The lot upon which 478 Huger St. is built had been three individual lots owned by the Confederate Home and College of Charleston which inherited a large tract from its 19th century owner. The Confederate Home had its inheritance surveyed into eight lots for sale, and Lots 5, 6, and 7 were bought by Mrs. Lillian E. Werle on January 25, 1937, for $4600.

The Werles, who lived in the house for many years, were one of the many families living in Hampton Park Terrace with ties to Standard Oil Co. Mr. Ludwig Werle was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey on December 23, 1890. He was the superintendent of Standard Oil’s (later Esso) Charleston refinery department and was an assistant superintendent of the Esso Charleston Plant when he died.

The Werles designed their own very distinct home which was built in 1937. The majority of Hampton Park Terrace was built out between 1912 and 1925, with a few outliers at both ends. Because of the small window of construction, the architecture of the neighborhood is remarkably homogenous with the overwhelming majority of houses being bungalows and foursquares. The Werles’ house is a classical, Colonial Revival with an emphasis on restrained and elegant details and balance. The materials were highly unusual too; because there is no indigenous stone in the Lowcounty, stone houses are exceptionally rare. The Werles’ house was built using Winnsboro, South Carolina blue granite cut on site.

When Mr. Werle died on May 5, 1949, his widow and his son continued living in the house. In fact, on May 14, 1965, Mrs. Werle gave the house to her son, Arnold Werle, in consideration of his having lived in the house over many years and having helped with the upkeep of the property. Arnold Werle worked as a supervisor at Westvaco and chemical engineer. On April 3, 1974, he died and left the house to his cousin Doris E. Shred of Miami, Florida and Jane L. Heede.

The two beneficiaries of the younger Mr. Werle’s will sold the house in 1975 for $47,000 to Harold Dayse, Jr. Mr. Dayse was a mailman, and his wife, Laverne K. Dayse, worked for Southern Bell. The house remaining the their extended family until 2005.

Dr. Brian and Kim Ralph bought the house at an auction. (Other bidders include the “Flip This House” television program.) The house was in need of restoration, and the back yard was full of abandoned cars. The Ralphs’ work included adding a front porch formed by moving the stone steps and railings outward and preserving the original pilasters and transom. The Ralphs completed the third floor, but dormers were added to the rear of the house so as not to change the appearance from the front.

The ironwork on the sunroom was confirmed by Mr. Philip Simmons himself to be his work from the 1940s or 1950s. Mr. Simmons did many projects in the Uptown in the 1940s and 1950s. When asked whether he could identify the iron as his work, Mr. Simmons asked whether the ironwork was a window guard from a house in Hampton Park Terrace! The guards include his signature squiggled iron. (The Ralphs’ own ironwork added an iron overthrow to the fence which includes an “R”.)

The house has a detached garage in the rear which shares the same architecture as the house including stone construction in a Colonial Revival style with tile roof.