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by Mac McClearen and Owen Sheetz, it is written, "The famous old
Willcox Inn drew its guest list from diplomats, society leaders, visiting European royalty, wealthy sportsmen and members of the entertainment world. The Winston Churchills visited; Count and Countess Bernadotte of Sweden spent their
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honeymoon at the
Willcox, John Jacob Astor, Evelyn Walsh McLean (owner of the Hope diamond), makeup queen Elizabeth Arden, singer Andy Williams, dancer Irene Castle, Doris Duke, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Bing Crosby – all came to the Willcox to enjoy the leisurely life that Aiken had to offer. "
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persuaded the
Willcoxes to open a small hotel and in 1900 it welcomed its first guests. It expanded in 1906 by incorporating an adjacent two story house into the hotel. A further expansion in 1928 An increasing demand for accommodations led Willcox to add to the inn in 1906, when an adjacent
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At about this same time, in 1898, the first
Highland Park Hotel burned. It had been a notable structure that housed many winter colonists who had not yet built a "cottage" in Aiken. (A mansion in any other sense, Winter Colony "cottages" were the second or third homes of families who had great
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With World War II travel restrictions in the early 1940s, The
Willcox fell on hard times and closed in the early 1950s. It was sold at auction in 1957 and over the following 20 years was sporadically repaired, but remained boarded until its renovation and reopening in 1985 as
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The family built a house on the northwest corner of
Chesterfield Street and Colleton Avenue and established a catering company in their home. Elise soon became renowned for her preparation of fine foods and the business was heavily patronized by Aiken
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styles of architecture. The plan of the building is irregular in shape, consisting of a central block with asymmetrical wings. Of Aiken's once famous resort hostelries, only
Willcox's is still standing. The landmark property was listed on the
330:. In addition to rooms, the hotel features a restaurant, bar, spa, horse boarding and rents nearby houses for vacation rentals. It also offers vacation packages which include horseback riding, golf, polo and trap and skeet shooting.
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two-story house at
Colleton Avenue and Newberry Street became part of the hotel. In 1928, a further expansion and renovation to the west wing brought the hotel to its current appearance.
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In 1891 the
Englishman Frederick Willcox, his Swedish wife Elise Wellborn, and their two sons, Frederick and Albert came to Aiken.
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heyday. Operated from 1898 to 1957 by members of the
Willcox family, the still-magnificent building reflects the influence of both
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estates on Long Island, Park Avenue in Manhattan and other wealthy enclaves in the Eastern United States.
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319:. In 2009 the ownership changed when restaurateurs Geoffrey & Shannon Ellis purchased The Willcox.
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The Willcox has become one of South Carolina's most luxurious small hotels. In 2016 it was ranked by
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When Frederick died in 1924, his son Albert (Bert) Willcox managed the inn until it closed in 1957.
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In 2000 the hotel was purchased by the Garrett Hotel Group and reopened in 2002 as
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National Register of Historic Places in Aiken County, South Carolina
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Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina
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National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory
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as the 7th best hotel in the world and the best in the
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
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410:. South Carolina Department of Archives and History
233:, US, was an internationally known inn during the
1037:Buildings and structures in Aiken, South Carolina
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404:"Willcox's, Aiken County (Colleton Ave., Aiken)"
1012:Colonial Revival architecture in South Carolina
537:McClearen, H. Addison; Sheetz, S. Owen (1994).
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16:Historic house in South Carolina, United States
408:National Register Properties in South Carolina
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539:St. Thaddeus of Aiken: A Church and Its City
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594:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
45:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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1022:Houses in Aiken County, South Carolina
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473:McDonald, Janice; Miles, Paul (2011).
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351:"National Register Information System"
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356:National Register of Historic Places
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248:National Register of Historic Places
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541:. The Reprint Company, Publishers.
502:"The 100 Best Hotels in the World"
452:. Arcadia Publishing. p. 95.
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479:. Arcadia Publishing. p. 8.
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558:http://www.therestaurantatw.com
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374:Marion, Margaret (June 1981).
280:Mrs. Thomas (Louise) Hitchcock
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434:The Willcox hotel - our story
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304:St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church
114:Show map of the United States
526:The Willcox hotel - packages
446:Thompson, Jane Page (2016).
26:United States historic place
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953:National Historic Landmarks
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278:On the loss of the hotel,
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89:Show map of South Carolina
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553:http://www.thewillcox.com
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1032:Hotels in South Carolina
1017:Houses completed in 1928
270:Highland Park Hotel fire
196:Architectural style
21:Willcox (disambiguation)
19:Not to be confused with
966:Keeper of the Register
617:Keeper of the Register
62:Willcox's, August 2012
986:Contributing property
632:National Park Service
612:Contributing property
449:Aiken's Sporting Life
361:National Park Service
231:Aiken, South Carolina
176:6 acres (2.4 ha)
157:33.55694°N 81.72194°W
129:Aiken, South Carolina
528:accessed 7 July 2016
436:accessed 7 July 2016
235:Aiken Winter Colony
162:33.55694; -81.72194
153: /
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981:Historic district
622:Historic district
311:The Willcox today
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363:. July 9, 2010.
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891:Williamsburg
731:Chesterfield
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509:. Retrieved
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412:. Retrieved
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386:. Retrieved
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290:World War II
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941:Other lists
876:Spartanburg
414:28 November
388:28 November
376:"Willcox's"
317:The Willcox
160: /
136:Coordinates
1001:Categories
922:Greenville
912:Charleston
856:Orangeburg
781:Greenville
776:Georgetown
756:Dorchester
746:Darlington
716:Charleston
334:References
148:81°43′19″W
145:33°33′25″N
932:Rock Hill
841:McCormick
826:Lexington
811:Lancaster
786:Greenwood
766:Fairfield
761:Edgefield
736:Clarendon
681:Allendale
671:Abbeville
664:by county
227:Willcox's
37:Willcox's
917:Columbia
866:Richland
846:Newberry
836:Marlboro
771:Florence
741:Colleton
721:Cherokee
706:Berkeley
701:Beaufort
696:Barnwell
686:Anderson
211:82003828
124:Location
948:Bridges
861:Pickens
816:Laurens
806:Kershaw
791:Hampton
726:Chester
711:Calhoun
691:Bamberg
254:History
186: (
881:Sumter
871:Saluda
851:Oconee
831:Marion
801:Jasper
751:Dillon
605:Topics
511:7 July
483:
456:
886:Union
796:Horry
676:Aiken
662:Lists
476:Aiken
379:(PDF)
328:South
181:Built
896:York
513:2016
481:ISBN
454:ISBN
416:2012
390:2012
241:and
188:1928
184:1928
173:Area
131:, US
821:Lee
596:in
206:No.
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