Live Oak Winter Colony

Live Oak is a stunning and rare Winter Colony property.   Situated on just under 3 acres on Aiken’s famed Easy Street, this completely renovated property was expanded and restored in 2003.  Everett Crawford and his wife Edna purchased the property in the early 1920’s, after visiting their good friends, the Hitchcocks.  The house was originally 3 separate buildings.  The center is believed to be a 1840’s building with 2 chimneys.  Around 1910, all of the buildings were brought together including new construction of the living room which joins them today.  In the 1920’s the Crawfords built the pool and pool house.  In 2000, the pool was restored and the pool house was replaced.

Edna Crawford loved gardening and thanks to her, there is a large collection of camellias on the property.  Some were brought from Edgefield by horse and buggy.  The live oak in the rear of the house is approximately 300 years old and give the house its name.  The estate was expanded when the family purchased the adjacent property from Fred Astaire’s in-laws, keeping only the lovely gates on Easy Street and the Third Avenue garage with apartment.   After Mrs. Crawford’s death in 1974, their daughter Evna inherited the property and wintered there until her death in 1992.  Shortly thereafter, Evna’s son Rip Allen and his wife Shirley developed plans to save and modernize the house, stable and pool.  The final addition to the estate was the current two car garage and apartment on the property. 

The main house features 4 large bedrooms with sitting rooms, large baths and closets.  A large custom kitchen with laundry room and pantry adjacent, flowing into a breakfast room.  The large dining room opens to a very large living room with intricate mill work.  There are 2 sitting rooms off the main living room, a game room, office, wet bar and half bath.  There are extensive decks and patios throughout the property overlooking the gardens.  When renovated, the house was opened up to embrace today’s open living concept with thoughtful attention to detail.  The house has 2 master suites, both overlooking the magnificent gardens in the rear of the home.  There is a connector to the 2-car garage with gardener’s bath and an apartment thoughtfully perched above with its own entrance and balcony.  As you move through the gardens you come upon the great pool house with bath, shower, diving board and slide.  French doors surround the pool to open during summer or close up in the winter months.

There is also a 9 stall barn with 3 paddock and room for apartment above.  Adjacent to the barn is a 3 car garage with a 2 bedroom apartment above.  This property is truly a one of a kind and one of Aiken’s finest homes and gardens.  Just steps from Hitchcock Woods.  The house has remained in the family for over 100 years.

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Thomas Bossard