VirtualGlobetrotting: South Carolina: Aiken

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James Brown's Mausoleum
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This is where James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, is currently interred. The mausoleum shown here is on his daughter, Deanna Brown Thomas', property just outside of Beech Island, South Carolina.

Citizens Park
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This sports-oriented park has 15 baseball and softball fields, plus soccer fields and a walking track.

Department of Energy Savannah River Site
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The Savannah River Site (SRS) is a nuclear reservation in the United States in the state of South Carolina, located on land in Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell Counties adjacent to the Savannah River, 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Augusta, Georgia. The site was built during the 1950s to refine nuclear materials for deployment in nuclear weapons. It covers 310 square miles (800 km2) and employs more than 10,000 people. It is owned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The management and operating contract is held by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions LLC (SRNS), and the Liquid Waste Operations contract is held by Savannah River Remediation, which is a team of companies led by URS Corporation. A major focus is cleanup activities related to work done in the past for the nation's nuclear buildup. Currently none of the reactors on-site are operating (see list of nuclear reactors), although two of the reactor buildings are being used to consolidate and store nuclear materials. SRS is also home to the Savannah River National Laboratory and the nation's only operating radiochemical separations facility. Its tritium facilities are also the United States' only source of tritium, an essential component in nuclear weapons. And, the nation's only mixed oxide fuel (MOX) manufacturing plant is being constructed at SRS. When operational, the MOX facility will convert legacy weapons-grade plutonium into fuel suitable for commercial power reactors. Future plans for the site cover a wide range of options, including host to research reactors, a reactor park for power generation, and other possible uses. DOE and its corporate partners are watched by a loose combination of local, regional and national regulatory agencies and citizen groups. Security is provided by Wackenhut Services, Inc.

Strange Markings at the Savannah River Site
AKpilotEMT (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: AKpilotEMT.
Shhhh, top secret U.S. Department of Energy activity in the Palmetto State.

Battle of Aiken
Near this spot on February 11, 1865 was fought one of the final Confederate victories of the War Between The States. Federal Cavalry commanded by Major General Hugh Judson Kirkpatrick were attacked by Confederate Cavalry commanded by Major General Joseph Wheeler when the Federals entered Aiken from the south east along the South Carolina Railroad. The Federals retreated to Montmorenci where their infantry support was stationed. Successful defense of Aiken by the Confederates prevented the possible destruction of the cities of Aiken, Augusta and the Graniteville Mill. The Battle of Aiken is reenacted annually.

Joye Cottage
Joye Cottage, the greater portion of which dates from 1897, is a rambling weatherboard Georgian Revival residence, consisting of a central block with four radiating wings. Joye Cottage is one of the oldest and largest of Aiken’s winter retreats for the wealthy. It is also important as a relatively intact example of the architecture expressive of the lavish scale of living practiced in Aiken’s Winter Colony. The cottage building represents the extensive remodeling of an existing building done ca. 1897 by New York architect George A. Freeman for William C. Whitney. The property includes Joye Cottage, the centrally located home on the map, Whitney stable in the upper left hand corner, and the 2-story Whitney Squash Court House in the lower right hand corner of the map.

Hitchcock Woods
Hitchcock Woods in Aiken, South Carolina, is among the largest urban forests in the nation, with about 2,100 acres of forestland resources. Once owned and enjoyed by Louise and Thomas Hitchcock, this longleaf pine forest has retained its natural character and cultural heritage. Today, equestrians, hikers, dog walkers, and joggers enjoy the 70 miles of sandy trails that provide access to the stunning variety of ecosystems in the Hitchcock Woods.

Hopeland Gardens
Wrapped behind a serpentine brick wall and under a canopy of ancient oaks, deodar cedars and magnolias, is Hopelands Gardens. Bequeathed to the City of Aiken by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin, this 14 acre estate was opened in 1969 as a public garden. Radiating throughout the gardens is a network of paths shaded under 100 year old live oaks. I is believed that Mrs. Iselin planted the deodar cedars and live oaks which still grace Hopelands Gardens today. The lazy curves of the paths and garden borders lead visitors throughout a wonderful variety of experiences sure to please visitors of all ages.

