Banksia

Front inscription

Banksia, named for the yellow roses of the same name that grow here, was commissioned in 1931 by Richard Howe – Aiken Winter Colonist. The 14,000 sq. ft. Colonial Revival mansion, with 35 rooms, 15 bathrooms, and a ballroom, was designed by noted Augusta architect Willis Irvin. His plans used a 3,500 sq. ft. house known as the Harrington House that had stood on the property since the 1850s. It was incorporated as the right wing of Banksia.

Reverse inscription

After Howe’s death in 1943, Banksia was eventually sold and was first used in the early 1950s as a boarding house used by construction workers building the Savannah River Nuclear Plant. In 1957 it was bought by the Southern Methodist Church and used as a college. Later, it served as the first home of USC-Aiken from 1961 to 1972. From 1973 to 1983 it was used as the Aiken County Public Library. Since 1984 it has been home to the Aiken County Historical Museum.