tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post110970673447399997..comments2024-03-26T10:17:21.693-05:00Comments on CITY OF DUST: The Battle of Aikenjmhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-29275469502991598402015-01-14T20:18:00.341-06:002015-01-14T20:18:00.341-06:00Thanks for the comment, Doug! I know Scorpion Gulc...Thanks for the comment, Doug! I know Scorpion Gulch. That old stone building is a classic:<br /><br />https://www.flickr.com/photos/cityofdust/6650561213/in/photolist- <br /><br />JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-81661057171301456392015-01-14T01:59:54.487-06:002015-01-14T01:59:54.487-06:00On an unrelated note, I had no idea South Mountain...On an unrelated note, I had no idea South Mountain was the largest municipal park in the world! I go there all the time... it's about a thirty minute drive from my house. Lovely views, especially around sunset. Scorpion Gulch near the entrance of the park is a cool little place to stop and look around, as well.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16216873981611829920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-1159646688770312622006-09-30T15:04:00.000-05:002006-09-30T15:04:00.000-05:00Wow, I had no idea this hotel even existed. A per...Wow, I had no idea this hotel even existed. A perfect counterpart to the Hampton Terrace in N. Augusta. Cool postcard/photos, too. I'd like to see a photo of that inkwell though. Got one? That's a great find!<BR/><BR/>JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-1158686275817162112006-09-19T12:17:00.000-05:002006-09-19T12:17:00.000-05:00Oops, meant to mention one other thing earlier: A...Oops, meant to mention one other thing earlier: Another bit of fascinating Hitchcock Woods trivia about another very large and famous hotel in Aiken that I hadn't seen mentionned at CoD. <BR/><BR/>The Highland Park hotel was built in the late 1860's and had over 300 luxury room that accomodated wealthy winter colony residents. <BR/>It was once the largest hotel in SC.<BR/><BR/>It burned in 1898... <BR/><BR/>...and was rebuilt even larger and moved up Kalmia Hill slightly.<BR/><BR/>It partially burned in 1907... <BR/><BR/>...and was rebuilt agian and thrived for 30+ years.<BR/><BR/>In April 1939 Sarah Colley made her first professional appearance as the Minnie Pearl character at a women’s club function there.<BR/><BR/>And it Burned again in 1940...<BR/><BR/>The end finally came when the property was cleared and divided up into many separate residential lots following the final fire in 1940 - Rich socialites must've had a few firebugs amongst the, lol. Those houses are now located right on Park avenue at the top of Kalmia Hill. The golf course is one of the few remaining legacies. Parts of the burned 1898 foundation are visble on the edge of Hitchcock Woods right behind the present-day golf club on aptly-named Highland Park Drive. We found a melted glass inkwell there a few years back just barely covered in leaves and soft and loamy soil. When cleaned up, we discovered the glass was stamped along the beveled edges with manufacturer and date - 1889!<BR/><BR/>Some of the original buildings are also still used by the golf club, such as the laundry facitilies, which have become the Highland Park Golf Club Clubhouse and Guest House.<BR/> I wish I could find some online pictures of the second rebuild - it was as nearly as awe-inspiring as the Hampton Terrace Hotel in N.A.<BR/><BR/>These will kind of give you an idea:<BR/><BR/><A>http://www.knowitall.org/schistory/IndexResults.cfm?picRefs=D143%2C%20D144%2C%20G10</A><BR/><BR/>I did find some better historical photos of the original after the additional wings were added:<BR/><BR/><A>http://www.minnesooota.com/Item43.asp</A><BR/>(That piece is definitely worth $80, nice.)<BR/><BR/>Still no post-1898 shots... I'll see if I can scan some up soon.<BR/><BR/>OK... I'm out. No, really... this time, I mean it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-1158681267401638512006-09-19T10:54:00.000-05:002006-09-19T10:54:00.000-05:00No, thank you! We’ve finished every post of City o...No, thank you! We’ve finished every post of City of Dust in reverse. Bravo!<BR/><BR/>Funny, this all started when we tried to find pictures of the old Clearwater Sky City department store across from the finishing plant there... it Closed in 1989, when we were nine, and was bulldzed in the early 90's. We both remembered it fondly (I remember getting pictures taken there with Santa when I was around 4) and wanted to see if anyone had any old pics. The Clearwater store was very large, encompassing the whole shopping center where Bi-Lo and about 10 other business are presently. It had a cafeteria, photography studios, pharmacy, ice-cream shop, auto Department, and rows and rows of checkout stands that stood before a seemingly endless wall of plate glass that graced the front of the store- always decorated with posters advertising the current sales. Looking back, it contained many of the things we here in the Southeast can only associate with Wal-Mart Supercenters in 2006. Back then, it was the largest department store in Aiken County. Today, it just seems odd such a large store was located in such a small town, but I suppose the HCV mills provided a fairly sizable customer base.