Former Location of Hamburg
The dead town of Hamburg, South Carolina, was once a thriving upriver market located in Edgefield District (now Aiken County). It was founded by Henry Shultz in 1821, across the Savannah River from Augusta, Georgia, in direct competition with that city. In its heyday, 60,000 bales of cotton worth $2,000,000 were brought by wagon to Hamburg each year. This cotton continued by pole boat or steam boat to the ports of Charleston or Savannah for subsequent shipment to manufacturers in New England or Europe. During his American tour as 'Guest of the Nation', the Marquis de Lafayette visited Hamburg on March 24, 1825. Hamburg received another boost when it became the western terminus of the South Carolina Railroad. This was the world's first railroad in the modern pattern. Providing scheduled steam service over 136 miles of line from Charleston to Hamburg, it was the world's longest at its completion in 1833.

Chinaberry House
Thought to have been built ca. 1824 for William W. Williams, Chinaberry incorporates materials and methods of construction characteristic of an early nineteenth century Carolina farmhouse, and is the only known surviving landmark in Aiken associated with the founding of the town in the mid-1830s. Dr. William Williams was a locally prominent individual, who in addition to being a planter, served in the South Carolina House of Representatives (1830-1831). Also, local tradition indicates that this house was a focal point for activity during a Civil War skirmish in February 1865.

Houndslake Country Club
Houndslake Country Club boasts a 27-hole premier golf course, an Olympic-size swimming pool, an 8-court tennis facility with 2 clay courts, 3 dining facilities, and 4 meeting or event rooms

Site of the former town of Ellenton
Ellenton was a town that was located on the border between Barnwell County and Aiken County, South Carolina, United States. Settled around 1870, it was acquired by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission in 1950 as part of a site for the Savannah River Plant. It was located between the current CSX railroad and the current SC Highway 125, Upper Three Runs Creek, and Four Mile Branch. SC Highway 125 was U.S. Highway 278 in the 1950s.

Aiken County Historical Museum (Banksia House)
The Museum is housed in a 1930's Winter Colony mansion named "Banksia". Its 3.5 acre grounds are also home to a 1890's one-room schoolhouse and a log cabin built in 1808. The purpose of the Aiken County Historical Museum, under the direction of the Aiken County Historical Commission, is to collect and preserve historical material relating to Aiken County, to display and interpret such information to the public.

Carolina Dragway
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Phelps House
The Phelps House is a noteworthy example of the Shingle Style, frequently used in late nineteenth and early twentieth century resort homes for the wealthy, but relatively rare in South Carolina. The Phelps estate, which served as the location for the first meetings of the Garden Club of South Carolina, contains a formal landscaped garden. The elegant home and landscaped grounds are characteristic of many such estates owned by the wealthy in pre-income tax America. The Phelps House was built in the early 1900s on the foundations of an antebellum house destroyed during the Civil War.

Coker Spring
Coker Spring is a fresh water spring. Archeological remains found near this property suggest that this was probably a water supply for prehistoric Indians. The spring later served as the source of drinking water for the early settlers of Aiken (ca. 1830-1890).

South Boundary avenue of oaks
Famous scenic street with hundred year old oaks covering and surrounding it

Legare-Morgan House
The Legare house is a small, one-story clapboard structure, the oldest portion of which was probably built ca. 1835. Between ca. 1850 and 1859 it was the home of James Mathewes Legare, noted artist, poet and inventor. Legare died in 1859. In 1870 his family sold the property to Thomas C. Morgan. Descendants of Mr. Morgan continue to occupy the structure until the time of its nomination.

