AIKEN RHETT MUSEUM HOUSE INSTALLATION

Built in 1820 by merchant John Robinson, the Aiken-Rhett House is nationally significant as one of the best-preserved townhouse complexes in the nation. The Historic Charleston Foundation operates the property as a museum, using a “preserve as found” approach. The SY+a installation is one of the few modern interventions on the site.

Extensive archaeological work at the Laundry room facility, located in the rear of one of the outbuildings, uncovered many artifacts relating to everyday operations at the building. The installation consists of a cantilevered steel walkway disconnected from the site, allowing visitors to peer down at the features uncovered during the dig. Five display cases illuminate artifacts specific to the women who labored here in the 19th Century, and directional light illuminates the architectural features associated with the laundry room itself, including the location of the kettles and fireplaces. Archaeology shines new light on the lives and labors of the African Americans upon whose tireless work the Aiken-Rhett lifestyle depended.