick House Ruins completed[1]
Other
A stabilization effort addressed structural risks affecting the surviving walls, although preservation work continued after the project.
- 2013
National Park Service identified the ruins as being in emergency condition[1]
Other
Major cracking and deformation in the south wall led the National Park Service to classify the structure as requiring urgent preservation attention.
- 1970
Brick House Ruins designated a National Historic Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic Places[1]
Other
The surviving Paul Hamilton House ruins received federal recognition for their architectural significance and unusual evidence of French influence in early South Carolina building traditions.
Sources3 sources
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