Aiken is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Aiken County, in western South Carolina, United States. It is one of the two largest cities of the Central Savannah River Area. Founded in 1835, Aiken was named after William Aiken, the president of the South Carolina Railroad. It became part of Aiken County when the county was formed in 1871 from parts of Orangeburg, Lexington, Edgefield, and Barnwell counties.
Whitehall is a historic home located at Aiken, South Carolina. It was constructed about 1928 for Robert R. McCormick, one of the owners of the Chicago Tribune. The house was designed by Willis Irvin of Augusta, who won a gold medal for Domestic Work at the 1929 Southern Architectural Exhibition with its design. The one-story, brick, U-shaped house was built on the foundation of an earlier, two-story house that had been destroyed by a fire. It is believed that some of the ornate interior woodwork came from the home of John C. Calhoun’s daughter. Whitehall gets its name form the old Whitehall estate on the ruins of which this house was constructed. Whitehall is a Georgian Revival residence. Each of the three sections has a gabled roof. The two projecting wings are pedimented and have a boxed cornice with block modillions, round vents and Doric pilasters at the corners. The central section features a pedimented Doric portico sheltering a central entrance with a semicircular fanlight and sidelights. A Doric entablature extends across the central section. Fenestration is regular six over six with dentiled architraves. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 27, 1984.
The William Aiken House and Associated Railroad Structures make up a National Historic Landmark District in Charleston, South Carolina, that contains structures of South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company and the home of the company's founder, William Aiken. These structures make up one of the largest collection of surviving pre-Civil War railroad depot facilities in the United States. The district was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1963.
The Gov. William Aiken House was built in 1820 at 48 Elizabeth Street, in the Wraggborough neighborhood of Charleston, South Carolina. Despite being known for its association with Gov. William Aiken, the house was built by John Robinson after he bought several lots in Mazyck-Wraggborough in 1817. His house was originally configured as a Charleston single house with entrance to the house from the south side along Judith Street. The house is considered to be the best preserved complex of antebellum domestic structures in Charleston. It was the home of William Aiken, Jr., a governor of South Carolina, and before that the home of his father, the owner of South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company, William Aiken.
Aiken Winter Colony Historic District I, is located in Aiken, South Carolina, It is noteworthy in that it is viewed as the district most closely identified with the history of the Aiken Winter Colony. The area features over 30 properties, many of which are large impressive mansions with stables. Most of the properties were constructed between 1882 and 1948. It is possible to enjoy the district via “from the street,” but note that many of the properties and mansions are either fenced, or otherwise protected by shrubs and stately trees. Aiken Winter Colony Historic District I was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 27, 1984.
Aiken Winter Colony Historic District III, located in Aiken, South Carolina. It has 42 properties, most of which were seasonal residences. The pleasing district varies from small cottages to large estates. Architectural styles include Queen Anne, Victorian, Colonial Revival, and Classical Revival, among others. The district also includes the Aiken Preparatory School. Aiken Winter Colony Historic District III was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 27, 1984.
The Aiken Training Track, with its banked turns and soft straightaways, was considered one of the best tracks in the country upon its completion in 1941. Notable surrounding buildings include a stable, shed and grandstand. The track and supporting structures, as well as other structures may be enjoyed and viewed from the quiet roads that border the large district. The Aiken County Training Track, located in Aiken, South Carolina, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on May 9, 1985.
Coker Spring is a fresh water spring located on Coker Spring Road in Aiken, South Carolina. This spring is formed by a "junction" where the water table intersects the ground surface and according to archaeological remains, has been used since prehistoric times. Coker Springs was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on January 18, 1978.
The Dawson-Vanderhorst House, located in Aiken, South Carolina. The house is one of the oldest remaining homes in Aiken County. In 1785, Charles Richmond acquired the property by grant. Shortly thereafter it appears that the home was built. There are a number of architectural features to the home that are representative of the time period in which it was built. The rear extensions to the home are not thought to be part of the original construction. The home is on private property surrounded by tall trees and brush. The Dawson-Vanderhorst House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 29, 1976.
