Hattie Aiken was born on September
7, 1886. The daughter of William and Mary Lankford Aiken and the granddaughter
of B.C. and Amanda Morris Lankford, Hattie spent most of her life in the family
home located on East Main St.  Her father
had built the house in 1893.

Hattie taught at Brevard
Institute from about 1915-1920.  She
continued her teaching career in North Wilkesboro and Mt. Airy for the next 29
years.  She was the principal at Rockford
Street School in Mt. Airy.

After retirement Miss Hattie
returned full-time to the family home in Brevard.  To
supplement her retirement she took in boarders. 
In a 1977 interview, Miss Hattie stated, “I really enjoyed having people
in the house, I have four rooms upstairs and three down that I rented.”  Her guests included summer tourists and
working men with Ecusta, DuPont and American Thread.

In 1977 Miss Hattie sold the
property to First State Savings and Loan.  She felt that she could no longer care for old
home and had decided to move to the Brevard Residential Care Center (now the
Brian Center).

Miss Hattie died at the age of
96 on Christmas Day, 1982.  Many of her
mementos, including an autograph album, photographs, greeting cards, postcards
and personal correspondence are now in the Family Collection in the Local
History Room at the Library. 

Christmas and New Year’s
postcards from Miss Hattie collection dating from 1906 to 1935 will be on
display on the 2^nd floor for a couple of more weeks.

The old Aiken house was torn
down in 1977 for the new bank building. 
Today the bank is the home of the Chamber of Commerce and Heart of Brevard.

Photographs and information
for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room,
Transylvania County Library.  Visit the
NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our
history and see additional photographs. 
For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at [email protected] or 828-884-3151 X242.