Sandy Patterson, volunteer coordinator for the Historic Beaufort Foundation, looks over pieces of 18th century furniture inside the Verdier House in downtown Beaufort. "I'm just so excited, I can't stand it," Patterson said Wednesday. The Sheridan-style sofa, previously owned by antiques dealer Jim Williams, who was the focus of the book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," and four chairs from the 1870s and 1880s are part of the Verdier House collection and were recently reupholstered. Historic Beaufort Foundation interim executive director Maxine Lutz estimated the upholstering cost about $2,500 for all five pieces. She said part of that cost was covered by a $3,000 grant from the Lowcountry Questers, a group committed to preserving and restoring antiquities. New window shades have also been installed and walls have been repainted.

Sarah Welliver