Joye Cottage is one of the oldest, and largest winter retreats in Aiken, South Carolina. Most of the sprawling property dates to 1897, when William Collins Whitney purchased the property and remodeled it extensively. It now includes a main house, a stable, a greenhouse, a laundry house, a couple of one-story cottages, and a squash court. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The Legare-Morgan House is a one-story clapboard structure built in Aiken, South Carolina around 1835. From 1850 to 1859 it was the home of the artist, poet and inventor, James Mathews Legare. In 1870 the property was sold to Thomas C. Morgan. The home, located in proximity to Aiken's downtown area, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places September 22, 1977.
Lookaway Hall, built from 1895 to 1898, is a North Augusta, South Carolina landmark. A number of architectural details are significant, for the home was built in the Beaux Arts and Revival styles, made popular after the World's Columbian Exposition. This accessible landmark, near the historic Georgia Avenue-Butler Avenue Historic District, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on August 13, 1992.
The Pickens House, located in Aiken, South Carolina. It is reputed to have been built around 1829 by Governor Andrew Pickens for his son. In addition, the home is also noted for its early 19th century backcountry plantation architecture. Eventually the house was abandoned, and in 1929 it was moved from its original address near Edgefield to Aiken by a leading Aiken businesswoman and strong proponent of women's rights, Eulalie Chafee Salley. Around 1990 the home was again moved, this time to the campus of the University of South Carolina at Aiken. Much renovation work was taking place in the summer of 2012. The Pickens House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 19, 1983.
Warrenville Elementary School, originally known as Warrenville Graded School, was constructed in 1925 and used to educate mill village children located in and around the Warrenville, South Carolina area. In 1954, two wings were added to the building. This Aiken County, South Carolina school was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 22, 2002.
The Britton Mims Place, located in North Augusta, South Carolina, exemplifies the Greek Revival style typical of secondary country residences during the antebellum period. Built around 1830, it is historically significant due to a number of architectural features, including its gabled roof, full width front verandah with hipped roof, and a number of outbuildings, including a (former) kitchen, wooden dog house, and a rectangular fowl house. This well-secluded home is not visible from the public highway. The Britton Mims Place was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on June 4, 1997.
The Charles E. Simons Jr. Federal Court House is located in Aiken, South Carolina. It is significant for its association with the many federal construction programs of the Great Depression era. The building, designed by Columbia, South Carolina architects Lafaye and Lafaye, is an excellent example of a Georgian Revival building, a style often used during the 1920s and 1930s for government buildings in smaller towns. The Court House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 2003.
The B.C. Wall House, also known as the “Sesame Lodge,” is located at North Augusta, Aiken County, South Carolina. It was constructed in 1902 by Budd Clay Wall to serve as an overflow guest home from the Hampton Terrace Hotel. The home holds additional significance in that it was designed by a female architect, Wall's daughter, Martha Louise Wall Andrews. The house, which is very visible from the public street, contains elements of the Queen Anne, Classical Revival, and Bungalow Styles. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 27, 1992.
Willcox's, located in Aiken, South Carolina, US, was an internationally known inn during the Aiken Winter Colony heyday. Operated from 1898 to 1957 by members of the Willcox family, the still-magnificent building reflects the influence of both Second Empire and Colonial Revival styles of architecture. The plan of the building is irregular in shape, consisting of a central block with asymmetrical wings. Of Aiken's once famous resort hostelries, only Willcox's is still standing. The landmark property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places March 19, 1982.
Hugh Aiken House is a historic home located at Greenville, South Carolina. It was designed in 1948, by noted Greenville architect William Riddle Ward and built in 1952. It is a 1+1⁄2-story frame residence in the Colonial Revival style. A large, tapered stone chimney dominates the front elevation of the house. The property features an extensively landscaped lot that is a heavily wooded, natural setting with falling topography and natural springs.
T. Q. Donaldson House, also known as the Dr. Davis Furman House, is a historic home located at Greenville, South Carolina. It was built about 1863, and is a two-story, frame, vernacular Italianate style cottage. It consists of a two-story rectangular block with a one-story wing and one-story rear ells. Also on the property is a contemporary three-room frame, weatherboard outbuilding built for use as a kitchen and servant's quarters. It was built by William Williams for Thomas Q. Donaldson, a lawyer and member of the South Carolina Senate from Greenville County from 1872 to 1876.
