Schreiner-Comerford House

Schreiner-Comerford House. 283 East Bay Street. 283 East Bay Street is located in the Ansonborough neighborhood on a lot that was originally part of Rhettsbury, named for early-18th century owner William Rhett. By 1773, William Hendrick owned the corner lot that became 283 East Bay. Maritime equipment fabricator Henry Tovey purchased an earlier house on the site in 1830, which burned in the Fire of 1838 that destroyed much of Ansonborough. German born bacon and grocery merchant John H. Schreiner purchased the parcel and applied to the Committee on Brick and Wood Buildings in 1842 to erect the two-and-one-half-story single house that is present today. The Greek Revival style house is masonry with a two-story piazza added in 1855. The interior retains original heart pine flooring, Greek Revival casing and mantlepieces, and open well stairs with a curving handrail. An attached historic carriage house to the rear features original exposed brick hearths. , , The Schreiner family lived in the house until 1863, when they sold it to George Alfred Trenholm, a wealthy merchant, financier, and secretary of the treasury for the Confederacy. Trenholm subdivided the lot, constructed neighboring 281 East Bay Street, and used both as rental property. The Comerford family moved into the house in 1899 and ultimately purchased it in 1913. John P. Comerford, a boilermaker, engineer, and operator of the Wappoo Bridge, lived in the house with his wife Marie Benedikt Comerford, their children, Marie's mother, and her nephew George Benedikt, a world war two veteran. Widowed Marie remained in the house until her death in 1958, when her daughter Mary C. Owens and her husband Edwin Owens acquired the residence. The Comerford/Owens family resided in the house for over one hundred years, selling it in 2002.