BUTLER  PRESERVATION L.C.
A unique Charleston, SC based company specializing in historic property research, preservation consulting, and small-scale restoration.   We bring a multi-faceted background in preservation, research and documentation, and real-world trade experience to our projects, and we strive to help clients understand, maintain, and appreciate their historic buildings to the fullest. 
Butler Preservation also conducts historical, genealogical, cultural, and contextual documentation.

Follynot

A two year old house in the historic district, designed by Nic Butler. Interior finish work, exterior stucco, and gate by Butler Preservation.

Archaeology!

Excavating the rear yard, looking for historic artifacts from a demolished 1830s house previously on the site.

Crown molding

Installing Georgian era, two level crown molding in the dining room.

Custom cabinets

Open shelves based on cabinetry found in the butler's pantry of the Governor's Palace in Williamsburg.

Pouring the back landing base.

Back landing with salvaged bricks

The brick pavers were located on site during the excavation process and re-purposed for a new landing.

Custom cherry bench

Orangeburg County farmstead

Circa 1875 house, documentation project.

1870s school house

Orangeburg County.

Cook's house

1870s farmstead, Orangeburg County.

Ansonborough window

Before repair.

Ansonborough window

After!

Hutchinson House

Reconstruction era house on Edisto Island, owned and built by a freedman. This will be the ACBA sophomore's documentation project for Spring 2018.

92 Spring

A seemingly nondescript building we researched for a client, that was built by one of the first black female physicians in SC!

Cutting a boat oar on the bandsaw

Fun side projects!

1921 Cottage, Hampstead Village

950 square foot cottage after renovation.

Sanborn map, 1944 footprint

The fire insurance map shows that the cottage was the first constructed on two large tracts of land. Note the German Cemetery to the east!

Tracking the historic owners

Searching the deed indexes at the Charleston County RMC to determine the owners of the property, after the house was constructed, and before.

Stucco work

Applying the finish coat of stucco to a raised basement wall in downtown Charleston.

Court House, Williamsburg

Visiting historic sites on vacation (or during downtime on research trips) is a fun way to continue educating ourselves about architectural history and vernacular differences across the nation.

1960s bathroom

Clients wanted a lighter, fresher feel for their full bath.

Unearthing rot issues

After removing the tile and backer, we discovered a long-time leaking toilet flange had damaged the subfloor. We installed a new flange, repaired the damage, and added new tile.

Subway tile in the tub/shower area

Subway tile installed and awaiting grout.

New toilet, new floor

All evidence of the leak damage is gone. A new stone tile floor and toilet have been installed.

Glass block window

Finished product!

New vanity and mirror, with glass block window in the tub area in the background.

Belvidere farm house, lost

This undated newspaper article shows a 19th century plantation house on the Neck of Charleston that was destroyed in the 1930s. Studying hidden layers in the landscape and built environment helps us understand and interpret the present.

Evaluating deteriorated stucco

We created a preservation and repair plan for an antebellum kitchen house on Legare Street.

Bonus room, 1938 North Central house

Previous insulation and sheetrock was unsatisfactory so Butler Preservation removed the faulty material for spray insulation installation.

New sheetrock, final finish coat

Third coat sanded and ready for paint.

Ready to be furnished.

The bonus room, with new paint and trim work.

Row houses, late 18th century plat

We love finding historic plats! This one shows the private yards behind a block of densely situated urban row houses.

Window restoration, Ansonborough

Before images of serious rot.

Rotten bottom rails

These pieces had lost structural integrity and could not be salvaged.

Custom milled replacement rail.

Mortising the re-milled replacement rail to receive window muntins.

Repaired bottom sash.

Window has been put back together and is ready for glaze.

Prepping for new glaze.

Removing glaze from an upper sash.

Glazing.

Adding new glaze, after lots of sanding and priming.

Ready to go back in!

Reglazed, freshly painted windows awaiting installation.

Jamb rot, before.

Jamb rot from water trapped in the masonry wall.

Jamb rot, after!

After! Rebuilt the jamb, put the sash back in, installed trim.

Complete!

Another completion photo of the repaired sash.

Colonial tradesmen research

A snippet from a colonial carpenter's business advertisement, uncovered while writing a preservation conference paper.

Chiseling a dado

Utilizing our new hand tools to create a frame for a pedestrian gate.