Banksia

Front: 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: 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.