335 Sumter St SE, Aiken, SC 29801

Dreaming of a gracious lifestyle in historic Aiken, South Carolina? ''Seven Gables'' - a home built in 1800, listed on the Aiken Historic Homes Registry, and immaculately maintained - could be exactly what you are looking for. This large, single-level ''cottage'' is located on a quiet, wooded street in one of the city's finest neighborhoods in the ''winter colony.'' Graced with high ceilings and flooded with light, it offers tremendous privacy, all within walking distance of downtown Aiken, the entrance to Hitchcock Woods, and the sand roads of this charming equestrian community. Nestled on .62 acres, the home was lovingly restored under the direction of New York architect, Robert Rich. Rich's modifications emphasized the separation of public spaces from private ones, the formal ones from the informal ones, the ones intended for family from the ones intended for guests. The sweeping layout and the large center hallway make the home ideal for entertaining, even as it boasts 2 primary ensuite bedrooms and 2 guest ensuite bedrooms, each of them opening off dedicated hallways. Many of the home's historic architectural features, which include five fireplaces, all with their original mantels, as well as classic door and window surrounds, have been lovingly restored to maintain its timeless elegance by the same professionals and craftsmen who helped restore Aiken's famous ''Joye Cottage,'' the Whitney-Vanderbilt estate. ''Seven Gables'' has a park-like setting, with three separate gardens that you experience almost like outdoor rooms: a formal entrance garden, a balcony patio that looks out onto a marvelous walled garden, and a large lawn with a hundred-year-old camelia grove, featuring 78 varieties of camelias. The original two-story carriage barn has unlimited possibilities. In the heart of Aiken and priced to allow you to put your personal touch on this historic home.