Tucked away in the Historic French Quarter...

...a half block from the French Huguenot Church behind the old Dock Street Theater is a hidden secret...the charming Thomas Elfe House and Garden.

This pre-Revolutionary War Georgian- style single house was built and lived in by Thomas Elfe, one of Charleston's most prolific and acclaimed cabinetmakers.

He was born in England in 1719. It was there that he served his apprenticeship. He inherited his uncle's money and tools and then moved to Charleston where he quickly established himself a cabinetmaker. He made furniture based on Chippendale's Director Book which represented several styles of furniture: Georgian, Gothic, Rococo, Chinese and French.

Elfe, a Tory sympathizer, died in 1775 just before the Revolutionary War. He left behind an eight year Accounts Book that reveals over 1500 pieces of furniture sold to many of Charleston's wealthy merchants and planters.

Bill Ward bought the Elfe House in 1994, made major restorations and filled the house with antiques from the 1700's and early 1800's.

Behind this masterfully crafted historic Charleston home is yet another treasure, a beautifully tailored southern garden. Intimate and beautiful, the garden is ideally suited for private celebrations.

Thomas Elfe original cabinetry and reproductions can be seen in St. Michael's Church, Middleton Place Plantation, and the Heyward Washington house, among other notable locations.