One thing about historical research; it rarely sticks to the rules. Not even one as simple as simply starting at now and digging down in time. After another round of dithering, I decided I will have to work on The Canterbury House complex as a whole and start with the first building built in 1970, the 13-story high rise (12-stories of apartments and a first floor for administrative things, residents will tell you adamantly) AND then my building…the shorter yellow one on the corner…which came 20 years later…it just makes it easier and will make more sense.

After I made my decision about what to research, the first thing I did was email the Executive Director of Canterbury House, Sally Lorbach, PhD. (She retired earlier this year.) I asked her if she had any documents or photos that showed what was on this very lot before Canterbury West was built.

What Dr. Sally did…residents love to call her that, though she always says, “just call me Sally” …was write an article on the history of the buildings for the next Canterbury House Newsletter for August 2021. This is fitting because she has over 250 residents in her care, and I can’t be the only one asking. (But would still love to have seen photos! I could find none online, either.) So, we will forge ahead without them.

Reading her article, though, immediately changed my focus for my blog from a dispassionate archaeological type of dig to a sociological, political dig.

In the distant past many actual bloody battles were fought in and over Charleston, but current battles involve bringing opposing interests to the table over the best use of the very same bits of land…and by the time the second building is in the works, it made the news…as I will soon discover.

But first, here is what Director Lorbach wrote…part now for the first building and part in the next blog for the second building.

It was a New Age project…

Dear Residents

“Over the years I shared with you a bit of the early history of Episcopal Diocesan Housing, Inc. (dba) Canterbury House. Since that time many new residents have chosen Canterbury as their new home and ask about our history (me). It stands repeating…

“Canterbury House was incorporated in April 1967. Bishop Gray Temple and Donald White, Jr. signed the Articles of Incorporation and officially began the history of providing affordable housing for seniors in downtown Charleston.

July 1969 the Regulatory Agreement between the Canterbury House and the US Department of Housing and Development–later known as the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was signed by the first President of the Board, Mr. W. Harold Butt and Arnold Blackmon, Secretary. The original mortgage was $2,920,000.

Following the Bishop’s Blessing of Canterbury House, the doors opened, and the first residents were welcomed in April 1971.

Twelve Board Members, with Bishop Gray Temple, Chairman of the Board began the tasks to     build the solid foundation of Bylaws and policies to sustain Canterbury House for thousands of seniors yet to come.

“Fast forward through 50 years. Canterbury House continues to be recognized as the first and oldest sustained HUD 202 elderly housing property in South Carolina…and the southeast…

“(In April, 2021) we completed our 50^th year…Can you even imagine what the costs to build Canterbury House would be today.”