This elegant $5.8M SC waterfront home for sale started as a cotton warehouse in 1781. Take a look

A cotton warehouse built in 1781 on a wharf in Charleston is now a four-bedroom home for sale with an asking price of $5.85 million.

The 4,022 square foot home at 4 South Adger’s Wharf is just 300 square feet smaller than the lot it’s on but the views of the Cooper River and Charleston Harbor more than make up for it.

Interior designer, homeowner and local preservation architect Glenn Keyes renovated the house, which was converted from warehouse to home/office in the early 1950s. James Adger, once considered the richest man in America, operated his steamship line taking passengers to New York from the wharf in the 1800s.

Keyes began the current renovation in 2014.

Keyes is known for a broad resume of historic preservation, including leadership in recovering from the Hurricane Hugo devastation in Charleston in 1989 and then after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005. His message is to go slow and recapture the essence of history.

As part of the most recent renovations, walls and small windows were removed to open up the interior.

“The structure now has a sense of its past,” the listing says.

The work received the Carolopolis Award , which has been given each year by the Preservation Society of Charleston since 1953.

Entering the house, the foyer is flanked by a formal dining room and a large living room with exposed beams. The river can be seen through new custom industrial windows.

More water views are available in the cook’s kitchen — with a large wine room — and a sitting area that runs the length of the back of the home. It overlooks a historic courtyard enclosed by original brick walls adorned with historic patina and creeping fig.

The primary suite is on the second floor with, of course, more water views as well as a large bathroom and separate dressing room. A balcony is off this bedroom.

Two bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms and names. The River Guest room overlooks the Cooper River, and the Garden Guest room has views of the courtyard.

A fourth bedroom, now used as a study/office, overlooks the cobblestone street, emblematic of old Charleston.

“The location is quiet, but so convenient for walking, shopping, dining or visiting the countless galleries and museums of Charleston,” the listing says.

The listing agent is Indigo Properties Charleston , an affiliate of The Boulevard Co.