The Old Aiken Post Office, located in

Aiken, South Carolina Aiken is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Aiken County, in western South Carolina. It is one of the two largest cities of the Central Savannah River Area. Founded in 1835, Aiken was named after William Aiken, the president of the Sout ...

, is a former

United States Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U. ...

and photography studio that now serves as an office building. The first floor of the building has been occupied by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC since December 2009 following renovations. The building was originally proposed by

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

George W. Croft in 1904. After Croft's death, his son, U.S. Representative Theodore G. Croft, continued the project. Over the years, the building has been occupied by numerous politicians, including

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Strom Thurmond James Strom Thurmond Sr. (December 5, 1902June 26, 2003) was an American politician who represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 to 2003. Prior to his 48 years as a senator, he served as the 103rd governor of South Caro ...

and South Carolina Senator Tom Young.

History

George W. Croft originally proposed the idea of building a post office in downtown Aiken in 1904. Upon Croft's death, his son Theodore G. Croft was elected to serve the remainder of his father's congressional term. Theodore Croft continued his father's work on getting the building built, and, with the help of U.S. Representatives J.O. Patterson and his successor

James F. Byrnes James Francis Byrnes ( ; May 2, 1882 – April 9, 1972) was an American judge and politician from South Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in U.S. Congress and on the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as in the executive branch, mos ...

, he secured $50,000 from the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

for the building. Construction began in 1911 and was completed in 1912.

References

{{reflist Post office buildings in South Carolina Buildings and structures in Aiken, South Carolina