Light beverages are served each afternoon from 2:00 to 6:00 pm in the Harleston Parlor. Complimentary soft drinks and bottled water may be found in the refrigerator located in the bedside nightstand or armoire in your room. Bottled water is available in the lobby upon request to the concierge.

In an effort to conserve plastic, we encourage guests to use the water station located on the lobby level on the sunporch. Hot and cold water are available.

Coffee and Pastries are served in the Harleston Parlor beginning at 6:00 am.

A deluxe, a la carte breakfast is complimentary and served in the dining room of Circa 1886 Restaurant from 7:30 until 10:30 am daily.   Please see the QR cube for the most up to date breakfast menu.

If you would like local King Bean coffee delivered to your room at any time, please call the concierge. (There is a $25 delivery charge.)

You will find Brandy, Port, and Sherry on the lobby level, in the alcove to the right of the elevator. These are available 24 hours a day.

The cupola is open to our guests 24 hours a day.  Take the spiral staircase on the fourth floor to the cupola.  Be aware the door is unlocked, but it is heavy.

All fireplaces have a timer to the side of the mantle. It must be turned past 10 minutes to ignite and will shut off automatically.  If it does not light, please contact the concierge. The pilot may need to be relit.

There are hair dryers located in each guest armoire or closet.

We offer complimentary access to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Wellness Center. Please contact Concierge for times and guest passes.

Francis Silas Rodgers (1841-1911), a cotton merchant and cotton factor who had amassed great wealth, set out to build a house for himself that would also have room for his children and grandchildren. In May 1881, he acquired a large lot at the southeast corner of Smith and Wentworth Streets. In order that the property would be a perfect rectangle, he attempted to buy a small house adjoining, but the owner refused to sell, whereupon he bought an additional lot to the east and built a wall fourteen feet and a stable housing six horses, enclosing on three sides of the property he was unable to obtain.

Mr. Rodgers employed Daniel G. Wayne as the architect for the four-story 24,900 square foot mansion. The exterior is Second Empire Style and is finished in Philadelphia pressed brick with window heads and quoins in stone. An interesting detail is the replica of a cotton plant, emblematic of Mr. Rodgers’ business, which can be seen on the front of the building under the dining room window.

Atop the mansard roof, which is surrounded by a cast-iron railing is a large cupola, which afforded the Rodgers family a panoramic view of the entire city. The entire dwelling had its own water supply, consisting of an artesian well in the garden, with a windmill. There was also a small gas plant on the property to supply the dwelling with an independent light system. The carriage house directly to the rear of the stables provided space for a buggy, Victoria, and landau. Two rooms above the carriage house were used by the stable personnel.

Although it is not certain when construction was started, the building was virtually completed by the summer of 1886, as there is evidence of repairs of damage caused by the great earthquake of August of 1886. The cost of the house has been estimated at more than $400,000 in the 1880s. A leading Charleston contractor has said that it would be impossible today to build an exact replica, because many of the materials are unobtainable, as are the services of artisans to do the work.

The entrance hallway, which runs from the front of the building to the rear, is paved with beautiful, colored English tiles. On the right of the hallway are double parlors with carved plaster ceilings and two magnificent, matching Austrian imported crystal chandeliers. The handsomely carved mantels are the work of Emile T. Viett, a noted marble and stone worker of the day, who carved them on the site. There is an abundance of hand-carved mahogany woodwork in the two parlors.

On the east side of the hallway was the library, a large staircase in oak, and a dining room. On the second and third floors were bedrooms and a schoolroom where the Rodgers’ children studied under a tutor. The top story had a billiard room.

A three-story servants’ quarters made up the east wing of the house. The Rodgers heirs sold the house in 1920 to the Scottish Rite Cathedral Association, which sold it to the Atlantic Coast Life Insurance Company on May 31, 1940. In 1996 the home was sold to Richard Widman, the President of Charming Inns Inc. The changes consist of partitions strategically placed, the enclosure of the first, second, and third-floor balconies, the installation of air conditioning, and the elevator in the early 1940s.

The mansion has been completely renovated and is presently open as the Wentworth Mansion, which offers Southern charm and professional service unsurpassed in historic downtown Charleston. Amenities available for guests’ enjoyment include an elegant full breakfast, see menu, afternoon tea, and wine and hors d’oeuvres. The Wentworth Mansion has twenty-one guest rooms that feature intricate architectural details, antiques, fireplaces, and whirlpool soaking tubs. The cupola offers a complete view of Charleston from the Ashley to the Cooper Rivers, overlooking exquisitely manicured gardens within this city estate. Concierge service is available for guests from 7 a.m. until 11:00 p.m., making available the area’s other premier restaurants, tours, and a wide variety of entertainment.

Please contact the Concierge, who will arrange to have fresh ice delivered to your room.

There is an Iron and ironing board located in your closet or armoire.

Local Newspapers and Wall Street Journals can be found in the Harleston Parlor and we offer a complimentary digital issue of USA Today and the New York Times.

There is no charge to make a local phone call. Please dial “9” and the local number.  Room to Room Calls have a 4-digit extension. To reach a guestroom dial 1 + the room number +1. For example, dial 1091 to reach room 9.

• Coffee – If you desire coffee at any time, please call the concierge to place your order (There is a $25 delivery charge.)
• Breakfast – 7:30-10:30 daily, please call the concierge to place your order. (There is a $25 delivery charge.)
• Dinner – Mon, Tues, Thurs-Sat 5:00-9:00 p.m., please call the concierge to place your order.

Make sure to fill the tub with water over the silver sensor or ledge.

To activate jets, touch the button and hold for 3 seconds for high jets, touch again to lower jets, and touch again to turn jets off.

If you need help with your jetted tub, please call the concierge.

There is a safe in the armoire.  To lock, enter a 4 to 6-digit code followed by the # sign.  To unlock, enter the same 4 to 6-digit code.  Should any message other than open or closed appear, please call the concierge.

Shoe shine service is available upon request. Please contact the Concierge.

Wentworth Mansion® is a non-smoking property.  The designated smoking area is the patio down the side steps off the Sun Porch.

Fan:  should always be on Auto

Setting:  Cycle though Heat, Cool, and off as desired.

Arrow – press and hold the up and down arrow to adjust the temperature.

We gather on the sun porch for a selection of wines and hors d’oeuvres created by Circa 1886.  Please join us from 5 to 6 p.m. daily.

Beer, wine, and mixed drinks are available Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday through Saturday from 5:00 until 9:00 pm at Circa 1886.