The John Fabre Jr. House

The John Fabre Jr. House. 6 Tradd Street. This three-story stuccoed brick house was built sometime between 1778, the year of the great fire, and 1788. It stands on part of Lot 7 of the “Grand Modell” within the walled city of Charles Town and was the birthplace of Robert Tradd, who, according to tradition, was the first English child born in the colonies. The merchant, John Faber, Jr., son of Charleston's Lutheran minister, bought the house after its construction., The front room of the first level was originally used for mercantile purposes, as it was common for buildings on Tradd to have a mix of residential and commercial uses. The drawing room on the second level facing the street is noted for its elegant proportions. It has cypress paneling, a mantel in the Georgian Chippendale style, and has been preserved almost intact., At the time of the Civil War, the house served as the store of the merchant William Gatewood. Following the war, the house became the home of the Embo Mission School, a school and church for African American children run by the Rev. Joseph H. Johnson., In the early part of the 20th century, the house became one of the first properties restored by the preservationist Susan Pringle Frost. As part of the rehabilitation done by Miss Frost, the original front door was removed and replaced with a window, and the side door was installed. Miss Frost also added the wrought iron balcony on the front facade.