Chancellor Carroll House

Front inscription

Built c.1856 for James Parsons Carroll (1809-1883), this is the last surviving house from the original Kalmia village, a summer retreat for Charleston-area residents. An Edgefield lawyer born in Charleston, Carroll served several terms in the S.C. Senate and House of Representatives. He signed the 1860 Ordinance of Secession and was the last chancellor of the S.C. Court of Equity, which was abolished in 1868.

Reverse inscription

One 1862 observer identified the house at this site as a cottage ornée. In the late 1920s it was acquired by prominent regional architect Willis Irvin Sr., who designed a number of Aiken- and Augusta-area landmarks. Irvin made major renovations to Carroll’s house and is responsible for much of its current appearance. He also renamed the property “Irvin Court” and rented it to members of Aiken’s Winter Colony.