Aiken in Aiken County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
A Railroad in the Woods
Building a Future
In 1827 the SC Legislature granted a charter for the South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company. Business owners in Charleston hoped to divert commercial traffic from the Port of Savannah by connecting Charleston to Augusta, GA. The 136-mile-long Charleston to Hamburg railroad ran from downtown Charleston along the modern-day route of US Highway 78, to the town of Hamburg at the Savannah River. The route passed through Hitchcock Woods just to the west of here and exited the Woods on the Cathedral Aisle Trail.
"They fully proved the very great importance which a Rail-Road from Charleston to Hamburg would be, to our agricultural and commercial interest "
-Elias Horry, 1833
A Railroad Town
Aiken was founded by the railroad company in 1835. Shops and hotels had already sprung up here to serve travelers waiting to descent to Hamburg via the Inclined Plane. The Inclined Plane used a stationary steam engine to pull cars up and down the steep grade near here. After the Civil War, the railroad helped Aiken become a resort town and and later a sporting destination for wealthy northerners escaping winter.
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Erected 2022 by the City of Aiken and the Hitchcock Woods Foundation with additional support from the Aiken Land Conservancy and Aiken Streetscapes.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1827.
Location. 33° 33.381′ N, 81° 43.601′ W. Marker is in Aiken, South Carolina, in Aiken County. It is on South Boundary Avenue Southwest west of Laurens Street Southwest, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 394 S Boundary Ave SW, 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 North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically,
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Archaeology in the Woods (here, next to this marker); Plant a Pollinator Buffet (a few steps from this marker); Lovely as a Tree (within shouting distance of this marker); Our Urban Forsest (within shouting distance of this marker); Explore Hitchcock Woods (within shouting distance of this marker); A Feathered Friend Returns (within shouting distance of this marker); The Tree that Built the South (within shouting distance of this marker); The Trouble with Aiken's Inclined Plane (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Aiken.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 21, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 45 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 21, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
