Gov. William Aiken House | |
Location | 48 Elizabeth St., Charleston, South Carolina |
---|---|
Coordinates | 32°47′29″N 79°56′6″W / 32.79139°N 79.93500°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1820 |
Architectural style | Greek Revival, Late Victorian, Federal |
NRHP reference No. | 77001216 |
Added to NRHP | November 21, 1977[1] |
The Gov. William Aiken House (also known as the Aiken-Rhett House, or the Robinson-Aiken House) was built in 1820 at 48 Elizabeth Street, in the Wraggborough neighborhood of Charleston, South Carolina.[2] 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.[3] His house was originally configured as a Charleston double 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.[4] 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.[5]
Mrs. Frances Dill Rhett, whose husband was a direct descendant of Gov. William Rhett, donated the house to the Charleston Museum in 1975.[6] The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.[1] Since 1995, Historic Charleston Foundation has owned and operated the Aiken-Rhett House as a historic house museum.