Neighborhood Spotlight: Wagener Terrace

Last month marked one year since Ben and I closed on our new home in Wagener Terrace. We have enjoyed our new neighborhood even more than we expected. Learn more about our stomping grounds below!

Location and Boundaries
Wagener Terrace is located in downtown Charleston, above the crosstown. The neighborhood is located north of Hampton Park, west of Rutledge Avenue, and south of Sunnyside Avenue. While the neighborhood mostly consists of 1940s/50s homes, two newer planned developments are located within the boundaries of Wagener Terrace: Longborough (Mary Ellen Drive/Alberta Street) and Lowndes Pointe (Lowndes Pointe Drive) and feature homes built in the 2000s. Wagener Terrace is often confused with nearby neighborhoods, Hampton Park Terrace (below Hampton Park) and North Central (East of Rutledge Avenue).

Some Brief History
Prior to the 20th century, the are that is now Wagener Terrace was primarily farm and wet lands. After the South Carolina Inter-State and West Indian Exposition (1901-1902) in what is now Hampton Park, the areas directly surrounding the park became targeted areas for residential development. Wagner Terrace lagged behind the development Hampton Park Terrace to the south of the park, the first streets and lots where platted under the name "Wagener Terrace" in 1918. The first homes were built in the 1920s and 30s with the bulk of building occurring over the next three decades, particularly after WWII. Families who bought homes in Wagener Terrace were largely middle-class Protestant families who worked on peninsula, though the neighborhood was also home to middle-class Greek and Jewish families.

Architectural Styles
Wagener Terrace has an abundance of "Minimal Traditional" homes, a style of suburban home typical of the 1930s-late 1940s. Typically one story and sided in brick or cement shingle, these homes are often colloquially referred to as "bungalows" but they actually post-date the Arts and Crafts movement. Other Charleston neighborhoods where Minimal Traditional homes are common include Byrnes Downs, Avondale, and Ashley Forest in West Ashley. Throughout Wagener Terrace, you will also find a scattering of mid-century ranch style homes, a few colonial revival homes, and some newer construction (1990's-2000's) in Lowcounty vernacular styles.  

On the Market Now
Here's a look at what's on the market now in Wagener Terrace. 

We've now been in our 1947 Wagener Terrace home for a year. Fun fact: Our home was built in the same year as my beloved Avondale bungalow, the first home I owned after moving back to Charleston.