A Society for Edgewood By Judith Goodwin
S
andra E. Tucker still has fond memories of the house she once lived in – a home that was known as Edgewood and today rests on the grounds of USC Aiken as the Pickens-Salley House. “As a young woman from New Jersey, it was a magical experience 40 years ago to spend a winter in Edgewood, the gracious home of Eulalie Salley and Eulalie Rutledge,” she said. “The house was furnished with beautiful antiques and the surrounding gardens oozed southern charm and hospitality. It was some years later that I actually learned the historical significance of the house and Mrs. Salley’s role in the women’s suffragette movement as well as her being an icon in the Aiken business world.” She added that “It warmed my heart when Edgewood was donated and lovingly moved from its picturesque setting on Kalmia Hill to its permanent home on the campus of the University of South Carolina Aiken. I’m very excited about future plans for the building and the creation of new gardens that will be historically in keeping with the house.” Another story was added to the history of USC Aiken’s Pickens-Salley House with the establishment of the Edgewood Ladies’ Society this year. Their annual gift of $500 or more to support the upkeep and progress of the Pickens-Salley House qualified these ladies to become charter members of the Society. The house was donated to the USC Aiken campus and moved there in the 1980s. It received a great deal of attention since the premiere of “Edgewood: Stage of Southern History” last year. The documentary, which tells the history of the house named “Edgewood” chronicles the lives of the women who spent their lives there in the almost 200 years since it was constructed. The first half of the film recounts Lucy Pickens’ life in the house as wife of South Carolina governor, Francis W. Pickens, during the Civil War. The film continues with stories of Eulalie Salley, an Aiken business woman involved with the suffrage movement in the early 1900s. Eulalie moved the house to Aiken from Edgefield, where it was built. Finally, the house found its permanent home on the campus of USC Aiken as the office of the Chancellor and University Advancement. Some of the members of the Edgewood Ladies’ Society either lived in the house or visited there as children when the Salley family lived there. At a recent 10
USCA Magazine | 2011
tea gathering for the Society, stories of Eulalie were told while the women looked at costumes from the documentary and family memorabilia donated by family members. During a tour of the house, Pat Pennington, who played in the house during her childhood, showed everyone the hinged panels on the mantle where little girls could hide secret treasures. Other Edgewood treasures continue as Edgewood Ladies’ Society members get the chance to borrow, for one day, the replica of the Hope Diamond used in the filming of the documentary. As new memories are being created, old ones are being preserved with the help of the Edgewood Ladies’ Society. For more information about the Edgewood Ladies’ Society or how you can help preserve the historic home of Edgewood at USC Aiken, call Judith Goodwin at (803) 641-3417.