Our Historical Home

The two-story home of Spanish and American Colonial style at 607 Aiken Avenue was built in 1921 by renowned, regional architect A.D. Gilchrist for Rock Hill Mayor, W.R. Armstrong. Design characteristics of the 4,000-square-foot home include a low-pitched roof, clay roof tiles, a square, symmetrical façade, and surface decorations in low relief.

Local businessman William M. Mauldin purchased the home for his family in 1923. The house was knownbriefly as the “Coca-Cola House.” Mauldin had purchased the Rock Hill Coca-Cola Plant in 1908 and, with it, the exclusive right to bottle and sell Coca-Cola to customers in Rock Hill and the surrounding counties. The Rock Hill Coca-Cola Bottling Company continues as a family business and is widely respected for its community-wide charitable giving. 

The home remained in the Mauldin family until 1969, when the widowed Mayme Mauldin died.  The Woman’s Club of Rock Hill purchased the Armstrong-Mauldin House in 1971 from Mauldin daughter, Ann Bruce, for use as its clubhouse. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property in the Charlotte Avenue/Aiken Avenue Historic District in 1992.

In 2010, the club undertook the restoration of the original 1930’s gardens developed by the Mauldin family,  specifically Mayme Mauldin. The gardens were chosen by the national Garden Conservancy for inclusion in its Open Days program, which opens exceptional gardens to the public for tours. It was the only one in South Carolina chosen in 2010. The gardens were named to the list of South Carolina Historic Gardens by the South Carolina Historic Gardens Initiative in 2013.

The Woman’s Club of Rock Hill has been recognized by its community and the State of South Carolina for its efforts in historic restoration and preservation. On June 11, 2014, the Woman’s Club of Rock Hill was presented with a Historic Preservation Stewardship Award by The Palmetto Trust, South Carolina Department of History and Archive, and the Office of the Governor. The presentation was made by Governor Haley at the Statehouse.