The Highland Park Hotel | A History

The Highland Park Hotel, Aiken’s first grand hotel, was situated on the western end of Park Avenue on the plateau overlooking what is now the Aiken Golf Club. It was constructed in 1869 – 1870. In 1874 its capacity was doubled to 300 guests with an addition on the left side.

The hotel was constructed at a time when Aiken was considered a health resort because of its pine-scented air, mild climate, and sandy soil. Over the years the hotel advertised large rooms with sunny exposure, marble-top walnut furniture, and rooms lit with rosin gas and warmed with open fireplaces. All rooms had electric bells. Hot and cold baths were available on each floor, and the halls and dining room were heated with steam. The hotel also boasted a men’s billiard room, a ladies’ billiard room, and a bowling alley. There was even a hydraulic passenger elevator.

The Highland Park Hotel grounds consisted of 400 acres of pine forest featuring walking and riding trails and drives, with a glass-enclosed pavilion in the middle of the acreage. There were also tennis and croquet courts and stables. This was a first-class hotel and it was open each year from November to the beginning of June.

In 1898 a fire destroyed the hotel; fortunately no one died in the blaze. In 1912 a group of Aiken businessmen formed the Real Estate and Fidelity Company to develop a resort hotel for winter guests at the same location. Several of the investors in the new Highland Park Hotel issued stock to build a golf course as an amenity to the hotel. The golf course lives on today as the Aiken Golf Club. The hotel struggled during the Depression, and there was another fire in 1940. The hotel was torn down shortly thereafter, but the hotel’s laundry facility is now the club house for the Aiken Golf Club.

At the corner of Highland Park Terrace and Highland Park Drive you will find an official State of South Carolina marker about the hotel; it was erected by the Aiken County Historical Society in 2009.

Picture of Allen Riddick

Allen Riddick

Allen Riddick is a 1974 graduate of Aiken High School and a 1978 graduate of Clemson University. He has been the president of the Aiken County Historical Society since 1999. During that time he has taken tens of thousands of photographs of Aiken --- people, places, and events --- to document its history, change, and growth. He is an avid collector of old Aiken memorabilia, especially photographs. He has written three Aiken-themed books: Aiken County Schools, a Pictorial History and More, Memories of Growing Up and Living in Aiken, SC, and The Life of Bob Harrington and His Memories of Aiken Preparatory School.
Picture of Allen Riddick

Allen Riddick

Allen Riddick is a 1974 graduate of Aiken High School and a 1978 graduate of Clemson University. He has been the president of the Aiken County Historical Society since 1999. During that time he has taken tens of thousands of photographs of Aiken --- people, places, and events --- to document its history, change, and growth. He is an avid collector of old Aiken memorabilia, especially photographs. He has written three Aiken-themed books: Aiken County Schools, a Pictorial History and More, Memories of Growing Up and Living in Aiken, SC, and The Life of Bob Harrington and His Memories of Aiken Preparatory School.

In the know

Related Stories

Hello Gardeners! | Palmetto Bella

Hello Gardeners!

Isn’t it just wonderful to feel spring in the air? I don’t think I could have stood another 6 weeks of winter — Mother Nature would definitely have heard from me … Now that there is a light at the end of that long winter tunnel, it is time to get busy preparing your garden for spring flowers and flowering bulbs. This is a good time to refresh your patio, deck, and porch containers as well. For those of you who are beginners or novices, pick the brain of a friend who is a master gardener, or call me. Over the years, I have learned to be an active listener

Read More »
Garden Accents | Palmetto Bella

Garden Accents

Garden accents can be a great way to have fun in your garden and personalize your landscape. Here are some tips to help you enjoy your outdoor space while tapping into your creative side. Accents can be any type of artistic touch. Some people use gazing balls. Others distribute statues, gnomes, wind chimes, and birdfeeders throughout their yards and gardens. A garden accent can be virtually anything — just be sure it can hold up in stormy weather. Night lights are another way to showcase your landscape. They can show off the unique branching structure of a Live Oak or highlight a delicate Japanese Maple. The shadows they generate on

Read More »
The Quaker Gun | Palmetto Bella

The Quaker Gun

The Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, arose in England in the mid 17th century. They were early settlers to the Colonies (future United States) and prominent in many regions until the Revolutionary War. Although Quaker worship varies widely, from silent meetings (about 10% of Quakers) to evangelical services, nearly all are pacifists. The religion has a long history of supporting equality for women, abolition of slavery, non-violence, co-education, prison reform, and social justice. Today there are fewer than 400,000 Quakers world-wide, and about 50% of them live in Africa. Really? A Quaker gun? Aren’t Quakers those ardent pacifists who refuse military service and believe all conflict can

Read More »
The Augusta-Aiken Trolley Line | A History | Palmetto Bella

The Augusta-Aiken Trolley Line | A History

The Augusta-Aiken Railway, better known as the Trolley, was established in 1902 by the Augusta-Aiken Electric Railroad Company. James U. Jackson, who owned the Hampton Terrace Hotel and Golf Course in North Augusta, was one of the principal promoters of the Trolley Line. The route started in Aiken near the current Aiken Visitor’s Center, went down Park Avenue, and turned onto Laurens Street. It proceeded into Graniteville via Hampton Avenue and on what is Trolley Line Road today. Graniteville was the first stop in the “Valley,” and stops followed in Warrenville, Langley, and Clearwater. The Trolley then made its way into North Augusta and on into Augusta. It was a

Read More »