5 Beds
3 Baths
3,156 SqFt
5 Beds
3 Baths
3,156 SqFt
Key Details
Property Type Single Family Home
Sub Type Single Family Residence
Listing Status Active
Purchase Type For Sale
Square Footage 3,156 sqft
Price per Sqft $1,552
MLS Listing ID 4214365
Style Other
Bedrooms 5
Full Baths 3
Abv Grd Liv Area 2,523
Year Built 1890
Lot Size 1.120 Acres
Acres 1.12
Property Sub-Type Single Family Residence
Property Description
Nestled under 12 live oaks and overlooking the May River, the property includes a covered pier and a floating dock, offering opportunities for fishing, bird and dolphin watching, and enjoying the scenic views. The home's prime location allows residents and guests to walk or take a golf cart to the shops, restaurants, and galleries of historic Old Town Bluffton. It is a historic property that symbolizes the town's resilience, with a history spanning from the antebellum period through a Civil War destruction, a late 19th-century rebuild, and a modern renovation that preserved its original charm while adding contemporary luxury.
Dr. Paul Pritchard, (born 1819), a successful rice planter and a physician in the lower St. Paul's Parish area of South Carolina built the first Pritchard House on the May River bluff as a summer home for his wife, Martha Catherine Kirk, and their six sons. Like most of Bluffton, the Pritchard House was burned by Union forces in 1863.
In the mid-1890s, one of Dr. Pritchard's sons, Charles Teft Pritchard, rebuilt the house on the site. He strategically oriented the house to face the May River to catch the prevailing breezes. At the time, access to the home was only by ferry as there were no established roads. Meaning what was traditionally considered the front of the house is actually the rear. The new home was built in a Carolina-style farmhouse with Queen Anne elements.
After being abandoned and overgrown for more than 50 years, the house was "lovingly restored" by the new owners, who discovered the property while on their honeymoon in 1995. The house has since undergone remarkable renovation and restored under the guidance of a preservation expert following National Register of Historic Places guidelines. The home features original heart pine construction, 12-foot beadboard ceilings, and tall, pocket-style windows. It is uniquely canted toward the prevailing southwest breeze with wider back rooms, uses a "wind catcher" design for climate control, circulating cool air from beneath the pier foundation and allowing heat to rise.
The 1990s restoration added east and west wings, connected by breezeways to maintain airflow and views, replicating the original design. The new wings accommodate a primary bedroom suite with two walk-in closets and oversized bathroom, and the other a large kitchen and dining room. Modern upgrades and amenities have since been incorporated, such as new Viking appliances, mahogany doors, a renovated laundry room, updated guest bath and herringbone brick floors in the mud room.
The home, featuring four rooms with fireplaces flanking a wide central hall and a riverside porch, had uncompromising stewardship by all owners, from the Pritchard's to the restoration owners in the 1990's, and on to the current master gardener owner. All have maintained the culture of The Pritchard House while adding to the graciousness of this incomparable home.
The property, which includes the main house and a separate two-bedroom guest cottage (originally a boarding house built by Charles Pritchard's widow in 1905), is located in the Old Town Bluffton Historic District, which was granted National Historic District status in 1996. In recent years, the guest cottage has been a 5-star rental through Airbnb. The property is well-known and featured on local historic walking tours.
The property was under contract, unfortunately, buyer's contract on their home did not go through.
Location
State SC
County Beaufortsc
Zoning RV-HD
Body of Water May River
Rooms
Guest Accommodations Exterior Not Connected,Guest House,Separate Entrance,Separate Kitchen Facilities,Separate Living Quarters,Separate Utilities
Primary Bedroom Level Main
Main Level Bedrooms 3
Main Level Primary Bedroom
Main Level Kitchen
Main Level Dining Area
Main Level Bathroom-Full
Main Level Sitting
Main Level Bedroom(s)
Main Level Bathroom-Full
Main Level Bedroom(s)
Main Level Mud
Main Level Laundry
Main Level Living Room
Main Level Flex Space
Interior
Interior Features Attic Other, Built-in Features, Cable Prewire, Entrance Foyer, Garden Tub, Kitchen Island, Pantry, Walk-In Closet(s)
Heating Central, Electric, Heat Pump
Cooling Ceiling Fan(s), Central Air, Electric, Heat Pump
Flooring Tile, Wood
Fireplaces Type Den, Electric, Gas, Living Room, Primary Bedroom, Other - See Remarks
Fireplace true
Appliance Convection Oven, Dishwasher, Electric Oven, Electric Water Heater, Exhaust Hood, Filtration System, Gas Cooktop, Microwave, Refrigerator, Tankless Water Heater, Wall Oven
Laundry Electric Dryer Hookup, Inside, Laundry Room, Main Level, Sink, Washer Hookup
Exterior
Exterior Feature Dock - Floating, In-Ground Irrigation, Outdoor Shower, Storage
Utilities Available Cable Connected, Electricity Connected, Propane, Underground Power Lines, Underground Utilities, Wired Internet Available
Waterfront Description Beach - Private,Covered structure,Dock,Pier
View Water, Year Round
Roof Type Metal
Street Surface Stone,Gravel,Other
Porch Covered, Front Porch, Porch, Rear Porch, Side Porch, Other - See Remarks
Garage false
Building
Lot Description Cleared, Orchard(s), Level, Private, River Front, Wooded, Views, Waterfront
Dwelling Type Site Built
Foundation Crawl Space, Permanent
Sewer Public Sewer
Water City, Well
Architectural Style Other
Level or Stories One
Structure Type Wood
New Construction false
Schools
Elementary Schools M C Riley
Middle Schools Bluffton
High Schools Bluffton
Others
Senior Community false
Restrictions Historical
Acceptable Financing Cash, Conventional
Listing Terms Cash, Conventional
Special Listing Condition None
Virtual Tour https://www.youtube.com/embed/XibQYxESr6U
NEARBY SCHOOL & BUSINESS