Florence Crittenton Home (Charleston, South Carolina)


The Florence Crittenton Home is significant for its long association with the development of social and child welfare programs in Charleston and for its statewide leadership in caring for the needs of unmarried mothers and their babies. Since its establishment as the Christlove Mission of the King's Daughters in 1897 by Claudia Tharin, the organization has sheltered women during their pregnancies, provided them with education and employment training, and assisted them to plan for the care of their newborn children. After two years of operation, the program was taken over by the National Florence Crittenton Mission.
The building at 19 St. Margaret St. was designed by John Darlington Newcomer. Work began in 1923, but financial difficulties prevented the completion of the building until 1932. The home is two and one-half stories of brick with a front gable roof, three bay façade, and two lateral wings with hipped roofs. Gabled dormers are set at the slopes of the wings. Two tiered screened porches extend along the east and west sides of the rear section. The attic level is distinguished by an oriel on braces, with three windows and a hipped roof. Similar braces mark the deep eaves.
The home was listed in the National Register September 25, 1997.