In 1930, Mr. John Weeks, of New York, bought Bloomsbury for a winter retreat. If you closely observe a picture of Bloomsbury made in 1915, you can see that the shutters are falling apart and the paint is peeling off the house. Mr. Weeks contacted the most prestigious South Carolina architectural firm in the state, Simons and Lapham, to design the renovation of the home. Bloomsbury would not be here today if it was not for Mr. Simons.
On Tuesday, February 1st, Katherine and I meet with the family of the famed South Carolina architect Albert Simons. The meeting took place at the South Carolina Historical Society building in Charleston. The purpose of the visit was to bring the architectural drawings and the 50+ pages of specifications that we had in our possession, and compare them to what was filed in the archives. The Historical Society did have several drawings that we did not possess. We are in the process of obtaining copies. The Historical Society made a copy of our book of specifications for their records.
It was a great pleasure to meet Harriet Williams, the daughter of Albert Simons. It was most interesting to hear the history of the firm and stories of the famous architect and his work ethic, diligence and dedication to his craft. And, to once again see Dick Simons, his grandson. Dick stayed at Bloomsbury. As we were discussing the wonder of the architecture of the home, Dick asked who was the architect of the renovation; I said "Simons and Lapham". At that instant I put two and two together as Dick said Albert Simons was my grandfather. He invited us to Charleston to meet his aunt and to look over the materials in the achieves. That is why we were in Charleston. It is amazing the people you meet in a Bed and Breakfast.
This photo features Dick Simons and Harriet Williams. My next blog entry will talk about Mr. Simons and his many accomplishments. I think you will find it interesting as we walk through the architectural history of Charleston. Bruce A. Brown
On Tuesday, February 1st, Katherine and I meet with the family of the famed South Carolina architect Albert Simons. The meeting took place at the South Carolina Historical Society building in Charleston. The purpose of the visit was to bring the architectural drawings and the 50+ pages of specifications that we had in our possession, and compare them to what was filed in the archives. The Historical Society did have several drawings that we did not possess. We are in the process of obtaining copies. The Historical Society made a copy of our book of specifications for their records.
It was a great pleasure to meet Harriet Williams, the daughter of Albert Simons. It was most interesting to hear the history of the firm and stories of the famous architect and his work ethic, diligence and dedication to his craft. And, to once again see Dick Simons, his grandson. Dick stayed at Bloomsbury. As we were discussing the wonder of the architecture of the home, Dick asked who was the architect of the renovation; I said "Simons and Lapham". At that instant I put two and two together as Dick said Albert Simons was my grandfather. He invited us to Charleston to meet his aunt and to look over the materials in the achieves. That is why we were in Charleston. It is amazing the people you meet in a Bed and Breakfast.
This photo features Dick Simons and Harriet Williams. My next blog entry will talk about Mr. Simons and his many accomplishments. I think you will find it interesting as we walk through the architectural history of Charleston. Bruce A. Brown
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