Constructed in 1927 and completed during the height of Aiken’s celebrated Winter Colony era, the Habersham House, originally known as Kellsboro House, stands as an elegant example of the refined residential architecture that came to define Aiken’s equestrian community during the interwar years. Situated at 726 Grace Avenue SE within the city’s historic horse district, the residence reflects the sophisticated tastes and sporting traditions of the affluent families who transformed Aiken into one of America’s foremost winter resort destinations.

The home was designed by the distinguished architectural firm of Scroggs and Ewing, whose work contributed significantly to the architectural character of Aiken’s Winter Colony. The property originated on land owned by prominent horseman and polo patron Frederick Ambrose Clark and his wife, Florence Lockwood Stokes Clark, members of families closely associated with Aiken’s equestrian culture and sporting life. The estate was named Kellsboro House after one of Mrs. Clark’s celebrated racehorses, reflecting the central role that horses played in the identity of both the family and the community.

The first residents of the house were Kenneth Baker Schley Jr. and his wife Ellen Habersham Rogers Schley, prominent Winter Colony figures whose social and sporting activities were deeply intertwined with Aiken’s fox hunting and polo traditions. Kenneth Schley served as Master of the Aiken Hounds, one of the city’s most prestigious equestrian institutions, and became a decorated military aviator during the Second World War. On Christmas Eve 1944, during the height of the Battle of the Bulge, Schley flew desperately needed penicillin supplies into the besieged town of Bastogne, an act of bravery that earned him the Silver Star.

Architecturally, Habersham House embodies the restrained elegance favored by Aiken’s Winter Colony residents. Its carefully proportioned design, estate setting, and relationship to the surrounding riding trails and sporting landscape illustrate the seamless blending of domestic comfort and equestrian life that characterized the community during its golden age. The residence later served as the home of the Aiken Day School before returning to private ownership, adding an educational chapter to its long and varied history.

Today, Habersham House remains an important survivor of Aiken’s Winter Colony period and continues to contribute to the city’s distinctive architectural and equestrian heritage.