Historical Places
Please Note! All homes are private and NOT open to the public unless otherwise noted.
OLIVEROS COTTAGE
121 Chesterfield Street, N
Once an exclusive boarding house operated by the Oliveros family, this large house was built prior to 1885. It catered to wealthy Northerners and often accommodated overflow guests from the Willcox Inn. For many years after World War II it was home to scores of disabled veterans.
HILL HOUSE
303 Newberry Street, NW
This house, built in the early 1900s, is an excellent example of a Queen Anne shingle style Victorian. The early inhabitants of the Hill House were the families of Charles Hill and Robert and Mary Powell. These families worked together in Aiken’s first car dealership.
*Across the park to the left is the site of the steel observation tower built for viewing the Transit of Venus in 1882. From this tower, a team of German astronomers observed the planet of Venus passing between the sun and the earth. An exhibit can be seen on the campus of the University of South Carolina Aiken. Also on your left across the park is the HENDERSON HOUSE built by Edward Palmer Henderson in 1893. The current owners occupying this house are fourth and fifth generation Hendersons.
ROSE HILL (circa 1900) *Open to the public
Barnwell Avenue (between Greenville and Florence Streets)
This Dutch colonial revival structure was the home of Colonel Sheffield Phelps’ family. The Garden Club of South Carolina, which was organized by the late Mrs. Phelps, held its first meeting on the grounds where a profusion of camellias, as well as exotic trees and shrubs, greeted guests.
THE FORD HOUSE (circa 1885)
602 Barnwell Avenue, NW
The Ford House was started in 1885 by Arthur P. Ford, who contracted with James M. Curtis to build the house. It was completed in 1886 at a total cost of $1,613. Ford was publisher of the Aiken Recorder in the 1880s, but achieved greater literary fame with the publication of his Civil War memoirs, Life in the Confederate Army and Some Experiences and Sketches. One of the previous owners of the house was Mrs. Robert Carter whose daughter, actress Joanne Woodward, visited her often.
AIKEN PREPARATORY SCHOOL
619 Barnwell Avenue, NW
Aiken Prep School, with its college prep environment, was founded in 1916, by Mrs. Thomas Hitchcock. This school will be moving to a new location, but this site is a landmark in Aiken’s early history.
WILDS COTTAGE (circa 1924)
739 Hayne Avenue, SW
Dr. Harry Wilds, a local family physician, and his wife built this residence circa 1924. It was designed by architect Deverreaux, a Northern family friend of the Wilds.
IDYLWOOD (circa 1923)
718 Hayne Avenue, SW
This Italian Renaissance style was designed by Architect Willis Irvin, and built circa 1923 by a winter visitor, Mr. Pitkin. It features a two-story wing with a French window and balcony on the second floor. Across Hayne Avenue from Idylwood is a brick wall behind which once stood a house that was rented to Mrs. Evelyn Walsh McLean, who owned the Hope Diamond, which she kept in a silk stocking in a dresser drawer.
IDYL HOURS (circa 1890)
707 Hayne Avenue, SW
This typical winter colony cottage was designed by a northern architect, Mr. Dinsmore, for Senator & Mrs. Platt from New York. After the Senator’s death, Mrs. Platt married William Atwater, an aviator who flew on one of the Wright brothers’ first planes. The home was then purchased in 1905 by Herman Hahn, who owned and operated Hahn & Company, a high quality, old-fashioned grocery store.
MORRISON-WRIGHT COTTAGE (circa 1900)
704 Hayne Avenue, SW
This house, with its paired Corinthian columns, exquisite woodwork and secret doorways and widow’s walk, was built by Dr. Wright, who practiced medicine in Aiken and throughout Horse Creek Valley. This home was rented to the famed Cabots of Boston as a winter residence for 12 seasons.
PINE KNOLL
305 Lancaster Street
Built in 1930 for W.S. Reyburn and designed by Willis Irvin, this beautiful home contributes to the character of the historic district. Its 20 rooms include 7 bedrooms, 7 baths, patterned floor in the dining room, original plaster and moldings in the parlor and a secret door in the foyer - all reflecting the stately manner of the home.
