$8,995,000
55 Bay Street
Charleston, SC 29401
MLS# 25024554
5 beds  |  5.5 baths  |  7343 sqft


Front
  1 / 96  
Front 2 Foyer Living Room Living Room Living Room Stair Hall Stair Hall Foyer & Staircase Dining Room Dining Room Dining Room Dining Room Dining Room Bar Entrance to Kitchen Kitchen Kitchen Kitchen Kitchen Kitchen Kitchen Butler's Pantry Kitchen Kitchen Kitchen Kitchen Mudroom Powder Room Kitchen Garden from Kitchen Hall to Family Room Family Room Family Room Family Room Kitchen House Stairs Upstairs of Kitchen House Upstairs of Kitchen House 47_3 47_4 Upstairs Bath in Kitchen House 47_7 Primary Suite Original 4 Story Staircase Primary Suite Primary Suite Primary Suite Porch Access Porch Off Primary View from Porch View from Porch 2nd Floor Landing Drawing Room 67 Drawing Room 69 Third Floor Landing Third Floor West Bedroom Third Floor West Bedroom Third Floor West Bedroom Porch Third Floor East Bedroom Third Floor East Bedroom Third Floor East Bedroom 78 4th Floor Landing 4th Floor Guest Suite 4th Floor Guest Suite 4th Floor Guest Suite 4th Floor Guest Suite 80_1 Alley for utility access Kitchen Courtyard Kitchen Courtyard Kitchen Courtyard Kitchen Courtyard Kitchen House Garden Kitchen House Garden Screened Porch Screened Porch Screened Porch 104 Lots lines approx. 109 112 114 116 117 118 120 142 142_1 144 145 146 147 148

Property Description
This stunning c. 1785 four-story masonry home has been carefully preserved, exhibiting significant historical integrity. It has undergone an extensive renovation, elegantly updated to accommodate modern living and entertaining. Book-ended by Rainbow Row and High Battery, the Jonathan Simpson House was built within the original walled city by a wealthy merchant. Twelve-foot ceilings and grand rooms allow the house to be filled with light. The pine floors run the full extent of the house (28'). Much of the original molding, cypress paneling, doors, and interior shutters remain. The current owners created a hyphen to connect the original home and kitchen house under the direction of renowned Charleston architects Dufford Young, with construction by Artis, winning a 2019 Carolopolis Award.

