South Carolina Department of Archives and History
National Register Properties in South Carolina

Court Tennis Building, Aiken County (Newberry & Park Sts., Aiken)
S1081770202101 S1081770202102 S1081770202103 S1081770202104 S1081770202105
West Facade West Facade
Detail
East Facade Aiken Club Room
Building
Club Room-
Tennis Court
Connector

The Aiken Club, an exclusive men’s club, was incorporated in 1898 and constructed its court tennis building about 1902. Court tennis, played on an indoor court utilizing the walls and ceiling, is an elite sport originated in France over 700 years ago. The Court Tennis Building is one of only nine courts in the United States. Constructed ca. 1902 and remodeled ca. 1936, it is a two-story rectangular brick building with a hip-on-hip roof. The Newberry Street elevation (northwest elevation) features seven bays delineated by buttressed wall pilasters. All bays have double eight-over-eight windows in the upper portion. The southeast and southwest elevations feature one-story frame, shingled wings. The wing on the southeast connects the Court Tennis Building to the Aiken Club Room, a small one-story, frame, gable roofed cottage that was moved to its present location ca. 1928. The Aiken Club Room was originally part of the Aiken Club building which, along with stables, a squash court, servant’s quarters and the tennis court made up the Aiken Club complex. Early members of the Aiken Club included Thomas Hitchcock and William C. Whitney. Listed in the National Register November 27, 1984.

View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property. In addition, the Historic Resources of the Aiken Winter Colony, ca. 1884-ca. 1941 includes historical background information for this and other related National Register properties.

Most National Register properties are privately owned and are not open to the public. The privacy of owners should be respected. Not all properties retain the same integrity as when originally documented and listed in the National Register due to changes and modifications over time.

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