Historic hotel ownership changes
Geoff and Shannon Ellis, who opened The Restaurant at The Willcox in November, now own the historic hotel.
The couple recently purchased the stately Colleton Avenue property from The Garrett Hotel Group, which had owned the hotel since 2000. Specific details on the sale have not been released.
The Ellises saw the restaurant nestled in the rear of the lobby as a great way to reach out to the Aiken community, and now they say they can have even more of an impact.
“The Willcox is a piece of history, and it’s such a beautiful property,” Geoff said. “We wanted to open the restaurant because we loved The Willcox, and now that we have control of it all, we want to integrate it more into the community.”
The couple had an inkling that they would buy the hotel from The Garrett Hotel Group when they arrived in Aiken but had no idea it would happen so quickly. Shannon said they were thinking the deal would come in five years or so.
“But there was always a hope, a wish there,” Geoff said. “This is kind of a dream come true.”
Geoff grew up in Aiken and has fond memories of the hotel, especially sneaking peeks at the pub when he was a teenager even though he wasn’t allowed in there.
Willcox’s, as it was originally named, was a mainstay of Aiken’s Winter Colony. It was operated from 1898 to 1957 by members of the Willcox family.
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Downtown revels in equine holiday event.
Bells rang, children clapped, adults sang Christmas carols and horses were decorated as Aikenites prepared for Christmas equine style.
A new Christmas celebration came to downtown Aiken on Wednesday afternoon. Christmas carolers made their rounds of downtown but they were not on foot. The carolers came on horseback, in carriages and on a hay wagon complete with Santa Claus and horses and riders dressed in holiday cheer.
Twelve horseback riders and about 30 people in the hay wagon and one horse-drawn buggy gathered together to spread holiday tidings. They sang “Jingle Bells” – “Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh” – and “Silent Night” as they worked their way through town. The group began on South Laurens and caroled its way through town, making several stops on Laurens Street, at the Trinity Lutheran Home and in The Alley before making its way to The Willcox for a meeting with Santa and Toys for Tots drive. Full Story…
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Rescue dog book signing to benefit new SPCA center
On Nov. 1, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the The Willcox, there will be a special book signing and “paw graphing” by author Elise Lufkin and locally rescued therapy dog Serena.
All proceeds from book sales on this special evening will be dedicated to the building fund for the SPCA Education and Training Center portion of the new facility to be built on Willow Run Road.
The book, “To the Rescue,” features dogs and one cat who have been saved by people who then turned their love for these animals into a mission to help their fellow man.
All of the brave animals featured were once discarded, abandoned or abused, but their unconditional love and bond with their human saviors gave inspiration to the desire to turn a bad past into an inspiring future.
Animal-adoption advocate Lufkin tells about therapy dogs who visit nursing homes, offer hospice patients relief and inspire injured veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The book features service, search-and-rescue and therapy dogs, including Serena, who was first saved from euthanasia by Molly’s Militia, then adopted by Steve Briggs.
Her laid-back personality encouraged Steve to pursue pet therapy training with her. Full Details…..
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