THE AIKEN GOLF CLUB (circa 1925)
555 Highland Park Drive, SW
This short, narrow, rolling golf course was developed by the Highland Park Development Corporation. The clubhouse was originally the laundry for the Highland Park Hotel, which sat across the street. The hotel, which was built in 1870 and burned in February 1898, welcomed many winter residents who later returned to build the homes you are seeing today.
ST. THADDEUS EPISCOPAL CHURCH
125 Pendleton Street, SW
Built in 1842 and remodeled in 1926, this is the oldest church building in Aiken. Directly behind the sanctuary are interred the botanist Henry Ravenel, the poet James Matthews Legare, many other important South Carolinians, and both Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the 1865 Battle of Aiken. Mead Hall Episcopal School, founded in 1955, is part of the church campus.
CROFT BLOCK (circa 1884)
143 Laurens Street, SW
This block of handsome two-story brick stores is a fitting memorial to George W. Croft, one of the town’s most distinguished prominent citizens who was a lawyer and later a U.S. Congressman during the late 1800’s. One of George Croft’s crowning achievements was sponsoring legislation in the General Assembly to prohibit child labor in South Carolina cotton mills in the 1800s.
TOOLE BUILDING
153 Laurens Street, SW
This was built in 1867 by W. Perroneau Finley, Aiken’s first attorney, who began his practice here in 1837. He was originally from Charleston and was at one time President of the College of Charleston. This was the first brick building on the town’s main street with solid brick walls. Toole & Toole purchased the property in 1965 and continues the practice of law here.
FARMERS & MERCHANTS BUILDING (circa 1912)
167 Laurens Street, SW
A bank has occupied the corner of Laurens Street and Park Avenue since 1889. The Farmers & Merchants Bank was organized and chartered in 1906. This building was erected in 1912 and combined with the Chatfield Building, which was built in 1898. Over its 75-plus years, the Farmers & Merchants Bank had only three presidents, all members of the McNair family.
MORGAN CIRCLE
This circle with its cast iron Victorian fountain was named for Thomas R. Morgan, who was Mayor of Aiken in 1889 and 1900. His main interest was city beautification, especially encouraging plantings in our parks.
OLD POST OFFICE
203 Laurens Street, SW
This fine example of Palladian architecture was built in 1912. The handsome brick office, with high metal dome and decorative rail around the roof, was especially designed to fit into a corner of the town’s main square. The interior features 16’ ceilings with woodwork and cabinets of solid oak.
DEODARA (circa 1869)
211 Park Avenue, SW
Now a funeral home, this facility was built by William McGeorge who said, “at a cost of some $10,000, this house grew up under my hands until it became like a little hotel.” It has sixteen large rooms with an open fireplace and a closet in each. It was given the name Deodara for the giant cedars that once grew on the property.
EUBANKS HOUSE (circa 1860)
204 Park Avenue, SW
Built for druggist Dr. W. H. Harbors, this became the home of former public school teacher John Eubanks in 1903. It is one of the oldest houses in downtown Aiken.
THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING
214 Laurens Street, SW
Designed by architect Willis Irvin and built in 1938, the Municipal Building was extensively remodeled in 1987. This site has been occupied by several public buildings, including a brick police station and jail and an opera house where Will Rogers gave a benefit performance.
THE ALLEY
Originally a row of stables and blacksmith shops, the Alley now features restaurants, shops, and offices in the renovated buildings.
AIKEN CLUB ROOM AND COURT TENNIS BUILDING
146 Newberry Street, SW
The Aiken Club, an exclusive men’s club, was incorporated in 1898, and the court tennis facility was constructed about 1902. The sport had its roots as far back as medieval Europe. This building is one of only nine courts in the United States and is still in use today.
EFRON HOUSE & GARAGE
139 Laurens Street, NW
Built circa 1895, this was the home of the Efron family, who ran a garage behind the house as well as a limousine and taxi service. The house was beautifully restored in 1988. The house and garage are now commercial property.
HOTEL AIKEN
235 Richland Avenue, W
The building was constructed 1898 by Henry Hahn. Purchased by the Holley family in 1929, the hotel was refurbished as a modern fireproof hostelry with 50 bedrooms with private baths. Owned and managed by the Holley family for 50 years, the hotel is now under new ownership.
HENDERSON HOTEL (circa 1929)
107 Chesterfield Street, S
This structure was a hotel built by a committee of local citizens concerned with the comfort of Aiken’s growing list of visitors. The grand opening was on January 1, 1930. The early hotel dining room served exquisite food and was a showcase of dining finery. In 1960, the property was converted to a banking facility.
