Gaston Livery Stable – Aiken, South Carolina

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South Carolina  |  SC Picture Project  |  Aiken County Photos  |  Gaston Livery Stable

The Gaston Livery Stable in Aiken was constructed in 1893 and is made entirely of locally-produced brick. Of the five brick barns remaining in South Carolina, it is believed to be the oldest. At two floors and 12,000 square feet, it is also one of only four barns in the country to still have an original carriage lift.

This stable is eligible to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Unfortunately, its eastern end is badly damaged. If it continues to deteriorate, the building’s structural integrity will be endangered. Thankfully, Friends of the Gaston Livery Stable is working to repair it so it will be around for at least another century!

Once the stable has been fully restored, there are plans to use it as a living history museum. As the group’s president, Coleen Reed, notes, “Aiken takes great pride in its uniqueness. Our heritage sets us apart from other communities. The equine, transportation, agricultural, and Winter Colony history are all combined in this structure.”

SCIWAY thanks D.S. Owens of Aiken for this great information and picture he took in December 2011.

See a picture of the Abbeville Livery Stable, another brick barn located in Abbeville.

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