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Storied Life: An opulent, centuries-old building at Wentworth and King streets is ushering in a new stage of life

Storied Life: An opulent, centuries-old building at Wentworth and King streets is ushering in a new stage of life
September 2022

Built in 1872, 71 Wentworth will be subdivided into 12 luxury apartments



This iconic building at the corner of Wentworth and King streets, which looms brightly in this image believed to have been taken in 1918, celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. Designed by local architect John Henry Devereux to house the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina, the Tudor-style Gothic Revival structure was opulently outfitted with cathedral ceilings and 14-foot arched windows. In 1877, the group agreed to share the building with a local militia unit, the Washington Light Infantry, the two organizations co-using the space for nearly 70 years. The building was partially rehabilitated in the mid-1940s for commercial use, converting the upper two levels into storage and the ground floor into retail spaces, including the J. S. Pinkussohn Cigar Co. and Germania Savings Bank (pictured). Today, 71 Wentworth is under construction to subdivide it into 12 luxury apartments combining contemporary and centuries-old design elements, including exposed historical brick and original heart pine beams.