RAILROAD
The Aiken section of the railroad track, which ran from Hamburg, S.C. on the Savannah River to Charleston, was originally on Park Avenue. A portion of the original road bed still exists in Hitchcock Woods. The track was moved when this ‘cut’ was dug in 1853. When the 136-mile track was laid in the 1830s, it was the longest railroad in the world. When surveying for the railroad, two miles were laid out on each side of the track, with squares 4 acres in size and streets 150 feet wide. These plans helped in the development of Aiken’s 176 beautiful parkways.
JOYE COTTAGE
129 First Avenue
Originally a simple house, this home was purchased from Miss Sarah Joye and expanded into a more than 50-room vacation ‘cottage’ in 1897 by William C. Whitney, a New York banker who served in Grover Cleveland’s cabinet as Secretary of the Navy. After a few years in a deteriorating state, new owners have now lovingly restored this building to its original grandeur.
JOYE COTTAGE STABLE (circa 1897)
100 First Avenue
Originally quarters for 30 horses, this has been beautifully converted to a private residence without losing the historic value and style of a stable.
BANKSIA *Open to the public
433 Newberry Street, SW
The Aiken County Historical Museum now occupies this site, purchased by Richard Howe to build a new home. He had the original right wing, built prior to 1860, moved and built an addition designed by architect Willis Irvin. What began as an unpretentious Victorian cottage on five acres ended with thirty-two rooms, fifteen baths and a full-sized ballroom. It is open to the public.
UNCLE JOHN’S CABIN (circa 1925)
467 Newberry Street, SW
This winter cottage once used as a guest house by the Hitchcocks is still a private residence. President Dwight Eisenhower visited in this cottage.
BLACK STABLES (The Pink House)
217 Easy Street, SW
This home was built for the Bayard Warren family circa 1930. The stables were named Black Stables because the roof was painted black. The stables, which were built before the house, face Third Avenue. The architect for the Pink House, a charming ‘Creole style’ home, was Julian Peabody, a son-in-law of the Hitchcocks. Peabody was also the architect for the Seymour Knox and Devereaux Milburn homes and others in Aiken.
SQUASH COURT (circa 1897)
Corner of Easy and Chesterfield Streets
Now a private residence, this building was once a part of the Joye Cottage complex. Architect Thomas Hastings designed the Squash Court in 1904 for William Collins Whitney. One court remains today as it was in 1904 and features a 28’ ceiling.
COKER SPRINGS (challenging for buses)
Coker Springs Road This historic site was part of an original land grant to Ephraim Franklin in 1791. It served as the primary watering source for the Town of Aiken until about 1890 and was a gathering place for servants to do the laundry. The spring is covered with a springhouse constructed in the 1800s and restored in 1972.
HOPELANDS GARDENS / THOROUGHBRED RACING HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM
135 Dupree Place
This public garden, the 14-acre winter estate of Mr. and Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin, was given to the City of Aiken by Mrs. Iselin to be maintained for public enjoyment. The main house was demolished in 1970, and noted landscape architect Robert Marvin made additions to the garden. During the summer, free concerts and theatrical productions are presented here. The grounds include the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame & Museum and a Carriage Museum. The Hall of Fame features champion thoroughbred flat racers and steeplechase horses trained in Aiken. The brick wall encircling the estate was constructed circa 1930.
SANDHURST
215 Dupree, SW
Built in 1902 during Aiken’s heyday as a winter resort by the Sands family of New York, Sandhurst, with its Corinthian columns, broad verandas and high ceilings, has been occupied by some of the Winter Colony’s most prominent families. Its original 11-acre tract included stables and two paddocks. The home is now commercial property.
RYE PATCH
100 Berrie Road, SW
This winter estate was given to the City of Aiken by the family of the late Mrs. Dorothy Knox Goodyear Rogers. The outbuildings included stables, paddock, guest cottage, laundry house, garage and clay tennis courts. The brick wall was constructed in 1928 (some say to keep outsiders from being able to look in and see the Duke of Windsor when he visited). The Goodyear family donated the beautiful rose garden on these grounds.
