The Effects of Climate Control on the Visitor Experience in Charleston House Museums
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University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Theses (Historic Preservation) Graduate Program in Historic Preservation January 2008 The Effects of Climate Control on the Visitor Experience in Charleston House Museums Elizabeth Ashlea Kleinfelder University of Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses Kleinfelder, Elizabeth Ashlea, "The Effects of Climate Control on the Visitor Experience in Charleston House Museums" (2008). Theses (Historic Preservation). 109. https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/109 A thesis in Historic Preservation Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Master of Science in Historic Preservation 2008. Advisor: Gail Caskey Winkler This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/109 For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Effects of Climate Control on the Visitor Experience in Charleston House Museums Abstract This thesis will describe how Colonial and Antebellum buildings were constructed in the south to respond to their environments and whether the experience of those who now visit these buildings is affected by the addition or absence of climate control. The study will focus on house museums in Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston house museums have a wide range of types of climate control, from none at Drayton Hall, to partial systems as in the forced air heating system at the Aiken-Rhett House and limited heating and air conditioning in the Joseph Manigault House. Charleston also provides a unique climate in which methods of European and vernacular architecture were blended together to create the distinct housing styles of the South Carolina Low Country. The climate is classified as Sub-Tropical and is generally hot and humid. Temperatures rarely drop below freezing in the winter, a feature that attracts visitors to the area year round. The question is how do the interior climates of Charleston's house museums affect the visitors who tour these sites? Do visitors select the house museums they visit based on physical comfort, or do they seek an authentic experience and put their needs aside? Comments A thesis in Historic Preservation Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Master of Science in Historic Preservation 2008. Advisor: Gail Caskey Winkler This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/109 THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CONTROL ON THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE IN CHARLESTON HOUSE MUSEUMS Elizabeth Ashlea Kleinfelder A THESIS In Historic Preservation Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION 2008 Advisor Program Chair Gail Caskey Winkler Frank G. Matero Lecturer in Historic Preservation Professor of Architecture University of Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania To Wes, Ziggy and Ashby, Thank you for the long walks and delicious food that kept me going. And to Gran, I could not have done it without you. ii Acknowledgements Thank you to the staff of all of the house museums featured in this study, I appreciated all of the time and information that you all provided and hope that the findings will be of help to you. Especially Craig Tuminaro and Peggy Reider at Drayton Hall, Brandy Culp at The Historic Charleston Foundation, Carl Borick at The Charleston Museum and Mamie Gasperecz at The Herman-Grimma Gallier Houses, and all of the guides who took the surveys. A great thanks to Gail Winkler, for being a wonderful advisor by supporting me, keeping me motivated and always having enlightening insight into each new facet of research. To Tim Chesser, for taking the time to be my reader and assuring me I was getting my facts straight and for giving me a great admiration for Drayton Hall all those years ago. To all of my classmates for keeping these past two years fun and interesting and for allowing me to bore you to death with Drayton Hall facts (blame Tim). iii Table of Contents THE AFFECTS OF CLIMATE CONTROL ON THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE IN CHARLESTON HOUSE MUSEUMS ............................................................................. i Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... ii Table of Figures.............................................................................................................vi Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... iii Chapter One: Introduction ............................................................................................1 Chapter Two: Early Climate Control in Charleston...................................................... 5 Charleston’s Climate Conditions ..........................................................................16 Chapter Three: House Histories ..................................................................................21 Drayton Hall .........................................................................................................21 The Aiken-Rhett House ....................................................................................... 24 The Joseph Manigault House.............................................................................. 28 Conclusion of House Histories ............................................................................ 33 Chapter Four: Visitor Surveys..................................................................................... 34 Methodology of Visitor Surveys........................................................................... 34 Analysis of the Survey Data ................................................................................. 40 The Joseph Manigault House.............................................................................. 40 The Aiken-Rhett House ....................................................................................... 45 Drayton Hall ........................................................................................................ 50 Survey Analysis.................................................................................................... 56 Chapter Five: Guide Surveys....................................................................................... 58 Hot Weather Guidelines ...................................................................................... 64 Drayton Hall ........................................................................................................ 65 iv Aiken-Rhett House .............................................................................................. 67 Manigault House ................................................................................................. 69 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 69 The Effects of Central Air Conditioning ............................................................... 71 Air Conditioning in New Orleans House Museums .............................................73 Chapter Six: Conclusion...............................................................................................77 Figures.........................................................................................................................83 Bibliography.............................................................................................................. 107 Appendix I...................................................................................................................110 Appendix II ................................................................................................................ 111 Appendix III ...............................................................................................................144 Appendix IV ...............................................................................................................145 Appendix V.................................................................................................................148 Index...........................................................................................................................153 v Table of Figures Figure 1: Plan View, Drayton Hall……………………………………………………………….84 Figure 2: Façade, Drayton Hall (1973).………………………………………………………..85 Figure 3: Façade, Drayton Hall (2008)………………………………………………………..86 Figure 4: First Floor Plan, Drayton Hall ………………………………………………………87 Figure 5: Second Floor Plan, Drayton Hall……………………………………………………88 Figure 6: Visitors on Second Story Portico, Drayton Hall……………………………….89 Figure 7: Plan View, Aiken-Rhett House……………………………………………………….90 Figure 8: Southern Façade, Aiken-Rhett House……………………………………………..91 Figure 9: West Façade, Aiken-Rhett House……………………………………………………92 Figure 10: Rear Courtyard, Aiken-Rhett House……………………………………………..93 Figure 11: Southern Façade, Aiken-Rhett House…………………………………………….94 Figure 12: Double Parlor, Aiken-Rhett House…………………………………………………95 Figure 13: Southeast Parlor, Aiken-Rhett House…………………….……………………….96 Figure 14: First Period of Construction, Aiken-Rhett House…………………………….97 Figure 15: Second Period of Construction, Aiken-Rhett House…………………………98 Figure 16: Third Period of Construction, Aiken-Rhett House…………………………..99