Ford Conger Field
Ford Conger Field is where the famous Aiken Steeplechase is held twice a year. Steeplechasing includes all the thrills and speed of horse racing at flat tracks. It mixes in the precision of jumping to create a hybrid not unlike hurdle events in track and field where the premium is on speed, but the concern is focused squarely on the jumps. The races are between two and four miles in length. The fences are manmade 52-inch hurdles called National Fences or timber jumps constructed of posts and rails at varying heights. Watch horses pound the plush turf and soar over fences at the Aiken Spring Steeplechase!

South Aiken High School
South Aiken High School is a four-year public high school located in Aiken, South Carolina. Approximately 1,500 students attend the school. It was recognized as one of the top 800 high schools in the country. Nationally-acclaimed programs at South Aiken High School include the academic team, both regular and NJROTC, Calliope (literary magazine), and the SAHS chapter of the National FFA Organization.

Morgan Fountain
The Morgan Fountain in Aiken was built in honor of Thomas Redman Morgan, the city's mayor from 1899-1900.

Palmetto Golf Club
Established in 1892 by Thomas Hitchcock.

Dawson-Vanderhorst House
The Dawson-Vanderhorst House is one of the oldest homes standing in Aiken County. In 1785 Charles Richmond acquired the property by grant. Architectural analysis suggests that very soon thereafter this structure was built. In 1812 Richmond deeded to his wife Susannah the plantation and it appears that since that time the house has been continuously occupied.

Camp Long Clemson University Extension
Since 1933, Camp Long (formally known as the W.W. Long 4-H Leadership Center) has hosted thousands of 4-H campers, students and teachers for environmental education programs, church youth and adult groups, and corporate professional development groups in search of unique, enriching experiences with outdoor adventure. Situated on 418 scenic acres in Aiken, South Carolina, this wooded property offers year-round programming in a historic setting with plenty of modern amenities. Site features include classrooms and meeting space, a computer lab, library, recreational building and weight room, basketball court, baseball field, an 18-acre pond for swimming and canoeing, team challenge course, climbing wall, zip line and hiking trails. Whether it’s your first visit or the first in a long time, discover what’s new at Camp Long.

Whitehall House
Whitehall was constructed ca. 1928 for Colonel Robert 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. It is believed that some of the ornate interior woodwork came form 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.

Aiken High School
Established in 1888, Aiken High School is a four-year public high school located in Aiken, South Carolina. Approximately 1,700 students attend the school. It became an International Baccalaureate school in 2003 and as of 2010 is no longer one. Aiken High was ranked in the top 5% of high schools in the nation.

Breeze Hill Plantation
Gamel Woolsey, an American poet and novelist, was born on the Breeze Hill plantation as Elizabeth Gammell Woolsey. Her father was plantation owner William Walter Woolsey.

James F. Byrnes statue
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By: WacoKidd110.
James Francis Byrnes (May 2, 1882 – April 9, 1972) was an American statesman from the state of South Carolina. During his career, Byrnes served as a member of the House of Representatives (1911–1925), as a Senator (1931–1941), as Justice of the Supreme Court (1941–1942), as Secretary of State (1945–1947), and as the 104th Governor of South Carolina (1951–1955). He therefore became one of very few politicians to be active in all three branches of the federal government while also being active in state government. He was also a confidant of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and was one of the most powerful men in American domestic and foreign policy in the mid-1940s.

The Wilcox Inn
From the early 1900's to the 1950's, The Wilcox Inn in Aiken played host to a variety of famous dignitaries from the Vanderbilts to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Neglected for almost 30 years, The Wilcox Inn has now been restored to its former glory and welcomes guests in its elegant surroundings.

Morgan Fountain
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St. Mary Help of Christians Church
St. Mary Help of Christian Church complex is architecturally significant, illustrating two distinct phases of the Gothic Revival in America. The complex is a spatially and visually unified building group consisting of St. Claire’s Chapel, constructed in 1879 in the Gothic Revival Style to serve the Catholic community in Aiken; St. Mary Help of Christians Church, designed by McMurphy and Story and constructed in 1905 in the Gothic Revival Style to serve the needs of a growing congregation; and the rectory, constructed ca. 1930.

