THE AIKEN FAMILY
- History, Haunts, & Hahas!
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
Charleston-Only Historical Guide
(Railroads, Governors, Power, and a House That Screams “New Money”)
William Aiken Jr. (1806–1887)
Role: Politician, industrialist, governor of South Carolina
Why he matters in Charleston:
William Aiken Jr. represents Charleston’s 19th-century pivot from old mercantile elite to industrial-political power. He lived and worked here during Charleston’s transition into a railroad and manufacturing hub.
Charleston footprint:
Owner of the Aiken-Rhett House
Served in state and national politics while based in Charleston
Connected Charleston’s economy to inland rail infrastructure
Aiken-Rhett House
Built: c. 1820s (with extensive unfinished alterations)
Neighborhood:Wraggborough
Why it matters:
Preserved almost frozen in time
Exposes urban enslavement, work yards, and domestic labor
Unlike Manigault polish, this house shows power mid-construction
Tour framing:
“This isn’t a haunted house — it’s a house that stopped pretending.”
ENSLAVEMENT & POWER
The Aiken household relied heavily on enslaved urban labor, including artisans, domestic workers, and yard laborers. This site is one of the clearest surviving records of enslaved life in Charleston proper.
QUICK TIMELINE (AIKEN)
1806 — Birth of William Aiken Jr.
1820s–30s — Expansion of Aiken-Rhett House
1844–1846 — Governor of South Carolina
Post-Civil War — Decline of political power
20th c. — House preserved with minimal restoration
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