Owners and Properties of Hopelands Gardens and Rye Patch
Hopelands Gardens
Hopelands Gardens in Aiken, SC, originally a 14-acre estate, was purchased by C. Oliver Iselin in 1897. His wife, Hope Goddard Iselin, planted the Oaks and Cedars that now adorn the property. Following her death at 102 in April 1970, she bequeathed Hopelands to a state entity. After a selection process, Aiken was chosen to receive the property, thanks to the efforts of Mayor Odell Weeks and City Manager Roland H. Windham, despite initial reservations from the City Council.
Upon acquisition, the main residence, which had fallen into disrepair, was demolished as stipulated. However, three original structures remain: the carriage house (now the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum), the Doll House (home of the Aiken Council of Garden Clubs), and the caretaker’s cottage. Renowned South Carolina landscape architect Robert Marvin designed the gardens, which have since become a cherished community asset, celebrated for their historical significance and natural beauty.
The Iselins
Hope Goddard Iselin, born in 1868, was the only child of Colonel William Goddard, President of the Providence National Bank and Brown University’s Chancellor. She married C. Oliver Iselin, a wealthy banker from a prominent Long Island family, in 1894. They had two children, William Goddard, who died young, and Edith Hope.
The Iselins owned several homes, wintering in Aiken to train their Thoroughbred racehorses, helping establish Aiken as a major horse training location. C. Oliver Iselin was a notable yachtsman, defending the America’s Cup three times, and Hope was the first woman on an America’s Cup crew in 1894. The Iselins were benevolent, funding the first Aiken Hospital and founding the Aiken Hospital and Relief Society in 1917, which provided medical assistance.
C. Oliver’s will ensured continued support for the hospital and medical aid for the needy. This legacy persists today through ACTS (Area Churches Together Serving).
The Rye Patch
Rye Patch, initially owned by William Travers in 1897, became the winter residence of Dorothy Knox Goodyear Rogers and Edmund Pendleton Rogers in 1938. Dorothy left the estate to her children upon her death in 1980, and in 1981, they donated it to Aiken in her memory. Similar to Hopelands, the deed restricted certain activities, ensuring its use as a dignified civic center. Opened to the public in 1983, Rye Patch exemplifies historic preservation. It hosts weddings, receptions, and civic events. The Carriage Museum opened in 1984, and in 1992, it was named after Clifford S. Gerde. Patsy’s Garden, donated by the Goodyear family in 1989, honors their daughter. In 2017, the Rye Patch stable underwent restoration, preserving its historical charm and housing replicas of horses once owned by Aiken residents, including the beloved Dandy.
Dot Rogers
Dorothy Rogers, fondly known as Dot, was born in 1896 to Grace Millard Knox and Seymour Knox I, a prominent figure in F.W. Woolworth Company. She married Frank H. Goodyear in 1916 and later Edmund Pendleton Rogers in 1931, after Frank’s death in 1930. Edmund, president of the Fulton Trust Company, was known as an enthusiastic sportsman.
Dorothy’s grandchildren cherished her, remembering her as fun and generous, often sharing Sunday dinners and visiting the Rye Patch stable. Known as the perfect hostess in Aiken, her dinners were orchestrated flawlessly by her head butler, LeRoy Wright. Notably, in 1952, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were guests at Rye Patch for lunch, although earlier rumors of their stay in 1938 remain unsubstantiated.
