Kensington Mansion remains closed through holiday season after ice storm damage

One Midlands holiday tradition has been put on ice this year, as Kensington Mansion remains closed due to damage from February’s ice storm.

The Scarborough-Hamer Foundation furnishes the historic 19th-century home in Lower Richland and offers fund-raising tours, which have been most popular when the house is decorated in period-appropriate Christmas items late each year. The mansion and its grounds are owned by International Paper, which operates the neighboring industrial plant on the Wateree River.

The mansion suffered roof damage during the February ice storm, which hit particularly hard in Lower Richland. Ricky Good, director of the foundation, said damage to its collection was minimal – one small drinking glass was lost – and everything has been moved to undamaged parts of the mansion.

International Paper is still working out details on the mansion’s future. “We plan to have a clearer vision for the use of the property in 2015,” said Kim Wirth, senior communications manager at IP.

This story was originally published December 15, 2014 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Kensington Mansion remains closed through holiday season after ice storm damage."