The three-story, Georgian-style building was constructed in the late 1790s by Mathias Woolf on land originally owned by Isaac Mazyck. It features massive 12-inch thick exterior walls, unique Muntin Bar windows, and earthquake rods and bolts that have helped it survive centuries of Lowcountry storms.
Julius P. L. Fielding purchased the property in 1928 and moved his funeral home business to the Logan Street location. The Fielding Home for Funerals remained at the Logan Street address until Charleston Day acquired the property.
Black funeral homes in the Civil Rights era provided sanctuary in times of crisis. In addition to supporting families while they coped with the loss of a loved one, the Fielding business shared tables, folding chairs, and tents to assist in voter registration and to mobilize activists for the community. It provided spacious halls for meetings and auxiliary clubs in the community and were regular sponsors of educational scholarships for college, offering large financial grants to encourage education.
Since acquiring the property in the fall of 2023, the School has carefully gathered data about campus needs, preservation aspects of the property, its significance to the neighborhood and downtown Charleston, and the best ways to utilize the new space the Fielding property provides while maintaining the Fielding legacy. During the summer of 2025, the School completed a cut-through path that runs from the main Archdale campus to the gate of the Fielding playground and turfed the majority of the open space at Fielding providing many options for recess and outdoor activities.
Charleston Day received a green light from the Board of Architectural Review in February, 2026. The School is in the early stages of the renovation of the historic Fielding building.
The School is carefully balancing our need to convert a 1791 building into usable space while honoring our commitment to respecting the legacy of the Fielding family and the role its business had in the Charleston community. The historic renovation will provide administrative offices and a welcome space for campus visitors.
The restored Fielding building will serve as the first physical manifestation of the next chapter of the history of CDS. The space will serve a variety of purposes, and while we will make firm decisions about all the uses of the building in the coming months, we have given careful thought to ways a beautifully restored historic home can enhance the CDS experience.
For more information about the Fielding property project, contact:
Chris Tobin
Director of Advancement
Jon Meredith
Head of School
First Floor
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