Aiken in Aiken County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Polo in Aiken
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Whitney Field
Polo in Aiken. Polo was first played in the U.S. in 1876. In 1882, the first polo match in S.C. took place in Aiken. The sports introduction here was credited to Clarence S. Wallace of N.Y. He and other "Winter Colonists" soon after established Aiken as a national polo destination. Among those who lived and trained here was Tommy Hitchcock Jr. (1900-1944), considered one of the best American players ever. Aiken had at least fourteen polo fields by 1930, most located south and east of downtown.
Whitney Field. Whitney Field is the oldest polo field in Aiken still in regular use. Play here began by the 1890s when the race track and field were laid out by Thomas Hitchcock Sr. In 1899, he conveyed the surrounding 32-ac. tract to William C. Whitney who in 1901 deeded the property to the Whitney Trust, formed to promote "sports and pastime" in Aiken. The field is still used by the Aiken Polo Club, which joined the U.S. Polo Association in 1899 and was officially chartered in 1919.
Erected 2023 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History, sponsored by Aiken County Hsitorical Society. (Marker Number 2-74.)
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Location. 33° 32.787′ N, 81° 43.102′ W. Marker is in Aiken, South Carolina, in Aiken County. It is on Mead Avenue east of Magnolia Street Southeast, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 638 Magnolia St SE, 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, 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: Williams Cemetery (approx. 0.3 miles away); Aiken Training Track
Another marker is no longer nearby. Aiken County Courthouse Bell (was approx. 0.7 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on January 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 22, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 38 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 22, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