Details
Maps
Documents
Contract Info
Primary Structure List Price/SqFt: 1224.98
Sub-Type: Single Family Detached
MLS List Date: 2025-09-07
Status: Active
List Price: $8,995,000
Current Price: $8,995,000
Location, Tax & Legal
Legal Description: UNIT A % OWNERSHIP OF COMMON ELEM 24%
Tax Map #: 4581301068
Street #: 55
Street Name: Bay
Street Suffix: Street
County: Charleston
State: SC
Zip Code: 29401
Area: 51 - Peninsula Charleston Inside of Crosstown
Tax District: 71 - City of Charleston
Subdivision: South of Broad
Elementary School: Memminger
Middle School: Courtenay
High School: Burke
Directions: Broad St or S. Battery to E. Battery / E. Bay
General Property Info
Primary Bedroom – Main Level: No
Ground Level: Yes
Stories: 4
Ownership: Fee Simple
Occupancy: Owner
Potential Short Sale: No
Other Structures Y/N: No
Bedrooms: 5
Baths - Full: 5
Baths - Half: 1
Baths - Total: 5.5
Primary Structure Apx SqFt: 7343
Year Built: 1785
Acreage: 0.19
Tax/Fees
Taxes: 16672
Office/Member Info
Seller Concessions Negotiable Y/N: Yes
SqFt Source
Hired Measurement: 1
Roof
Slate: 1
Lot Description
0 - .5 Acre: 1
Misc Exterior
Fence - Iron: 1
Lawn Irrigation: 1
Porch - Screened: 1
Shed: 1
Exterior
Block/Masonry: 1
Stucco: 1
SF Detached Style
Charleston Single: 1
Attic Features
Finished: 1
Foundation
Basement: 1
Garage/Parking
Off-Street Parking: 1
Other (Use Remarks): 1
Stories/Levels
Multi-Story: 1
Equipment/Appliances
Dishwasher: 1
Dryer: 1
Gas Range: 1
Range Hood: 1
Refrigerator: 1
Washer: 1
Cooling
Central Air: 1
Rooms
Eat-In-Kitchen: 1
Family: 1
Formal Living: 1
Laundry: 1
Office: 1
Pantry: 1
Separate Dining: 1
Assumable
No: 1
Primary Bedroom
Garden Tub/Shower: 1
Multiple Closets: 1
Upstairs: 1
Walk-In Closets: 1
Proposed Financing
Cash: 1
Conventional Loan: 1
Misc Interior
Ceiling - Cathedral/Vaulted: 1
Ceilings - 9'+: 1
Garden Tub/Shower: 1
Walk-In Closets: 1
Window Treatments - All: 1
New Owned
Pre-Owned: 1
FP Desc/Location
Three +: 1
Possession
At Closing: 1
Water/Sewer
Public Sewer: 1
Public Water: 1
Utility Suppliers
Charleston Water Service: 1
Dominion Energy: 1
Property Features
SqFt Source: Hired Measurement
SF Detached Style: Charleston Single
Lot Description: 0 - .5 Acre
Misc Exterior: Fence - Iron; Lawn Irrigation; Porch - Screened; Shed
Roof: Slate
Exterior: Block/Masonry; Stucco
Attic Features: Finished
Foundation: Basement
Misc Interior: Ceiling - Cathedral/Vaulted; Ceilings - 9'+; Garden Tub/Shower; Walk-In Closets; Window Treatments - All
New Owned: Pre-Owned
Rooms: Eat-In-Kitchen; Family; Formal Living; Laundry; Office; Pantry; Separate Dining
Primary Bedroom: Garden Tub/Shower; Multiple Closets; Upstairs; Walk-In Closets
Cooling: Central Air
Possession: At Closing
Utility Suppliers: Charleston Water Service; Dominion Energy
Proposed Financing: Cash; Conventional Loan
Assumable: No
Supplements
The project allowed for a new side garden design by Sheila Wertimer. The gourmet kitchen features a butler's pantry, mudroom, and floor-to-ceiling steel doors overlooking the side garden. The former kitchen house now features a spacious second-floor guest suite or office and a large secondary living room flanked by original fireplaces, as well as access to the screened porch overlooking the magnificent backyard that encompasses nearly a quarter of an acre of peace and tranquility. Plans were created for a 10' x 30' swimming pool and have been approved by the city. The existing custom-built "shed" could be easily converted to a pool house with bathroom. The original staircase remains, rising eloquently for all four flights, one of the tallest in the city. The second floor of the home has a 21x25 drawing room with five floor-to-ceiling windows. Across the hall, a primary suite with a fireplace and a private porch overlooking historic rooftops and palmetto trees. The third floor includes two spacious bedrooms, both with en-suite bathrooms, as well as a laundry room. The front bedroom offers clear views of Charleston Harbor. The back bedroom offers a private porch that's perched in the palmetto trees. The fourth floor is laid out as a two-room guest suite with a full bathroom and a living room, incredible historic and water views from every window. Of significant architectural interest is the cantilevered marble balcony, which projects from the second floor and is the only one in Charleston constructed in this manner. The elliptical fan light and the use of tall, glazed windows typify the work of the Adam period. Also of notable distinction is the detailed woodwork and roping around the door frame, which makes this one of the more attractive entrances in historic Charleston. The home retains architectural features of the late Georgian period, also embracing the ornamentation that more closely resembles the Adam style or the Federal period of architectural development.

IDX
Listing Office: The Boulevard Company

Last Updated: November - 14 - 2025

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