2026 Winter Lecture Series
The Friends of the Aiken County Historical Museum welcome you to our Annual Winter Lecture Series. We are excited about our great lineup of lectures!
Time and Location
3 pm, Sundays at the Aiken County Historical Museum, in the historic Banksia.
Tickets
Members: $60 for the series of five.
Non-members: $80 for the series of five.
Walk-in price for individual lecture, if space allows: $20. Cash or check only,
January 25, 2026
Four Winter Colony Homes and Their Owners
Speaker: David Tavernier
A historical review of four prominent winter colony homes: The Balcony, built by Seymour Knox II; Rye Patch, built by William Travers, Jr.; Sunshine, built by William Zeigler; Barnard Villa, built by William Barnard. The lecture describes home features, architects, and backgrounds of their owners & roles they played in Aiken.
February 1, 2026
The Reasons Why Aiken is an Equestrian Mecca
Speaker: Billy Benton
Ever wondered why Aiken, South Carolina is the holy grail of the equestrian world? Let equestrian and history buff, William Morgan “Billy” Benton be your guide to the history and discipline diversity that makes this charming Southern town a horse haven. Ideal for non-equestrians and horse lovers alike, History & Horses in Aiken offers a glimpse into the magic that makes this destination a mecca for all things equine.
February 15, 2026
Reservation Please: Hotels of the Winter Colony
Speaker: Linda Johnson
Whether coming for health or recreation, Northerners lured to Aiken for weeks on end required stylish accommodations. Learn about the hotels large and small that became the backbone of the “Newport of the South,” and hear stories of their famous (and infamous) guests.
February 22, 2026
How the Winter Colony Partied
Speaker: Lauren Virgo
living in Aiken during those cold winter months – they also partied! There were theatrical plays, scavenger hunts, flower parades, shooting sports, big galas, and even a park where you could pet the local deer when you got bored with everything else. Come learn about the Winter Colonists and some of their fun adventures during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
March 1, 2026
Aiken’s Titanic Losses
Speaker: Jeanmarie Bronson
When Titanic went down in April 1912, four families with ties to Aiken were aboard. In this talk, we will trace the millionaires and socialites who occupied homes along Aiken’s avenues, the choices that brought them onto Titanic’s fateful voyage, and the legacies they left behind. Through newspaper accounts, monuments, and family histories, we uncover how the world’s greatest maritime tragedy reached into the heart of Aiken’s Winter Colony and left its mark on the community.
Tickets
Members: $60 for the series of five.
Non-members: $80 for the series of five.
Walk-in price for individual lecture, if space allows: $20. Cash or check only,
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: Rye Patch, compliments of the National Register of Historic Places. The Blessing of the Hounds, November 2019; Memorial Gate Hitchcock Woods, compliments of Billy Benton. Highland Park Hotel, compliments of Linda Johnson. Scavenger Hunt, compliments of ACHM, Photograph of the main dining room on the salon deck of the ill-fated White Star Liner “Titanic, courtesy of Library of Congress