(hell, our families travelled there from 20 miles away in Aiken, and I'm sure it pulled in folks from across the river after seening the broad street location, so I guess it may have been a prime spot back then, afterall.) Anyhow, Google hit on the pic of the comparitively tiny(and quite ugly)Sky City on Broad Street from your blog, and that's how we got sucked in. <BR/><BR/>You've also gotten me hooked on Detroitblog, too, BTW...<BR/>Almost finished over there now. Fascinating stuff, especially his visit to the Motown Building before it was razed. Can't believe he found Marvin Gaye's Desk with personal his papers still inside, damn! After that, it looks like I've got quite a few "Urban Exploration" sites to explore... I can see this becoming a huge problem soon, he he.<BR/><BR/>We're huge Mc5 fans... and really fans of most of the many Detroit music eras and scenes over the years.(BTW, completely off topic, but we really enjoyed your posts about the old delta blues artists like Robert Johnson and Blind Willie McTell...) <BR/>John Sinclair currently has a blues radio show that we helped bring to podcast form with his buddy Ferre at Radio Free Amsterdam last spring. <BR/><BR/>He's really a true historian. I believe the episodes we've taken off the feed are in the archive over there. Check out some of the episodes from the past year. He occasionally talks about our adventures on the Nate and Di show... We tend to push the envelope of acceptable at times, lol. If you get a chance, Check out our soundseeing/storytelling tour of an Abandoned Drive-in Theater in Virginia that we managed and lived above for a few months before it closed in late spring, 2001. Think the post is dated June 6,2006 - it's right up your alley. Even included a few pics from our time living there. (BTW, we haven't even updated the blog, but our visit was inceredibly timely, as the building was just demolished in mid-July, the marquee is all that is left besides remains the tattered plywood screen, and the new owners apparently use it for truck storage now :( So much for the our boss's recent claims it was gonna re-open even while he was selling it to a trucking company... Scmuck. It was a true slice of americana frozen in time.<BR/><BR/>On a brighter note, We're trying to get John over here for the Piccolo-Spoleto festival next spring when he's in the States, and it looks like it may pan out. We'd love to be able to sit and just hang out with him, as he's been a hero of mine since I was a teen and is a genuinely nice person. <BR/><BR/>Still no sign of the Clearwater Sky City... I got a bit sidetracked here instead... Sigh.<BR/><BR/>Thinking about treking out on our own urban exploration tour down here. Mt. Pleasant has some gems, we hear... Theres an abandoned army arsenal and bunker from WWII on Sullivans Island, and there are dozens of empty plantation mansions in varying states of decay all withing 30 minutes driving time. Dunno why, but the tours of restored locations like most of downtown Charleston and the Yorktown here in Mt. P. are cool, but not nearly as enticing for some reason. <BR/>Have you ever thought about basing travels on a specific location? Is that unusual? Sick? We're thinking about going up to Kings Park Psychiatric in NY during our next vacation... Creepy, yet serene somehow - a whole abandoned city of HUGE buildings to accidentally kill ourselves within, lol. Have some friends from NJ that told us they've been there many times and have yet to cover the same hall twice... Seems like it should be the holy grail of U. E.<BR/><BR/>Shit. I've gotten off on tangents again... <BR/><BR/>Anyhow, thanks for the entertaining and informative blog, I'll be reading and we'll be keeping our eyes especially peeled for some more CSRA-based posts if you ever get back down that way.<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>-NateAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-1158538687830473012006-09-17T19:18:00.000-05:002006-09-17T19:18:00.000-05:00I believe I should be the one saying "Wow!" Thank...I believe I should be the one saying "Wow!" Thanks for leaving such a fantastic comment! Now I just wish I was somewhere close to Hitchcock Woods so I could go on a recon mission and look for some of the things you mentioned. It's funny you mentioned the quicksand, because that occurred to us as we walked across a particularly wet and spongy section of that creek. I'd also love to go back and get another look at the remains of that mansion. As for finding it the first time--well, if there's a ruined mansion nearby I'll find it! I'm gonna have to go on the hunt for those books. It sounds like a tough job to track 'em down, but I'll see what I can do. <BR/><BR/>I've never been to Mt. Pleasant, but quite enjoy Charleston. I noticed the link to John Sinclair on your website. As a large fan of the MC5 I must endorse that whole-heartedly. I'll check out more of your site when I get a chance. Looks cool. <BR/><BR/>Thanks again for stopping by and being so kind. And thanks again for the great info. I love this kind of thing!<BR/><BR/>JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-1158463487329951242006-09-16T22:24:00.000-05:002006-09-16T22:24:00.000-05:00Wow.My wife and I have been digesting your blog fo...Wow.