Joye Cottage
Historic Property
Alternate Name:
Joye Cottage
Street Address:
129 1st Ave. SW, Aiken, SC (Aiken County)
Site Number:
03_0010
Control Number:
U/03/0010
Date Surveyed:
February 3 2010
Category:
Building
Construction Date:
circa 1897
Alteration Date:
circa 2005
Historic Use:
Residential/Domestic
Current Use:
Residential/Domestic
Architect or Builder:
George A. Freeman, architect
Number of Stories:
1.5
Construction Method:
frame
Exterior Walls Materials:
Weatherboard
Foundation Materials:
Brick
National Register Determination:
listed;
Signficant Architectural Features:
Central block w/4 radiating wings; courtyard; Roman Temple form; Georgian Revival Stylistic elements; nominated property includes the main house, the one and one-half story Whitney Stable (0010.1, the two-story Whitney Squash Court, a greenhouse, a laundry house and two small one-story frame cottages.. Prev. SHPO No 626
Alterations:
Orig. house predated 1897 when house was extensively remodeled; house was restored 2005 c.
Historical Information:
(Whitney House) Joye Cottage, the greater portion of which dates from 1897, is a rambling weatherboard Georgian Revival residence, consisting of a central block with four radiating wings. Joye Cottage is one of the oldest and largest of Aiken’s winter retreats for the wealthy. It is also important as a relatively intact example of the architecture expressive of the lavish scale of living practiced in Aiken’s Winter Colony. The cottage building represents the extensive remodeling of an existing building done ca. 1897 by New York architect George A. Freeman for William C. Whitney. Significant aspects include the arrangement of the wings to create a formal courtyard, the use of the Roman Temple form in the western wings, and the interior woodwork, including the wainscoting, the pilasters and columns, the staircase, and the mantels, all executed in the Georgian Revival style. William Whitney, who is considered the real founder of the Whitney dynasty, first joined the ranks of the winter colonists at the urging of Aiken pioneers Thomas and Lulie Hitchcock. Finding the sporting life in Aiken much to his liking, he became a regular winter resident. In 1897, he purchased Mrs. Joye’s boarding house from Miss Celestine Eustis and established himself as a permanent and influential member of the Aiken resort community. The nominated property includes the main house, the one and one-half story Whitney Stable and the two-story Whitney Squash Court. The Squash Court is significant as an early example of the Prairie style in South Carolina. Other outbuildings on the property include a greenhouse, a laundry house and two small one-story frame cottages. Listed in the National Register September 29, 1980.
Source of Historical Information:
“Joye Cottage” [Online]; available from http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/aiken/S10817702012/index.htm; Internet. Accessed April 26, 2010.
Survey:
City of Aiken Historic Resources Survey, Aiken County, South Carolina. May 2010
Quadrangle Name:
Aiken