S.C. Man Reopens Burned Antiques Store
By Tricia McCarter-Joseph | Online Only | Nov. 20. 2009
Hamilton House, Florence, S.C.
Credit: David Hamilton
Last week David Hamilton reopened his antiques store in Florence, S.C. Two years ago this month, a late-night fire swept through the 1897 house he used as his business, Hamilton House Antiques, damaging the attic and much of the home furnishings he sold.
"I got a call that the alarm system was going off. They said the temperature was rising pretty fast, so I knew it wasn't good," Hamilton says.
The local fire department determined that arsonists broke into the house and used gasoline to start the blaze, which took four hours to contain. Firefighters were forced to destroy a piece of stained glass on the front door to gain entry into the house. Hamilton, now 53, has owned the nine-room, Queen Anne-style house since 2000.
After the fire, Hamilton wanted to ensure that he could restore the house to as close to the original as possible. He and his father went about cataloging every inch of the house, taking photos of doors, floors, windows, bookcases, and roof shingles. They put everything in storage, had them cleaned, and later re-installed them. Since the fire was contained mainly to the attic, the house retains it original pine floors, mantels, and doors. One of the new things he added to the house was a staircase to the attic so his niece and nephew could look out the turret window.
Hamilton estimates that he spent about $200,000 restoring the house. "It's my livelihood, but there's some little part of the house that means a lot to every member of my family," Hamilton says. "I was very fortunate in my misfortune."
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Comments
Submitted by Jake at: November 20, 2009
Is it just me or has there been a lot of people burning down our historic buildings lately? Why?