Origins of the Winter Colony

Aiken continued to grow in the 1890s and early 1900s, in part driven by its popularity as a Winter retreat for wealthy Northerners, especially those who had a passion for horse sports (e.g. fox hunting, polo & thoroughbred racing).

The Hitchcock family (from Long Island) owned 8000 acres adjacent to downtown which they used as a private preserve for fox hunting & general recreation. And they invited many of their wealthy friends to join them here in the Winter time. So was formed the Winter Colony with families such as the Whitney’s, Vanderbilt’s, Goodyear’s, Iselin’s, Mead’s, etc. all building “cottages” in town near to the Hitchcock’s compound & with access to the “Woods”.

There were also a half dozen tourist hotels in Aiken that served people coming to town for health reasons & for the Winter season. The Highland Park Hotel (pictured below) was one of these hotels and had over 350 rooms.

Today, these hotels are mostly gone (destroyed by fire) with the exception of the Wilcox Inn but many of the cottages & the equestrian culture remain. And, the remaining 2000+ acres of the Hitchcock Woods is now in trust managed by a Foundation and is open to all for horseback riding, hiking and/or dog walking.