10 years of preservation, events and hospitality

This evening we're celebrating Jennifer and Randall Goldman's (Director of Events and Managing Partner respectively) 10 year anniversary with Patrick Properties. As Randall recently wrote to Jennifer in a heartfelt ad in the P&C, "we stepped out of a moving truck onto the ride of our lives."

In the 10 years that Randall and Jennifer have been with Patrick Properties, they have helped it grow and flourish from one property and 11 employees to four properties and nearly 200 employees.

Ten years ago, Upper King Street was a very different place. In 1997, the Patricks acquired their first Upper King Street property, The American Theater, which had been vacant since 1977. Shortly thereafter, they built 440 and 444 King Street and began renovation on 442 King Street, an 1837 Charleston-single style structure that eventually became Fish Restaurant. In 2000, they acquired the William Aiken House, a National Historic landmark that had fallen into disrepair. After a meticulous renovation, they reopened the historic beauty as a one-of-a-kind event venue.

Most recently, they acquired Lowndes Grove, the Charleston peninsula’s last great waterfront estate and sole remaining plantation. The 14-acre property is nestled along the Ashley River and has a Main House, Carriage House and River House. Once again, Patrick Properties,with Randall and Jennifer at the helm, gathered a team of local experts to bring this unique and historic property back to its original splendor. Lowndes Grove reopens for its first wedding of the season March 15.

And, as the Patrick Properties portfolio of properties grew, so too did Upper King Street. The neighborhood is now recognized as the Upper King Design District, an eclectic array of interior designers, architects, restaurants, boutiques and small businesses. That's quite a decade if you ask me.

And perhaps it goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that when you tackle historic preservation and hospitality (to include food, drink and events), things can get pretty hectic. I compare it to constantly preparing for a really fabulous housewarming and party that never really end.

Randall and Jennifer have made Patrick Properties their life's work. You don't hear that much anymore: that people love what they do enough that they will dedicate their lives to it. What that says to me is what is happening here is so much more than bricks and mortar, more than linens and decor, it's the building of community and the making of moments. And that is irreplaceable.