Aiken in Aiken County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Aiken Preparatory School

Photographed by Tom Bosse, December 31, 2023

1. Aiken Preparatory School Marker

Inscription.
Aiken Preparatory School (APS), founded in 1916 as a boarding school for “junior gentlemen” in grades 4-8, was a fixture in the city of Aiken for almost 100 years. Louise “Lulie” Hitchcock (1867-1934), a leader among the wealthy Northerners in the Aiken Winter Colony, founded it to prepare boys for boarding schools in the Northeast. APS emphasized a classical education and physical education.

The original home for APS was a house built for U.S. Sen. George Edmunds of Vt. First headmaster Frederick A.M. Tabor was succeeded in 1938 by Harold A. Fletcher, headmaster until 1971. The school added grade 9 in 1960. It merged with Aiken Day School in 1989, added grades 4K-3, and became coeducational, then added a high school in 2000. Aiken Preparatory School was merged with Mead Hall Episcopal School in 2012.

Erected 2013 by South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, sponsored by the Aiken County Historical Society. (Marker Number 2-51.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. In addition, it is included in the South Carolina Historical Markers series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1916.

Location. 33° 33.904′ N,

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81° 43.595′ W. Marker is in Aiken, South Carolina, in Aiken County. It is on Barnwell Avenue Northwest east of Lancaster Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 619 Barnwell Ave NW, Aiken SC 29801, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Augusta

and in the Midlands.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Adath Yeshurun Synagogue (approx. 0.2 miles away); Aiken Hospital / Aiken County Hospital (approx. 0.2 miles away); St. Thaddeus Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Author Jeff Scott (approx. 0.3 miles away); First Presbyterian Church of Aiken (approx. 0.3 miles

Photographed by Tom Bosse, December 31, 2023

2. Aiken Preparatory School Marker

away); Aiken Vietnam War Monument (approx. 0.3 miles away); 1953 Gas Explosion (approx. 0.3 miles away); Aiken's Jewish Merchants (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Aiken.

Photographed by Tom Bosse, December 31, 2023

3. Aiken Preparatory School Marker

Photographed by Tom Bosse, December 31, 2023

4. Aiken Preparatory School Marker

Photographed by Tom Bosse, December 31, 2023

5. Aiken Preparatory School Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on January 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 4, 2024, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,550 times since then and 174 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on January 4, 2024, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.