William Aiken House And Associated Railroad Structures
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The William Aiken House and Associated Railroad Structures make up a
National Historic Landmark District National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
in Charleston,
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
, that contains structures of
South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company The South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company was a railroad in South Carolina that operated independently from 1830 to 1844. One of the first railroads in North America to be chartered and constructed, it provided the first steam-powered, schedu ...
and the home of the company's founder,
William Aiken William Aiken (1779 – May 5, 1831), or William Aiken, Sr., was the founder and president of the pioneering South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company. and   Born in County Antrim, Ireland, he immigrated to Charleston, South Carolina ...
. These structures make up one of the largest collection of surviving pre-
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
railroad depot facilities in the United States. The district was declared a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1963. and  


Description and history

The historic district has three distinct sections. The main section is bounded by Mary, King, Meeting, and John Streets, north of Charleston's historic downtown area, and includes the Aiken House, surviving elements of the main railroad depot, and associated warehouses. A second, smaller area is located on the north side of Line Street, between King and Meeting Streets, where the company's railroad car repair and refurbishing facility was located. These two areas are joined by the former railroad right-of-way, which is still readily discernible in most of the blocks between them. The Aiken House is located at the corner of King and Ann Streets on the west side of the main section. It is an 1807 Federal Adamesque wood-frame house, two stories high, with a two-story porch extending across its southern facade. It is where the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company was founded in 1827, with William Aiken, an Irish immigrant, as its first president. Construction of the railroad line took place between 1830 and 1833, marred by the death of Aiken when horses drawing his carriage were frightened by construction-related noises, overturning it, and also by the explosion of the ''
Best Friend of Charleston The ''Best Friend of Charleston'' was a steam-powered railroad locomotive widely considered the first locomotive to be built entirely within the United States for revenue service. It produced the first locomotive boiler explosion in the United St ...
'', the first American-made steam locomotive. When it began operation, it had the greatest length of track () in the world under single management. There are two principal depot buildings in the district. The "Camden Depot" stands on John Street, and the "Tower Depot", now little more than a pair of crenellated towers, stands on Mary Street. These two buildings were completed in 1850, and in the area between, two warehouses were built in the following decade. The depots and one of the warehouses are architecturally distinguished by their Gothic Revival features, which are not frequently found on railroad infrastructure. The Tower Depot, which was the railroad's original passenger depot, was only used until 1853, when a through depot was built near Line Street. In 1857 the large brick Italianate car shop was built adjacent to the main railroad line just north of Line Street.


Contributing buildings

* ''William Aiken House'', built in 1807. An octagonal wing added in 1831 but damaged in 1886 earthquake, and certain woodwork was removed in 1931. A servants wing is unchanged. *A coach house at the back of gardens on the William Aiken House property *''Camden Depot'', a railroad depot *''Deans Warehouse'', built in 1856 *''South Carolina Railroad Warehouse'' *''Tower Passenger Depot'' *''Line Street Car and Carpenter Shops'' *''Railroad Right-of-Way'' *''"
Best Friend of Charleston The ''Best Friend of Charleston'' was a steam-powered railroad locomotive widely considered the first locomotive to be built entirely within the United States for revenue service. It produced the first locomotive boiler explosion in the United St ...
" Replica'', a replica of the first American-made steam locomotive Non-contributing structures in the district include: *''Hughes Lumber Company Warehouse and Martshink Beer Warehouse'' *''Shed'' housing the "Best Friend of Charleston" replica locomotive *''Buildings along John Street, King Street and Meeting Street: **Chicco Apartment Buildings A and B **39-4, 39-B, 39-C John Street **41-B, 43, 51 John Street **numerous buildings in 424-492 King Street **Brick building at Meeting Street and Ann Street **Lilienthal's Stained Glass **365-371 Meeting Street


Gallery

File:426 King.JPG, 426 King Street File:434 King.JPG, 434 King Street File:438-436 King.JPG, 436 (right) and 438 (left) King Street File:464 King.JPG, 464 King Street File:466 King St.JPG, 466 King Street Image:Best Friend on Truck Aug 6.JPG, A replica of the ''
Best Friend of Charleston The ''Best Friend of Charleston'' was a steam-powered railroad locomotive widely considered the first locomotive to be built entirely within the United States for revenue service. It produced the first locomotive boiler explosion in the United St ...
'' engine and tender are loaded on a truck for transport to
Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the ...
in Atlanta – August 6, 2007.


See also

*
Gov. William Aiken House 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. Despite being known for its association ...
, home of his son *
List of National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina This is a List of National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina, United States. The United States' National Historic Landmark (NHL) program is operated under the auspices of the National Park Service, and recognizes buildings, sites, structures, d ...
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Charleston, South Carolina __NOTOC__ This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Charleston, South Carolina. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Charleston, South ...


References


External links


William Aiken House website
including 13 photos, at South Carolina Department of Archives and History All of the following
Historic American Buildings Survey Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...
(HABS) records are filed under Charleston, Charleston County, SC: * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aiken, William, House National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina Houses in Charleston, South Carolina Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Railway depots on the National Register of Historic Places Houses completed in 1807 National Register of Historic Places in Charleston, South Carolina Railroad-related National Historic Landmarks Railway buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina 1807 establishments in South Carolina