National Historic Landmark · house · Charleston, South Carolina

Nathaniel Russell House

Historic house in South Carolina. Added to the National Register in 1971, and a National Historic Landmark.

Mary Rutledge Smith and Son Edward - George Romney51 Meeting - dependency51 Meeting - E facade51 Meeting - rear
Photos via Wikimedia Commons · 6 in the Commons category

What it is

The Nathaniel Russell House is an architecturally distinguished, early 19th-century house at 51 Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Built in 1808 by wealthy merchant and slave trader Nathaniel Russell, it is recognized as one of the United States' most important neoclassical houses. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The record

Register nameRussell, Nathaniel, House
Property typeBuilding
Address51 Meeting St., Charleston, SC
CountyCharleston County
ListedAug 19, 1971
Listed forEducation, Architecture, Social history
Level of significanceNational
Reference number71000750
Type of placehouse
StyleFederal architecture
DesignationsNational Historic Landmark
Contributing resources1 building

The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗

Visiting

Address51 Meeting St., Charleston, SC
Coordinates32.7741° N, 79.9312° W · Directions ↗
Also in Charleston111 listed places in Charleston → · walking tours →
Nearest national park unitFort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park · 4 miles · on Park Atlas
Federal campgrounds nearbyBuck Hall Recreation Area 28 miles
Listing on the Register does not open the door. Unless a museum or park runs it, treat this as private property and see it from the sidewalk.

Explore

Map

Local history books for Charleston

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • The Huguenot Church in Charleston
    Margaret Middleton Rivers Eastman and Richard Donohoe & Maurice Eugenie Horne Thompson, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • St. Philip's Church of Charleston
    Dorothy Middleton Anderson and Margaret Middleton Rivers Eastman, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Charleston's longest green line
    Donald M. Williams, 2011
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Six miles to Charleston
    Bruce Orr, 2010
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Vital signs in Charleston
    Carolyn B. Matalene and Katherine E. Chaddock, 2009
    Find at Bookshop.org

Guidebooks to historic places in South Carolina

  • Classic Carolina road trips from Columbia
    Thomas M. Poland, 2014
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Columbia Civil War landmarks
    Tom (Historian) Elmore, 2011
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Touring the Carolinas' Civil War sites
    Clint Johnson, 2011
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • A tour of historic Sullivan's Island
    Cindy Lee, 2010
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

When was Nathaniel Russell House listed on the National Register?

Aug 19, 1971. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.

Source: National Park Service

Where is Nathaniel Russell House?

51 Meeting St., Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina. The nearest national park unit is Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, 4 miles away.

Source: Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

Are there historic photographs or drawings of Nathaniel Russell House?

Yes. The Historic American Buildings Survey at the Library of Congress has drawings or photographs of it.

Source: Library of Congress

Where is the nomination form for Nathaniel Russell House?

The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.

Source: National Archives

Are there campgrounds near Nathaniel Russell House?

One federal campground is within reach, Buck Hall Recreation Area, 28 miles away.

Source: Campsite Atlas

Is there cell service at Nathaniel Russell House?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

Is there a wildfire near Nathaniel Russell House right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-10-17, nearest C-74 Fm Rx, 30 miles away.

Source: Map

Sources

Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 71000750. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA. Drawings and photographs are Historic American Buildings Survey records at the Library of Congress, public domain.