PALMETTO GOLF CLUB AND COURSE
275 Berrie Road, SW
In 1892, Thomas Hitchcock laid out four holes to begin the Palmetto Golf Course. Three years later, five more holes were added, and W.C. Whitney later donated land to complete the 18 holes. The course was designed by Alistair McKenzie, who was the most famous architect of all the early courses in the United States. The early greens were not ‘greens’, but sand.
RIDGELEY HALL
332 Berrie Road, SW
Built in 1918 for Mr. and Mrs. Winthrop Rutherfurd of New Jersey and thought to be designed by Julian Peabody, the son-in-law of Thomas Hitchcock, this building is constructed of red brick laid in Flemish bond and has a slate mansard roof encircled by a parapet.
GREEN BOUNDARY CLUB (circa 1928)
780 Whiskey Road, S
Once a winter estate called Sunshine, this building was designed by Willis Irvin and constructed for William Zeigler in the 1920s. It is now a beautifully maintained private club with an exceptional dining room. A croquet court was built several years ago behind the club, and men and women dressed in white play croquet on Sunday afternoons.
FERMATA CLUB (circa 1920s)
841 Whiskey Road, S
Fermata is a musical term meaning “to pause or rest”. This is the site of what was once the Fermata School of Girls founded in 1920 for the education of the children of the Winter Colony residents by Marie Eustis Hofmann, the wife of the internationally famous pianist Josef Hofmann. Fire destroyed the main building of the Fermata School in the 1940s. The gymnasium is now used as a clubhouse.
WHITEHALL (circa 1928)
Whitehall Place
This home, built for Col. Robert R. McCormick, publisher of the Chicago Tribune, was known as architect Willis Irvin’s masterpiece. The structure won a design award at the South Architectural and Industrial Art Exhibit in Memphis not long after it was built. Its large windows, columns, and reserved moldings are representative of the Colonial Revival style. The residential section surrounding the home was once part of this estate.
WHITNEY POLO FIELD AND TRACK (circa 1882)
Magnolia Street (on the right)
This field, named for W.C. Whitney, was first used for polo in 1882, six years after the game was introduced into the United States. It was deeded in the early 1900s by Mr. Whitney to a board of trustees to be used for the purpose of playing polo and is still being used today.
DEVEREAUX MILBURN HOUSE (circa 1929)
627 Magnolia Street, SE
Built in 1929 for polo champion Devereaux Milburn, this imposing Regency style residence was designed by prominent New York architect Julian Peabody. Designed on a grand scale and featuring classic detailing, the residence reflects the grace and elegance of the era in which it was built. The pink, H-shaped stuccoed residence also features a stable and a one-story outbuilding.
NANDINA (circa 1925)
638 Magnolia Street, SE
This home was built for S.A. Warner Baltazzi, an Olympic pistol team member and a great horseman. The grounds are graced with formal gardens and a stone tea house at the end of the garden path. The adjoining structure was formerly the Baltazzi carriage house containing 16 stables.
GEORGIAN COURT (circa 1929)
621 Magnolia Street, SE
Georgian Court, a two-story Colonial Revival residence named for its type of architecture, was built for Robert Hassler, inventor of the spring shock absorber. The property originally consisted of the entire block on Magnolia Lane. Unusual features of the house are the underground bowling alley and indoor tennis court.
GRACE ESTATE
515 Magnolia Street, SE
On this 15-acre tract known as ‘Two Trees” once stood the winter home of New York industrialist W. R. Grace. ‘Two Trees” was named because only two trees stood on the former Hassler polo field on which it was built. It was built in 1930 and burned several years ago. Among previous owners is singer Andy Williams.
CHINABERRY (circa 1824)
432 York Street, SE
This was the main house on a large plantation owned by Captain W. W. Williams. Legend has it that Captain Williams bargained that if the railroad were allowed to come through Aiken he would allow his daughter Sara to marry Alfred Andrew Dexter, the young engineer sent to build this section of the railroad. The Chinaberry property is the only known surviving landmark in Aiken preceding the founding of the town in the mid 1830s.
PARDUE HOUSE
422 York Street, SE
W. H. Pardue built this home in 1929. Designed by Scroggs and Ewing of Augusta, Ga., for the Pardues, the home perfectly exemplifies Colonial Revival detail and proportion. The original framed blueprints are dated May 21, 1929. A pool and sunroom have been added.
