In 1898, Colonel & Mrs. Sheffield Phelps commissioned the construction of their city block winter home (four houses and eight buildings) atop the high point of Downtown Aiken. The Dutch Colonial Shingle Style architecture of The Main House is a unique find in the Southeast. After the early death of Colonel Phelps, Mrs. Phelps made Rose Hill the permanent residence for herself and her children. Mrs. Phelps became an avid gardener and in 1930, she organized and hosted the first meeting of the Garden Club of South Carolina at Rose Hill.
The structures and gardens sat untouched for several years until a wealthy gentleman from Dallas, Mr. Jones, came forward in the early 1990’s with a vision to operate a religious college on the property. He made over $1 million worth of renovations and his small, tuition-free college operated for several years at Rose Hill.
Rose Hill sat uninhabited until 2002, until the next set of visionaries came forward: Mr. Stephen Mueller and his mother Eva.
In 2018, the property was purchased by Ketan Patel with the intent to continue the legacy established by Eva & Stephen Mueller.
Stay tuned for more history and fun facts about this amazing property in the next issue of Aiken Bella Magazine.
