We came upon this pretty scene so I spent some time there photographing the pretty purple blossoms!
the friendly flowers were reaching over the fence and the gate to touch passers-by!
The house was built in 1820 by John Robinson. Unfortunately for him, he lost five ships at sea and he had to sell his beautiful house to pay off his debts. He sold it to William Aiken Sr. about seven years after he had built it. Mr. Aiken was a very wealthy man who had moved to Charleston from Northern Ireland, and he was one of Charleston's most well known and successful merchants, so he used the house as a rental house.
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| Mr. Aiken |
He was killed suddenly in a carriage accident and his wife (Henrietta) and son (William Aiken Jr.) inherited the big house.
When the son (William) grew up he became a politician and a rice planter and married a lady named Harriet (Lowndes) and they moved into the house. As the years went by, he eventually became the Governor of South Carolina.
The Aikens were wealthy. Mr. Aiken owned several plantations and the family was slave owners. Mrs. Aiken was very educated and spoke several languages. They loved to travel extensively and often went to Europe. They filled this house with treasures they found abroad--the home was full of paintings, sculptures and all kinds of valuable art. They had elegant carved fireplaces, huge mirrors, fancy wallpapers, and heavy draperies.
You can see a (nearly life-size) portrait of Harriet in her elegant yellow dress(click below)
Mrs. Aiken's portrait was x-rayed with SURPRISING RESULTS!
***Some pretty neat things they discovered about her official portrait---pretty interesting article!**
This is Harriet and William's daughter, Henrietta:
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| She looks SO MUCH like her Mother! |
The house/museum is open every day except Sunday and it's about twelve dollars to tour the home. I think the last daily tour is at four thirty or so and kids under six are free. We saw signs on the house that said "not climate controlled"--so I imagine it gets very very hot inside in the summer, especially in the upstairs levels! Probably best to tour this in the spring or the late Fall.
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| Photo:Historic Charleston Foundation Below, the house today: |
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| Aiken-Rhett House |
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| Fine carriages and frisky horses once bustled in and out of these gates! Listen....can you hear their hooves? |
Charleston has so many fountains......I love them so much!
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| Love it when I can capture a photo that has alot of different textures and colors! |
By now, we were both tired and thirsty, so we ended this walk! I couldn't wait to get my hands on an iced coffee! LOL
I'm so glad I will always have pictures of these pretty purple flowers! And I liked learning about the family who once lived, loved, and played in this huge old home.
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| The streets are still dirt here, and there is no palm tree or hydrangeas out front yet. |
What a great little excursion you had! I love the blues of your plumbago and hydrangeas. I have plumbago growing in my gardens and it is a favorite.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day ~ FlowerLady
gorgeous blues, hues and purples!!! what a beautiful place/walk, it was nice to see you in the images!!!
ReplyDeleteThat is one magnificent old home and I just love seeing the old pictures! It reminds me of some of the old homes here in Tallahassee and I always wonder how those people endured the heat and humidity back then. Those blooms are absolutely gorgeous too!
ReplyDeleteHow absolutely beautiful! I really love how you share the history of these old homes -- I know that takes a lot of research and it is appreciated. And what a garden! I love those gorgeous purple hydrangeas (I think!) and so much more. The photos are wonderful (especially that one with the great light on the building!) and you look adorable!
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