WILLIAMS CEMETERY
Between Grace Avenue and Homestead Lane
This property, known as the Williams Cemetery Plot, was the family burial ground of the William White Williams family who lived at Chinaberry. The cemetery is the burial site of Confederate and Union soldiers as well as members of the Williams family.
WINTHROP POLO FIELD
Corner of Grace Avenue and Sumter Street
In the 1920s, W. Averill Harriman, Governor of New York, owned the entire block bounded by Sumter, Mead, Grace and Marion streets. In the 1930s, F. Ambrose Clark exercised his thoroughbred racehorses on this field. Adam Winthrop purchased the field in 1960 to use as a polo field. In 1998, the Aiken County Open Land Trust purchased the field to be used as a multi-equestrian area and continues to manage the controlled use of the property, still known as the Adam Winthrop Polo Field.
HABERSHAM HOUSE (circa 1927)
726 Grace Avenue, SE
This home was built for Kenneth Schley, Master of the Essex Hunt. It was later purchased by Mr. and Mrs. F. Ambrose Clark, heirs of the O.N.T. Thread & Singer Sewing Machine fortune.
THE AIKEN TRAINING TRACK
620 Two Notch Road, S
Constructed in 1941 by the late Fred H. Post and his son William, the Aiken Training Track complex was established for training flat racers and is considered to be one of the finest tracks in the country. Trainers from well-known stables have been training at the track since its founding, and champions are still being trained at the facility today.
TIP TOP TOO (circa 1928)
516 Marion Street Extension
This home was built by the Pinkerton family, descendants of the founder of the famous detective agency, and owned during World War II by Lucy Mercer Rutherford.
FORD CONGER FIELD
Audubon Street, SE
Built by F. Ambrose Clark, this is the site of the annual Aiken Steeplechase, a part of the Triple Crown (three successive equestrian weekend events held in March). The first Steeplechase Meet in Aiken was held March 14, 1930 in Hitchcock Woods.
McGHEES’ MILE (circa 1936)
620 Banks Mill Road, SE
This complex was constructed in 1936 by Dunbar Bostwick to train standardbred horses (trotters and pacers). Bostwick has been credited to a large degree for reviving the interest in harness racing and was responsible for introducing Aiken as a training center to many renowned owners and trainers of standardbred horses.
CROSSWAYS
450 East Boundary Street, SE
Once the center of a cotton plantation that included more than 300 acres, Crossways is thought to have been built around 1815 by John E. Marley. In the 1890s it was the home of South Carolina Governor John Gary Evans, and its balcony was the location of his inaugural speech in 1894. It was the winter home of Arthur Young, Scottish-born founder of the internationally renowned accounting firm, from 1927 until his death in 1948. It is now a commercial property.
VICTORIAN HOUSE (circa 1880)
494 Powderhouse Road, SE
This beautifully restored two-story residence, classified as Folk Victorian, was built by the Burckhalter family, one of Aiken’s oldest families, in the late 1880s. The detached carriage house is simple in form, but elaborate in detail. The house is said to have originally been the residence on a dairy farm.
LOLLIPOP COTTAGE
704 South Boundary Avenue, SE
Built in 1890 by the Bradley family, this is a good example of a Sand Hill cottage so common to South Carolina. The house was built on top of an old roadbed known as the road to Orange Grove. Originally the cottage had four major rooms, a central hallway running the length of the house, and a spacious front porch. The house features many original windowpanes including one in the master bedroom which bears the initials of Mary H. Bradley, the original owner. This cottage was named for the hand-carved lollipop fence that surrounds the property.
NAWANDA (Circa 1928)
319 South Boundary Avenue, E
Designed by architect Willis Irvin and built for S. Grsiwald Flagg from Pennsylvania, this was once owned by a member of the Rutherford family. It reflects the influence of colonial revival and contributes to the character of the District.
JASMINE COTTAGE
129 Colleton Avenue, SW
Located directly across from The Wilcox and built circa 1895, this home was owned by the family of Ernest Wiehl, the internationally celebrated chef of The Willcox. His wife likened the color of the house to a favorite flower and named it “my little Jasmine Cottage”. The house features a fireplace in each room, Hitchcock ceilings and other fine Victorian features. After several years of unoccupied decline, recent owners have restored this landmark to its original standards.
