The lush, formal knot garden has been maintained by the Garden Club of Charleston since 1941
Constructed in 1772 by Thomas Heyward Jr., who later signed the Declaration of Independence, the sprawling Heyward-Washington House at 87 Church Street might be best known for the most famous guest to grace its halls. The house was rented for George Washington’s use during the president’s week-long Charleston stay in May 1791, earning the building its second moniker. The property was purchased by The Charleston Museum in 1929 and soon became the city’s first historic house museum, achieving National Historic Landmark status in 1978. The museum houses an extensive collection of historical Charleston-made furniture, including the priceless Holmes Bookcase, and the city’s only 1740s kitchen building open to the public. The lush, formal knot garden (shown above in 1930) has been maintained by the Garden Club of Charleston since 1941 and was designed to be historically accurate to the late 1700s with a variety of aromatic plants and culinary herbs, including lemon balm, hyssop, and more.
