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Josef Hofmann Marker

SC PICTURE PROJECT 2 Comments

SC Picture Project / Aiken County / Josef Hofmann Marker

This marker in Aiken denotes the site of the former Hofmann House, home of world-famous pianist, Josef Casimir Hofmann. Many critics consider Hofmann the greatest pianist of his time. The musician was born in the Podgórze district of Krakow, Poland, in 1876. Interestingly, he was born the same year Steinway made the Centennial piano, a modern piano with a capo d-astro bar and full cast-iron plate, which was exhibited at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia – the first World’s Fair – that same year. Hofmann developed his art on modern Steinways, becoming a virtuoso known for his interpretations of the works of Chopin.

Josef Hofmann Marker

Larry Gleason of Aiken, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

A child prodigy, Hofmann delivered his first concert at the Warsaw Opera at the age of five. He moved to the United States in 1900 and later became a citizen. From 1927 through 1938 he served as director of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. By the end of his career, Hofmann had performed 151 concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York, among many other notable performances.

Fermata School Postcard

Digital Commonwealth, circa 1930

In 1904 Hofmann was invited to perform at Joye Cottage in Aiken, the winter home of New York financier William C. Whitney. The home had recently been inherited by Whitney’s son, Harry Payne Whitney, and his wife, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, a renowned sculptress and founder of the Whitney Museum in New York. It was at this private performance that Hofmann met Aiken resident Marie Eustis, a divorcee 11 years his senior. They married the following year and lived in a three-story house in Aiken called Fermata where the couple opened a school for girls on the third floor called the Fermata School in 1919.

Hoffman House Site

Larry Gleason of Aiken, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The marriage ended in divorce in the early 1920s, though Mrs. Hofmann continued to operate the school. In 1921 the school moved to a property on nine acres of land called Tall Pines on Whiskey Road. A fire destroyed the main building of the school (seen in the above historic postcard) in 1941, shortly after the school closed. In 1952 several Aiken families leased the property’s remaining buildings to establish a social club – called the Fermata Club – which continues today. Josef Hofmann died in Los Angeles in 1957. The site of the Hofmanns’ home and the first location of the school was eventually replaced with condominiums, seen above, overlooking the renowned Hitchcock Woods.

Josef Hofmann Marker Info


Address: Laurens Street, Aiken, SC 29801
GPS Coordinates: 33.556588,-81.724833

Josef Hofmann Marker Map



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Plan Your Trip: Josef Hofmann Marker

Where is Josef Hofmann Marker located?
Address: Laurens Street, Aiken, SC 29801
GPS Coordinates: 33.556588,-81.724833
What else should I see?
Legare-Morgan House 0.1 mile
China Springs Schoolhouse 0.1 mile
Frederick Ergle Cabin 0.2 mile
Aiken County Historical Museum 0.2 mile
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  • Aiken Historic Sites
    Josef Hofmann Marker Map

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Adrien says

      August 28, 2020 at 4:59 PM

      Hello,
      I am very knowledgeable about Josef Hofmann.
      Could you take pictures of the instruments?
      I can maybe identify the instruments.
      Here is my email adress : psalms.chord@gmail.com

      Best,

      Adrien

      Reply
    2. Laura Jolly says

      January 7, 2020 at 3:09 PM

      Hi! Two years ago, my husband and I purchased a home. 516 Josef Hofmann Terrace. The fence is wrought iron featuring musical instruments. I am told it came from the original Fermatta home and school, but I have been unable to verify. Any info would help!

      Reply

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    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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