Aiken Land Conservancy Protects 21-Acre McGovern Tract With Historic Home
This protected a 21-acre site containing the Dawson-Vanderhorst House, one of Aiken’s oldest standing residences.
The Aiken Land Conservancy completed a conservation easement on the McGovern Tract in early April. This protected a 21-acre site containing the Dawson-Vanderhorst House, one of Aiken's oldest standing residences.
The tract sits northeast of town near Wire and New Bridge roads. Experts who studied the building think it went up shortly after Charles Richmond received the land through a grant in 1785.
The 1½-story clapboard dwelling appears in the National Register of Historic Places. Carolyn and Jay McGovern own it now.
"It's kind of this idyllic little block of natural, beautiful habitat," said Land Conservancy Executive Director Peter Kleinhenz, per The Post and Courier. "You see a house that dates back to 1785, old longleaf pines and open space, and you're literally stepping back in time."
Kleinhenz explained that the location lies in one of Aiken's fastest-growing sections. What you see there mirrors what stood more than two centuries ago.
Kleinhenz praised the McGoverns for their restoration work. "You've got to give them credit because they've fully restored it and have tried to maintain its integrity," he said. "You go in there, and there are giant cypress boards and original nails in the walls."
This purchase moves the goal closer: linking protected lands between Aiken State Park and the Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve. The tract boasts 1.2 miles of waterfront along the South Fork of the Edisto River.
Visitors will be able to access the entire parcel. It should become a Wildlife Management Area, opening doors for hunting, watching animals, fishing, and paddling. The conservancy plans to give ownership to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.
