Watching the transformation of Sumter Avenue’s Brownfield House has kept people in Summerville talking for many years. Pete Knight has given them something to talk about.
By Susan Frampton
Photography by Margaret Wright Photography,
Bianka Lamb
When Pete Knight signed his name on the contract for the stately residence at the juncture of Sumter and Charleston Streets in the heart of Summerville’s Historic District, he had no idea of the tiger he had by the tail. He knew that the main house and the adjacent cottage would need work, but little did he imagine the years it would take to restore both to their original state. Sitting at the kitchen table of the beautiful and historically accurate restoration project, he clearly considers the time well-spent. And if the original pine floors, now gleaming in the afternoon sun, could talk, they would speak of the warmth of the light pouring through the original windowpanes. This home is giddy with gratitude.
The Brownfield family built their new home on Summerville’s Sumter Avenue in 1868. The Civil War was only three years over the country’s shoulders, and the world had changed dramatically. With what would become its trademark resilience, the Town of Summerville brushed the dust from its skirts. It carried on, laying the groundwork for the international acclaim it would soon enjoy as a place of elegance, hospitality, and healing.
Standing two and one-half stories tall on Sumter, the Brownfield House embodied all the grace and sophistication characteristic of the architecture of the time. Set on a raised-brick foundation and topped with a tin, gabled roof, the balustraded five-bay porch and balcony across its front façade gave way to a wide, transomed, and side-lit entrance. Though the family may not have realized it then, their white frame structure would represent a new day for Summerville.
Sadly, there is not much recorded history available regarding the residence of the Brownfield family and the adjacent site of Brownfield Academy. We know that at some point, the residence became the school’s boarding facility. Several decades following its construction, an 1893 advertisement pronounced the facility as “particularly desirable for Northern young ladies with impaired health, who would probably be successful in their studies in this healthy climate.” It has also been noted that the congregation of what is now St. John’s Catholic Church held services in a chapel on the premises.
Knight, a native son and familiar face in Summerville, is someone you feel you know, even if you’ve never met. He is quick to smile and open about the challenges and frustrations presented by the property’s historical significance and the attention to detail needed to maintain the residence’s position on the National Register of Historic Places.
“Its inclusion on the United States’ official list of buildings, districts, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance and/or “great artistic value” required a team that would honor the guidelines for an accurate restoration.”
It also demanded a designer who could incorporate the modern-day needs of Knight and his two daughters. The design plan had to create support spaces such as a primary bathroom, mudroom, and laundry room while honoring the home’s original appearance.
“I had been given the names of several different design firms,” Knight recounts. “But only one met the criteria I was looking for.” Lauren Sanchez Design Ltd provided comprehensive Architectural, Interior Architecture, and Interior Design for revitalizing the 9,000-square-foot historic residence; the results speak for themselves.
With a reputation for thoroughness in detail and creatively elegant solutions to design problems, the Charleston-based firm’s award-winning portfolio included various projects, including residential, corporate, healthcare, education, civic, institutional, retail, restaurant, and hospitality. There is no better description of the breadth of the firm’s commitment than Sanchez’s own narrative of the project.
“Located in the heart of the historic district of Summerville, the 9,000 square foot house sat unoccupied for some time before the current homeowner undertook a complete and comprehensive restoration and renovation. Encompassing six years, the renovation was a thorough and holistic passion project. The structure was first taken down to the studs and completely stabilized before the original and historical details were meticulously restored. Custom millwork was designed to meet the home’s modern functional needs while maintaining the historic aesthetic that felt most authentic to the home. Some pieces were even made from wood reclaimed from the property.”
No detail went unaddressed, and painstaking research guaranteed historical accuracy. “Historical paint colors and custom-designed, old-world-inspired wallpapers completed palettes of rich natural finishes, textures, and traditional decorative lighting. A blend of custom and antique furniture, art, and window treatments added the finishing touches, ensuring that every inch of the house was lovingly curated to speak to its past while serving as a comfortable sanctuary for the family calling it home.”
Knight’s passion for the project fueled his frustration with a process he describes as “one step forward and two steps back. “We restored the cottage (home to the original Brownfield Academy), then started the site work, demolishing an old garage and pool house and getting plans approved for the new garages and new pool house with the intentions of starting at the back working my way to the front.” It did not take long for him to see the dramatic difference between the steps required for new construction vs. that needed to begin renovations on a 150-year-old house.
Those who drove past the house daily could not imagine what was taking so long. Summerville’s curiosity was piqued, and the restoration was a frequent topic of conversation – people were talking. “He’s taken out all the walls, clear down to the studs,” reported joggers and dog walkers. “It looks like he’s jacking it up,” armchair architects observed. “I hear he’s sparing no detail,” said those with their ears to the ground. None had any idea of the time and effort required to restore and level the foundation, add space without changing the house’s appearance from the front, or research and re-do any of the million design details necessary to maintain the historical integrity while meeting present-day codes. “The foundation ended up taking the better part of a year,” says the man who earned his place in his family’s business by starting at the bottom and working his way up. “But there was no point in moving forward if we were building on the equivalent of shifting sand.”
Knight quickly credits the dedicated design firm and incredibly skilled craftsmen who made the renovation possible. All of their perseverance paid off when he and his daughters were finally able to move in late last year. While the property is a showcase in every sense of the word, this is no vanity project meant to be looked at but not touched. For all its perfection, this house is a home that invites friends to visit, encourages gatherings and celebrations, promotes settling onto a window seat with a book, and won’t have a hissy if you take your shoes off.
It is where a family lives.
There is no doubt that cars, joggers, and dog walkers who pass the gates that lead to Brownfield House slow their pace to take it all in. Pete’s a little shy to say so, but he’s justifiably proud of the jewel he has restored on Sumter Avenue. People are talking, only now they talk about the Knight Home. Pete Knight has undoubtedly given them something to talk about, and Summerville is proud to share the story.
