John Mark Verdier House, also known as Lafayette Building, is a building in Beaufort, South Carolina. It was built by John Mark Verdier, a French Huguenot, in 1804. The house typified Beaufort's gracious antebellum architectural style. It was a focal point of the town, a visible statement reflecting Verdier's significant wealth from trading indigo and growing sea island cotton.It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.It is a contributing property in the Beaufort Historic District, which is a National Historic Landmark. It is the only house museum in Beaufort and provides tours Monday through Saturday from 10:00 to 4:00. Admission is $10.00 per person; children and military are free.The house is owned and operated by the Historic Beaufort Foundation as a historic house museum.
"The John Mark Verdier House, owned and operated by Historic Beaufort Foundation, was the first historic preservation project in Beaufort. Built circa 1804, it was the townhome for merchant and planter John Mark Verdier I and his family. In 1946, The Committee to Save the Lafayette Building prevented the demolition of the structure and, in 1968, the property was conveyed to the newly formed Historic Beaufort Foundation, under whose possession it has remained since."
