Berrien House Trust

The Late Nineteenth Century

William Perry Lake (1814-1884) purchased the Berrien House in 1859 and lived there until 1888. He owned a rice mill in Hardeeville, South Carolina. In 1871, he divided the 45-foot wide home into two separate townhouses, which was a common practice at the time. William's brother-in-law, Dr. Benjamin Hardee, a pharmacist, occupied the eastern half of the house and used the ground floor as his offices and a pharmacy.

At some point, the gardens to the west of the house were sold, and a row of towhouses was built, visible to the left in this bird's eye view.