Where is aiken south carolina located

Downtown Aiken, especially Laurens Street, is loaded with a variety of eclectic eateries, galleries, and shops, often tucked behind storefronts that have preserved their character. Just off Laurens Street, you'll find the Alley, a popular gathering spot with a cluster of not-to-bemissed restaurants.

Aiken has interesting lodging choices that are guaranteed to get you into the spirit of the town. They also attract plenty of golfers who come to nearby Augusta, Georgia, each year for the Masters. The Inn at Rose Hill is located in a historic mansion anchoring an estate that occupies an entire block.

Prior to this event, what became the town Aiken was merely a " crossroads. The original train, known as the "Best Friend," was the first locomotive constructed for regular railroad service in the United States. The construction of the railroad was supervised by a young engineer from Boston, Alfred A. Dexter, who was also authorized to plan and make a plat for Aiken. This plat, dated September 24, , provided for boulevards feet wide, laid out in a checkerboard pattern with streets running north and south and avenues named for South Carolina counties running east and west.

This first street map laid out the then proposed town as it exists today with wide streets and parkways planted with flowering trees and shrubs. Aiken made little commercial progress until , when William Gregg built nearby a village and the first cotton mill in the south. The mill and the town were called Graniteville because much of both were constructed from locally quarried granite. Gregg was convinced that the South's road to progress lay in industrial development and particularly in spinning and weaving her own cotton.

The first cloth came off the looms in and since then the plant has operated continuously. Industry increased as kaolin mining was begun by Southern Porcelain Manufacturing Company in nearby Bath in Confederate Major General Joseph Wheeler was ordered to oppose the raid. Even in its infancy, Aiken was known and recognized as a health resort.

The town's beauty and the railroad brought the lowlanders. Pros Historic interest Cost of living Healthcare. Cons Arts and culture Entertainment Isolation. Best Places to Live in Aiken Rankings. Housing Market in Aiken. It's a good time to buy in Aiken.

Home Appreciation is up Reviews for Aiken 34 Reviews. Moving here not having any family or friends was difficult. I'm thankful for the people I have met who now feel like lifelong Read More.

Agree Disagree Almost Perfect, Magical Place. It is beautiful and historic, has all the amenities, and Hitchcock Woods is a treasure! I feel blessed to have lived in Aiken for 3 years. I am 24 years old and moved here from VA just over two years You can also use our New Interactive Map to explore places.

Try Now. Railroad tracks once ran down the middle of the street in Aiken, but they have since been replaced with lush parks. Aiken's downtown is crisscrossed with a unique web of one-way streets, squares and circles with fountains in the middle of them. It makes the downtown area wildly charming and beautiful, but also challenging to drive through for first-time visitors. It can be confusing to see drivers making left turns on red lights, or even going straight through the red light.

The local mnemonic is "Circles go, squares no. You'll catch on soon enough. Even though Aiken was founded a century and a half after the first city in South Carolina that would be Charleston, of course , it boasts the oldest farmer's market in the state: the Aiken County Farmers Market is held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Horse racing isn't the only game in town. While Aiken might be most famous for its thoroughbred races, polo and steeplechases, there are other animal athletes to cheer for.