Aiken-Rhett House

From the sky lit art gallery to the haunting slave quarters, the preserved but not restored Aiken-Rhett House offers guests a truly authentic snapshot of a household in America’s Old South. Built just before 1820, a long line of Aiken descendents called this townhouse complex home including South Carolina governor William Aiken, Jr. and his wife Harriet. The couple moved into the enormous house in the early 1830s and renovated it extensively so that it became one of the grandest homes in Charleston.

History Revealed in Each Room

The 45-minute self-guided MP3 tour of the Aiken-Rhett House is a popular Charleston attraction. Visitors circle through the rooms taking in the majestic double parlours, the art gallery with its original paintings and sculptures, and the library which once housed a collection of some 2000 books, including classic volumes by Shakespeare. Much of the art and furnishings are the very pieces that adorned the home nearly two centuries ago. The slave quarters in the Aiken-Rhett house are considered to be some of the best preserved in Southeast. The back lot which encompasses the kitchen, stable and carriage house is where the slaves lived and had their rooms.

Visiting Aiken-Rhett House

The Aiken-Rhett House is located at 48 Elizabeth Street, two blocks from the Charleston Visitor Center.

Tickets are $10 and tours run Monday to Saturday from 10a.m. to 5p.m. and Sundays from 2p.m to 5p.m. those also visiting the Nathaniel Russell House can tour both sites for $16. The site is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

For more information call 843-723-1159.

Click here to visit Aiken-Rhett House website