Built-in the 1850's, the Chesnut Cottage was home to Mary Boykin Chesnut and her husband, General James Chesnut. Mrs. Chesnut, a woman of wit and high intelligence, knew intimately the leading men and women of her day. She herself was a daughter of one of the finest families of the South and her husband was before the war a United State Senator.
While the façade of Columbia has changed drastically since the 1850s, the Chesnut Cottage still stands strong on Hampton Street and invites guests of all ages to enjoy.