Crossways House
Crossways, built before 1860, is an excellent example of the architectural evolution of a residence from its beginnings as the main house on an antebellum Barnwell District plantation to its use as a late nineteenth and early twentieth-century winter residence, part of the Aiken Winter Colony. Little is known about the property before the Civil War, but James L. Derby, a New York publisher and partner in the Aiken Land Improvement Company purchased Crossways in 1868. Mr. Derby is partially responsible for the creation of the Winter Colony in Aiken. The residence is a two-story plantation house which exhibits elements of the Greek Revival and Victorian styles.

AGY Holding Corporation World Headquarters
AGY is a world leader in high performance materials used in a broad range of markets, including Automotive, Construction, Defense, Electronics, Aerospace, Marine, and Recreation.

Pickens House
The Pickens house is reputed to have been built in 1829 by Governor Andrew Pickens for his son Francis W. Pickens, who called the home Edgewood. Abandoned and in a state of disrepair, the house was moved from near Edgefield to Kalmia Hill in Aiken in 1929 by Eulalie Chafee Salley. Salley was a prominent Aiken businesswoman and leader of the women’s rights movement. The house is significant for its association with her contributions to Aiken and women’s rights. The Pickens House was moved again ca. 1990 to the campus of the University of South Carolina at Aiken.

Aiken Municipal Airport
Aiken Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located five nautical miles north of the central business district of Aiken, a city in Aiken County, South Carolina, United States. The airport serves the general aviation community, with no scheduled commercial airline service. Formerly, it was Aiken Air Force Station.

Fermata Club

Immanuel School
The Immanuel School, built in 1889-1890, is significant for its association with the parochial education of black children in Aiken and surrounding South Carolina counties from 1890 until it closed in 1932, and as a particularly rare, sophisticated, and intact example of Late Victorian vernacular school architecture as built for African-American schoolchildren in the late nineteenth century South. Immanuel School is particularly significant as a privately-funded African-American school. The school was founded shortly after the end of Reconstruction by Reverend William R. Coles, who came to Aiken under the authority of the Presbyterian Board of Missions for Freedmen. Peak enrollment reached 300 in 1906 with 50 of the students being boarders.

Aiken Prepatory School
Founded in 1916, Aiken Preparatory School is a dynamic, engaged community of learners serving students in 3K through 12th grade.

Chancellor James P. Carroll House
Constructed ca. 1855, the Chancellor Carroll House was built by James Parsons Carroll, Chancellor of South Carolina and a noted attorney. The property on which Carroll built this structure (probably as a summer residence) was purchased from William Gregg, the important textile manufacturer. During the twentieth century (the late 1920s until his death) architect Willis Irvin, who designed several noted structures in Aiken, owned the house.

St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church
Although St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church has been important in the history of the town of Aiken since its construction ca. 1842, it is also important for its association with the Aiken Winter Colony. Many of the Winter Colonists belonged to the congregation of St. Thaddeus and contributed generously to its “restoration” in 1926.

University of South Carolina Aiken
The University of South Carolina Aiken is ranked first among the top public baccalaureate colleges in the South.

Willcox's
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Aiken Training Track
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Legare-Morgan House
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Crossways (Aiken, South Carolina)

Aiken Tennis Club

St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church

Phelps House (Aiken, South Carolina)

Aiken Mile Track

Pickens House

Whitehall (Aiken County, South Carolina)

Chancellor James P. Carroll House

Chinaberry (Aiken, South Carolina)

St. Mary Help of Christians Church (Aiken, South Carolina)

Immanuel School

Joye Cottage

Charles E. Simons Jr. Federal Court House

Aiken Colored Cemetery