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Sebring-Aimar House
The Sebring-Aimar House, located at 268 Calhoun Street in historic downtown Charleston, was dedicated as the
Medical University of South Carolina's (MUSC) Alumni and Development Center in October 1987. The house is a
historic structure built between 1838 and 1846 by Edward Sebring, who was president of the State Bank of
South Carolina. Presently located at the corners of Calhoun Street and Ashley Avenue, the house appears in
two paintings by H. Jackson from the 1840s on the banks of a large tidal millpond. Sebring family records
indicate that the house was pillaged by federal troops under General Potter during the Civil War.
Ownership of the building remained in the Sebring family until 1882, when the property was acquired by Charles
Pons Aimar, co-founder of G.W. Aimar & Company, a landmark pharmacy in Charleston for almost one hundred years.
Aimar's descendants owned and lived in the house until 1983, when the property was purchased by the Health
Sciences Foundation of the Medical University of South Carolina. Aimar's son, Charles P. Aimar, Jr., MD, a
professor of general surgery at the Medical College of South Carolina, lived in the house for many years
until his death in 1927.
After acquiring the property from the Health Sciences Foundation, MUSC carefully renovated the antebellum
building to provide facilities in support of its advancement activities. In addition to the housing the
Office of Alumni Affairs and Office of Development, the Sebring-Aimar house serves as a visitor center for
alumni, friends and guests and provides meeting and function space for the alumni associations and the
various support groups of the University.
Renovation of the property began in March 1986 under the guidance of G. Fraser Wilson, MD, a Charleston
physician and MUSC alumnus. Dr. Wilson served on the boards of the South Carolina Historical Society, the
South Carolina Governor's Mansion Commission and the Historic Charleston Foundation.
The elegant structure retains its former stately appearance. Two beautifully appointed rooms on the main, or
second, floor provide a sitting room for guests and meeting and reception facilities. The remainder of the
building is dedicated to office and work space.
Contributions from two MUSC alumni made possible the renovation and furnishing of the main rooms. In addition,
many of the other furnishings throughout the house were loaned or donated by University alumni and friends.
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