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The Aiken-Rhett House was built for Charleston merchant John Robinson in 1817. A typical Charleston double house, the
building consisted of a central hallway with two rooms on either side. The front door was located on the Judith Street
side of the house, where the piazza (a Charleston term for a double porch) is now located.
Robinson lived in the Aiken-Rhett House for approximately eight years. When he lost five ships at sea in 1825, he was
forced to sell the house to meet his financial obligations. The house became the property of William Aiken, Sr., in 1827.
Aiken, an Irish immigrant who accumulated a large fortune as one of the city's leading merchants, used the
house as rental property. When he died suddenly in a carriage accident, his vast holdings were divided between his wife,
Henrietta Wyatt, and his only son, William Aiken, Jr.
In 1833, the young William Aiken and his new bride, Harriet Lowndes, decided to make the house their primary residence
and began an extensive renovation of the property. Three main changes took place: the front entrance was moved, the first
floor was reconfigured, and a large addition was added to the house. They made it, by all accounts, one of the most
impressive residences in Charleston.
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A 19th century newspaper advertisement described the house as featuring "twelve upright rooms,
four on each floor, all well finished, the material of the piazzas and fences all of cypress and
cedar; underneath the house are large cellars and storerooms."
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William Aiken, Jr., ultimately became governor of South Carolina, a member of the U. S. House of Representatives,
and one of the states largest slaveholders. He was elected governor of South Carolina in 1844 and became a member
of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1851.
A second period of renovation at the Aiken-Rhett House took place in the 1850s, when the house's interior was redecorated.
The construction of an art gallery in 1857 was the last major alteration to the house. It was built to house the art collection
that the Aikens acquired during their travels in Europe.
In November 1863, Jefferson Davis visited Charleston for the only time during the Civil War and stayed approximately one week
as the Aikens' guest. General P.G.T. Beauregard moved his headquarters to the house, which was out of reach of the heavy Federal
bombardment of Charleston, in December.
In 1865, Charleston fell to the advancing Union armies. The house was looted, and Governor Aiken was arrested and taken to
Washington for trial. He was later released following the intervention of several prominent Northern political leaders whom
he had befriended while a member of Congress.
William Aiken, Jr., died at his summer home in Flat Rock, North Carolina, in 1887. He left his property to his wife and
daughter. Harriet Aiken continued to live in the house until her death in 1892. Her daughter, Henrietta, and son-in-law,
Major A.B. Rhett, raised their four daughters and one son in the house. Upon Henrietta's death, the house was divided
between her children and their heirs. Two sons, I'On Rhett and Andrew Burnet Rhett, Jr., continued to live in the house.
In 1949, I'On Rhett purchased the interests of the other heirs and lived at the Aiken-Rhett House with his wife, Frances Hinson Dill. Frances
donated the property to The Charleston Museum in 1975. The Charleston Museum owned the house until 1995, when Historic
Charleston Foundation purchased it.
Although Aiken descendents and family members continued to reside in the house until the 1970s, they made minimal alterations
to the property in the 20th century.
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LOCATION
48 Elizabeth Street, two blocks from the Charleston Visitor Center.
Click the map above for Driving Directions.
RESTORATION UPDATES
2008 MUSEUM SPONSOR
HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday - Saturday : 10 a.m. - 5 p.m
Sunday : 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Last tour begins at 4:15 p.m.
Features the only "audio tour" in Charleston
PURCHASE TICKETS
$10 or visit both the Aiken-Rhett House and the Nathaniel Russell House for $16. Tickets may be purchased at either site.
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
GIRL SCOUT OPPORTUNITIES
Learn more about earning credits toward your Local Lore Patch.
INFORMATION
Phone: (843) 723-1159
Email: vperry@historiccharleston.org
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