AIKEN INSTITUTE
Colleton Avenue / Whiskey Road
The northern end of this large 2-story brick building was built circa 1891 by John Staubes. The southern portion was erected in 1914, and two wings were added to the southeast side of the annex around 1930. It was used as a public school until it reopened as the Aiken County Public Library in 1990.
POPOVER (circa 1929)
316 York Street, SE
This was originally the servants’ wing of a house facing Fairfield Street. Separated from the main house and moved in 1960, it was adapted to private use in a unique and charming way in 1972. The front foyer was once the laundry room, and the adjoining guest house was called the “Potting Shed”.
MOUSETRAP (circa 1927)
225 Colleton Avenue, SE
This charming cottage was built by two Aiken sisters who sold it immediately to Mr. E. M. Byers for a winter residence. Mr. Byers, a confirmed bachelor, played day and night Рriding, playing tennis and partying. Workmen confirm the house to be extremely well built. There are seven chimneys. Inside the chimneys is a whorled effect done with the brick to draw the smoke upward, a design patented by Benjamin Franklin.
ASTOR HOUSE
325 Colleton Avenue, SE
This imposing home in the early 1900s was acquired from the Astor family of New York by Perroneau Finley Henderson, a distinguished Aiken attorney who lived here for many years. The home faces the site of the former Vanderbilt home across the street. This intersection was occupied (perhaps at different times) by two of America’s wealthiest families. 316
UNION STREET
316 Union Street, SE
Built in 1905, this charming cottage was the guesthouse for Tommy Leiter’s home, “One Acre Farm”. There are four fireplaces, 10’ ceilings, wide heart-of-pine plank floors, and beautifully proportioned plaster walls. The wrought iron gate with its corn stalk design was brought from Charleston.
ONE ACRE FARM (Pre-1909)
405 Colleton Avenue, SE
This 2-1/2 story rambling frame house, once owned by Marshall Field heir Tommy Leiter, had extensive remodeling by members of Aiken’s winter colony. Behind the house is a stable that was converted to three guest suites.
COACH HOUSE (circa 1890)
427 Colleton Avenue, SE
This 2-story weatherboard house has four chimneys and a truncated hip roof with plain-boxed cornice. In the center of the five-bay fa?ade is an entrance with semicircular fanlight, broken-pediment, and fluted pilasters. There is a one-story porch across the central three bays of the fa?ade.
REST PERIOD (circa 1900)
505 Colleton Avenue, SE
The Post family’s ties with Aiken date to 1912, when Fred Post of Long Island brought his first polo ponies to Aiken. Shortly after buying Rest Period, then a modest home, the family began extensive additions, including a south wing added in 1930. The home was the setting for the 1939 marriage of their daughter, Frances, to Ricardo Santos Santamarina, son of the vice president of Argentina before Peron came to power. Mrs. Santamarina, who had attended the Fermata School, met her husband while playing polo.
SUMTER COTTAGE (circa 1890)
523 Colleton Avenue, SE
This rambling 2-1/2 story weatherboard farm house with its irregular plan has an elevator and 12 main spacious rooms, and is built with cross ventilation in mind. Brick walkways, pebble spread trails and swept paths lead you around an exquisite garden and yard to a water lily pond.
SEVEN GABLES
335 Sumter Street, SE
This charming 100-year-old cottage houses 12 rooms, heart-of-pine floors, 11’ ceilings and 3,000 square feet of living space. In 1920 the house was moved from Colleton Avenue to Sumter Street and remodeled. Not seen from the front of the house is a wooden pergola between two back wings of the house where yellow jasmine grows profusely. The yard has been completely landscaped with 29 varieties of camellias by the present owners.
SCANTY SHANTY (circa 1920)
607 Colleton Avenue, SE
The front elevation of this 1-1/2 story weatherboard house is distinguished by a gabled porch with Tuscan columns and a central dormer. The oldest part of the house was built in the 1800s with other wings added in the early 1900s. An L-shaped garage/stable, circa 1925, stands at the southern end of the property, which also has a beautiful garden.
BOX STALL (circa 1899)
621 Colleton Avenue, SE
Built for Martha Staubes Gyles and Judge Herbert Gyles, this house is irregular in plan and has 3 large brick interior chimneys with corbelled caps. This was once the home of Nancy Potter Bourne, a wealthy socialite who was a Ponds face cream model.
