A Scrapbook: 20 Years of Schofield Neighborhood Revitalization

On December 20, 2001, the Northside Heritage Preservation Foundation, Inc. was founded by Bill and Beatrice McGhee to advocate for the protection, preservation and restoration of the historic Schofield neighborhood on Aiken’s northside. The need was urgent. The City of Aiken’s “award-winning” Demo 200 program was encouraging property owners to have old homes demolished, regardless of the state of disrepair, for a mere $200 fee. An estimated 40 homes had already been demolished over the previous two years, and more were slated for destruction.

A Tale of Two Houses

In 2001, Beatrice McGhee, already active in promoting historic preservation, was serving on the Board of the Aiken Historic Preservation Commission. Preservation of historic properties in some sections of town were viewed as important and had been ongoing for decades. The preservation of historic properties in Aiken’s Northside had never been viewed as important. That was about to change.

In January 2002, an article appeared in the local newspaper featuring Beatrice McGhee and the Aiken Historic Preservation Commision’s battle to save two threatened, historic homes on Barnwell Avenue. One house was built in 1885; the other in 1928. Both were among twenty-someting homes slated for demolition in the Schofield neighborhood.

ABOVE: January 2002 Augusta Chronicles newspaper clipping from the McGhees’ scrapbook on Schofield neighborhood revitalization.

The City of Aiken responded to the pressure to salvage these homes by setting aside $150,000 to “buy, fix up and resell” the houses, according to the article. By the end of the process, however, only one house was saved and restored. The other house was deemed too expensive to repair. It was demolished, despite efforts by the McGhees to purchase the house from the City. Adding insult to injury, the demolition and vacant lot left in its wake were literally visible from the McGhees’ backyard.

ABOVE: The two houses slated for demolition. The circa 1928 house on the left was saved and restored. The circa 1885 house on the right was demolished by the City, despite an offer by the McGhees to purchase.

BELOW: The restored house beside the vacant lot on Barnwell Avenue.

Neighborhood residents and advocates were understandably concerned. Between the vegetative overgrowth and the gathering litter that often plagues vacant lots, these properties can quickly become eyesores, serving as evidence of a neighborhood in decline and lowering property values.

Undeterred by the inability to save the historic 1885 house from destruction, the McGhees, the Northside Heritage Preservation Foundation, and the newly-formed Schofield Community Association envisioned a new life for that vacant lot. Within three years, this vision was transformed to a reality by the Northside Heritage Preservation Foundation, which purchased the lot, then rescued a nearby circa 1890s house from demolition by arranging to have the house moved onto the vacant lot.

The Parsonage

The Parsonage was only the first. There would be other houses saved from destruction and brought back to life through hard work over the next 20 years. Some were repaired in place; others, like the Parsonage, were moved to fill vacant lots. Houses were saved, repaired and restored through the neighborhood, from Barnwell to Abbeville, Marion, Williamsburg, Fairfield, and Kershaw Streets.

Each project illustrated the benefits of repairing, rather than demolishing old homes. The Parsonage project also illustrated how an unsightly, vacant lot can be transformed and, in the process, beautify the neighborhood, increase property values, and create tax income for the City — a win-win for everyone. There are many remarkable stories to tell of Northside revitalization. Below are three.

Click the images below to open photo albums of Schofield neighborhood revitalization projects over the past 20 years.

Whether working in individual efforts or in collaboration and partnership with other organizations, the McGhee family has been an integral part of northside neighborhood revitalization over the past 20 years. As the Aiken Chronicles reported in 2022:

With a business motto of “restoring Aiken, one brick at a time,” the McGhee family remains prominently and deeply involved with historic preservation projects. The AMDC itself has proudly described them as partners in the commission’s Williamsburg Street redevelopment efforts. If you see an old house being moved on an Aiken street, it is likely to involve the McGhee family businesses. 

In January 2020 Bill McGhee received The Aiken Award “for his restoration work of old residences on the city’s Northside.” After that honor, Bill and Beatrice McGhee also received the second lifetime achievement award ever bestowed by the Historic Aiken Foundation. 

The McGhees’ latest vision brought to the drawing board is the Kershaw Street Revitalization Project, a one-of-a-kind, innovative project whose success would not only benefit this Northside neighborhood, but also the larger Aiken community and the City.

This project’s success would also serve as a model for other such projects in the neighborhood, the city, and even the state. Aiken can look forward to seeing more details in the coming months as this project is brought to life in the coming months.