Wednesday, July 22, 2015

American Gothic

I think everyone has one thing that really stands out in their mind as the highlight of a vacation. For me on our South Carolina trip it was visiting and touring the Rose Hill Plantation house. As soon as we pulled up to the Gothic revival mansion I knew I was in love with its unique architectural style and Southern charm. But what made the house even better was the fascinating tour given by the owner of the house regarding its history and her endeavors to restore the house back to its former glory.


So just a brief note about fashion: for the the tour you will see I am again decked out in my straw hat. I promise I only have one more post featuring me and this hat. I also decided to go with an easy striped tee shirt type dress that, as you can see from the one picture below, has a host of darling bows on the backside. The dress, like the house, is full of all sorts of pleasant surprises!


I highly recommend that if you are in the Hilton Head/Savannah area you make reservations to see the house. You will receive a wealth of information about its origins, the people who resided in and around the home over its 150+ year history, and the joys and perils of restoring a historic estate.

However, if you can't do that, I'll just give a brief overview of its history. Basically, the house was built in the 1850s by the Kirk family. It was never officially completed (at least not all of the interior) due to a little interruption called the Civil War. In the 20th century the house passed hands many times and was home to everyone from tenant farmers to a World War II pilot. Unfortunately, in the 1980s a fire ravaged the house, leaving it in a state of disrepair. Although the fate of the house was perhaps uncertain at this point, the current owner (who received the house as a gift from her husband for her 30th birthday) saw its potential. Since then she has devoted her life to unraveling the history of the house and returning it to its original grandeur.













The inside of the Rose Hill house is as beautiful as the exterior. Below is a glimpse at what we saw inside on our tour. 


The paining above is of the owner of the house. Believe it or not her husband painted it. I told my husband that I am expecting him to paint my portrait for our up coming anniversary!



The pictures above and below are of the ladies sitting room. An interesting factoid that endeared me to this particular room is that it was featured in Vogue in the 1950s. I love anything that has been in the pages of Vogue!


Thank you for coming along with me on the photographic tour of the Rose Hill Plantation house. It truly was a highlight on my trip and something I will remember for years to come. If you would like to see it for yourself or find out more about its history you can find more here.


Dress: Anthropologie similar here
Bag: J. Crew "Sophie" crossbody 
Sandals: J. Crew
Hat: Off Saks Fifth Avenue here
Belt: Target 

12 comments:

  1. The house is gorgeous, the way it's decorated is a dream! I am such a fan of history of any kind, this looks like such an amazing tour! And you look gorg!!! XO -Kim
    www.thethirtysomethinglife.com

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  2. This striped dress is so pretty especially the back. I love the hat too. A nice nautical, Americana look you got going, Katie. And I love the elegance and old glamour of that beautiful house. You always visit the coolest places!

    <3 Ada.

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  3. That dress is super cute, even more so once you discover the backside! And I like the puffy sleeves as well. The mansion is gorgeous, love the interior part with all the house plants.

    Alex - Funky Jungle

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  4. Adorable dress! And thanks for sharing that beautiful house.

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  5. I would have loved touring that house. The bow detail on the back of your dress is gorgeous!

    Carrie
    curlycraftymom.com

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  6. That looks like a great house. I really like hte bow detail on your dress.

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  7. That striped dress is so cute! I love the back!
    ~Jessica
    Jeans and a Teacup

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  8. Cute look! Hope you had fun!!
    www.amemoryofus.com

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  9. I have always wanted to visit the Southern parts of our country and just haven't planned it yet. I love everything about this outfit, just let me know when you are tired of these items.

    Thank you for joining TBT Fashion link up and hope to see you next week. Have a great weekend!

    Alice
    www.happpinessatmidlife.com

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  10. The architectural detail of that home is amazing! Hope I get a chance to visit someday! Your dress is so cute with the bows down the back!

    Jill
    Doused In Pink

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  11. As I've been looking through your adorable outfit posts, it's been very neat to see little similarities; I am an art teacher and my childhood pet was a liver colored English Springer Spaniel named Winston...pretty close to William. Best of all I have loved seeing your shots of HH and Charleston. I am a SC native but never seem to get any great pictures when I visit the coast. I guess I'll just live vicariously through yours!

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    1. Thank you so much for checking out my posts Hayden! It's fantastic to find someone with a similar profession and interests. Springer Spaniels are also somewhat rare, so I am always curious to hear from other people who have had them as pets. South Carolina is such a beautiful state, so you are lucky to be a native!

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