HOME PLACE (circa 1875)
338 Horry Street, SE
This residence, originally called “Home Place,” was built around 1875. It was once owned by Nancy Legendre, the daughter of a German baroness, and Mr. Newbold, publisher of The Washington Evening Star. There are four fireplaces, one up and three down and four bedrooms. The original heart-of-pine floors are in excellent condition and enhance the historic character of this home.
LET’S PRETEND (circa 1880)
312 Horry Street, SE
Edward Palmer Henderson built this rambling, weatherboard, Colonial style cottage. The charming, livable home was once owned by noted novelist Gouverneur Morris of New York, who entertained here the famous author Richard Harding Davis.
SHOTGUN HOUSES (circa 1900)
233, 229, and 225 Kershaw Street, NE
These are examples of African-American folk architecture. The small rectangular dwelling with gabled entrance and porch was designed for maximum use of available space.
COTTAGES
418 and 410 Colleton Avenue, SE & 402 Colleton Avenue, SE -”Wits End.” John Staubes, a local builder who owned this entire block, added a number of houses on this street. The Staubes family came from Germany in the early 1800s. These three houses are good examples of the Aiken cottages being built by the Staubes family during this time.
ELM COURT / VANDERBILTS (mid-1850s)
306 Colleton Avenue, SE
In the mid-1850s, William Gregg, Jr., son of the founder of the Graniteville Company, built a large frame house with a broad veranda on this site. In 1872, the house became Aiken’s first courthouse and jail. William K. Vanderbilt purchased the home in 1914 and named it “Elm Court”. Many famous people visited the Vanderbilts during the 13 years they owned the property. Fire destroyed the original house on January 25, 1970.
THE WINDOWS (circa 1850)
244 York Street, SE
Formerly known as “Holly Trees,” this house was built circa 1850 by Dr. William Percival who lived here with his family. Mrs. Brooks Thayer, a wealthy recluse, later purchased the house and named it “Windows.” In order to protect her anonymity, Mrs. Thayer also bought the small house next to her large one, hoping the public would be unsure of where she was staying. This home has had many interesting tenants and guests including George Herbert Walker, donor of the Walker Cup, the coveted golfing award.
YORK HOUSE
253 York Street, SE
Built in 1850 and believed to be one of the oldest houses in Aiken, York House served as an inn for most of its early years. The owner in 1892 advertised that it had been “thoroughly overhauled” and that its table was “the best”. At one time it was occupied as a winter residence by Mabel Brady Garvan, sister of ‘Diamond Jim’ Brady. In the mid 1900s the inn’s 30 rooms were converted into seven apartments. Today it is being restored to its original glory.
NORWOOD HOUSE (circa 1890)
114 Colleton Avenue, SE
This charming 100-year-old residence was rented yearly to the same winter visitor, an antique dealer who wore a patch over one eye. Local legend says that each time he was seen, the patch would be on the other eye.
THE WILLCOX
100 Colleton Avenue, SW
This elegant inn flourished in the early 1900s as a gathering place for many eminent winter visitors, including Elizabeth Arden, Harold Vanderbilt, The Duke of Windsor and Governor Averill Harriman of New York. It was established in 1898 by caterer Frederick S. Willcox. The Willcox reputation was built on its atmosphere, impeccable service and excellent cuisine. It continues as an inn today.
THE NOOK (circa 1900)
337 Newberry Street, SW
Dr. and Mrs. B.H. Teague built this home, which has six corner fireplaces and one out-building, which was the kitchen in the original plan. Their daughter, Elizabeth Teague, one of Aiken’s most important citizens, lived in this house during her most productive years as a teacher and writer.
HITCHCOCK WOODS
West End of South Boundary
This beautiful 2,000-acre preserve is closely associated with Aiken’s early history as a winter resort and a center of sporting activity. Originally, Hitchcock Woods was part of a much larger tract of land purchased by Thomas Hitchcock and William C. Whitney. In 1939, Hitchcock and his daughter, Helen Clark, established the Hitchcock Foundation. The aim of the Foundation was, and is, to protect and maintain Hitchcock Woods for the recreational use and enjoyment of the people of Aiken. This urban forest is used for all types of equestrian activities and is available to the public as a haven for nature lovers. The woods can be seen by horseback or walking, but automobiles, bicycles and other vehicles are not allowed.
