These mansion museums reveal the grittier side of the Gilded Age nationalgeographic.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nationalgeographic.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Winter Lecture Series continues Sunday, Feb. 18, at the Aiken County Historical Museum. Organized by the Friends of the Aiken County Historic Museum, lectures are held at 3 p.m. on
BEECH ISLAND â Redcliffe Plantation was blanketed in haze and fallen leaves early Friday, a New Yearâs Day many had longed for. It was decidedly blustery for a 68-degree South Carolina morning, with breezes spritzing the state historic site â once home to Civil War politician James Henry Hammond, his descendants and slaves â with glistening rain. The grounds, more than 300 acres painted a palette of wintertime hazel, were nearly empty. The expansive porch was deserted, its rocking chairs still. A lane lined by magnolias welcomed one walker around 9:30 a.m. Birds chirped. Branches rustled. But, overall, it was quiet, peaceful. In years past, many greeted January with so-called First Day hikes, wilderness excursions promoted by Americaâs State Parks and a raft of other players.