Chesnut Cottage

Chesnut Cottage is a historic home in Columbia, South Carolina, built between 1855 and 1860 in the Classical Revival style. This 1+1⁄2-story house features a central dormer with an arched window, a projecting front portico with octagonal columns, and intricate ironwork and wood balustrades. It served as the residence of General James Chesnut, Jr. and his wife Mary Boykin Chesnut during the Civil War. Notably, President Jefferson Davis was entertained here in the fall of 1864 and delivered a speech from the portico steps. The cottage was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, making it a significant site for both tourists and researchers interested in American history.