<BR/><BR/>My wife and I have been digesting your blog for the past 6 hours from the first post until, well... here so far. Great stuff, man! Surprised to see someone who appreciates dilapidation of all kinds as much as I do. We both grew up in Aiken, and are currently living in Mt. Pleasant, right across the Cooper from Charleston. Had to stop and comment here, thought we could add some info here. The "sandy creek" is called Sand River and it's dry 98% of the time... Don't let that deceive you, though it has claimed lives from unpredictable quicksand, even when it's bone dry. Believe the last death was in the late 70's, though As for the mansion you mentioned briefly, it was sort of an obsession for us a few years back. Surprised you found it out there. My grandfather actually worked for the Hitchcocks at the mansion during the depression era. He would take me on walks back there as a child and tell me stories about the place. One in particular involved "recovering" discarded food and alcohol from a gully that runs behind the house after large soirees and parties were over. On the path to the "ruins", there is a bench made from a plank of wood that is set into two trees... Grandpa always told me that he and his brother nailed it to the trees for the local boy scout troop to rest on while they cleaned up the rubble in the 50's after the place burned. Today, the trees have literally grown around the plank... makes it seem like almost part of both trees. Can't help but sit there for a moment when visiting. After he died, we did several day's research on the property at the local museum and library. The house had a very colorful history. It was built in 1905 by a man named Edward Smith, and the architect, Joseph Leitner, who was well known for many other famous large homes and also railway stations in the northeast. All of the old home in Aiken had names, and this one was no exception. It was originally called Pineland, but after changing hands several times, it was renamed Boxwood in 1921. I forget the name of the owner at that point(Baroness Von something-or another) Stories about her were found in several series of articles on historical Aiken by an author from The Aiken Standard in the late 70's. the Baroness was apparently very eccentric, refused most visitors, and was convinced someone was going to kill her. Ironically, in 1928, someone abducted the Baroness from Boxwood, and possibly did just that, as she was never heard from again following a frantic telephone call for help. I forget the actual conspiracy theory, but it involved the German Royal family somehow. After that craziness, the house was empty until 1931, when Mrs. Hitchcock purchased the property. That was about the time my grandfather began working there, and the time period of most of his stories... Sadly, he never shared anything about German Baronesses. The Property is much more extensive than it appears from the front, there’s a second staircase and you can fight your way through the growth into the actual remains of the foundation of the house itself. The steps and retaining wall were part of a very large earthen patio that sported an architecturally-unique garden that was only shared by one other home, also built by the same architect, in Boston. The basement was accessible until it caved in about 10 years ago, and there are portions of the ground floor (behind and below the patio) that still have paint and tile visible inside. We have a photocopy of a picture of the house in the 30's from a book found in the museum... sorry, can't remember which one. Also, if you haven't seen it, check out The Many Faces of Aiken, a Pictorial History by Will Cole. It was published in 1985, and is available at the Aiken Library... But they won’t let you leave the room with it. We got a copy on Amazon in 2004, and got a steal at only $4.00 for it although there were 2 other listings were over $150 a copy... Oh, and amazingly, it's signed: Best wishes, Will Cole. It has to be one of the best sources of old pictures of buildings and structures in Aiken County, from the Hamburg train depot to Ellenton, many of the "winter colony" homes (of which some do and do not still stand), defunct downtown businesses, and all of the Horse Creek Valley Mills. In addition, there are a ton of interesting facts, trivia, and stories. You would really dig it - I just feel it. Anyway, we have many more posts to explore, and I've gotten off track on a ramble, so thanks again for the kickass blog, we feel like we've been home for a few hours.<BR/><BR/>- NateAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-1118233319482943892005-06-08T07:21:00.000-05:002005-06-08T07:21:00.000-05:00The Dinner Bell is called Roy's Dinner Bell, and t...The Dinner Bell is called Roy's Dinner Bell, and they are still serving food, the breakfast is quite good!! When I worked full time for the National Guard, we used to stop there for food on the way to Barnwell.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-1109883326336247282005-03-03T14:55:00.000-06:002005-03-03T14:55:00.000-06:00ahhhh 1996 was a very good year.ahhhh 1996 was a very good year.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com