LEGARE-MORGAN HOUSE
241 Laurens Street, SW
This restored, one-story clapboard cottage was once owned by the family of James Matthews Legare, a well-known South Carolina poet, artist, and inventor. The original part of the house was built in 1837 and purchased in 1871 by Thomas C. Morgan, a British Naval officer.
DIBBLE MEMORIAL LIBRARY
224 Laurens Street, SW
Henry M. Dibble, a prominent Aiken banker, founded the first library. It was housed in a single room in the office building of the old Bank of Aiken. On this site, Aiken’s first library building was erected in 1927, designed by Murray Hoffman of New York and established by friends and relatives of Mr. Dibble, who had died in 1921.
AIKEN COUNTY COURTHOUSE
109 Park Avenue, SE
Constructed in 1881 on a lot originally known as ‘The Courthouse Square,’ the building was of red brick. In 1934, architect Willis Irvin prepared plans for remodeling, at which time the cupola was changed to house the town clock, a weathervane was placed on the pinnacle, and the exterior was stuccoed. Original doors and brass locks are still in use in the main building which was extensively renovated in 1987 when an addition was built.
ST. MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS CATHOLIC CHURCH
THE CHAPEL OF ST. CLAIRE
100 Block of Park Avenue, SE
The cornerstone for this Semi-Gothic style building was laid in the autumn of 1905. Within the church stands the life-size bronze statue of the Virgin and Child by Gustave Dore?; which won third prize in the world competition of sculpture in Paris in 1880. The plan for the Chapel of St. Claire, which dates to August 7, 1879, was drawn under the direction of Mlle Celestine Elizabeth Eustis, who commissioned artist M. Lorin of France to paint on glass the scene of St. Claire pleading for the Lord to repel the Saracens who were advancing toward Assisi. H.
CHRISTIAN HAHN (circa 1890)
120 Chesterfield Street, S
There were no bathrooms in the original house plans, but many were added in its early years along with a glassed-in sun porch downstairs and a sleeping porch upstairs. There was a full stable and big barn on the property for the horses, and wagons used to deliver groceries for Hahn and Company on Laurens Street.
HEART’S DESIRE (circa 1890)
108 Chesterfield Street, S
This charming residence features seven fireplaces, even one in the bathroom. Originally, there was a cistern on the side porch. A goat was kept in the yard to pull the children in a red wagon.
FRIENDSHIP BAPTIST CHURCH
500 Block of Richland Avenue, E
The Rev. John Phillips, a local African-American minister, realized the need for a building for worship and secured this location. Construction began in 1866. In August 1893, a fire completely destroyed the church and all church records. The loyal congregation immediately began rebuilding, working from early morning until late at night. The new church was completed in December 1893.
SCHOFIELD NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL
710 Barnwell Avenue, NE
After arriving in Aiken in 1868 to begin her life’s work of providing educational opportunities for the black community, Martha Schofield opened her school in 1870. The cupola now standing on the school property is the only remaining section of the original school. Miss Schofield’s house was moved from Kershaw Street to 710 Barnwell Avenue, adjacent to the school site, where it still stands. She entertained here many Northern visitors who gave support to her school.
ALL SAINTS ANGLICAN CHURCH
110 Fairfield Street, N
This building was built as an Episcopal black mission church in the early 1930s and was financed by the Episcopal diocese of Upper South Carolina and the Winter Colony residents, who were anxious to have a church for their servants. The mission was disbanded and the building was acquired by the Anglicans in 1976. The interior style is Carpenter’s Gothic by local craftsmen; the windows feature painted and fired medallions and borders in a field of German antique glass painted by local artist Nancy Wilds. This modified Sand Hill Colonial style building features unusual dormers on the front, which are quaintly called ‘Pigeon Houses.’
WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (circa 1885)
228 Richland Avenue, E
This church building is a good example of the ‘meeting house’ form of sanctuary. The original 24-member congregation paid Mr. I.A. Givens $3,000 for the construction of the building. Many volunteers from the community assisted. The original pulpit, pulpit chairs, pews, communion table and altar rail are still in use. This beautiful landmark is being restored.
Please Note! All homes are private and NOT open to the public.