Midtown - Downtown in Columbia in Richland County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Booker T. Washington School
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Booker T. Washington High
October 2018
1. Booker T. Washington School/Booker T. Washington High Marker
Booker T. Washington School. The two-story main building at Booker T. Washington School, built in 1916, stood here until 1975. At first an elementary school with grades 1-10, it became Booker T. Washington High School with grades 9-10 in 1918, added grade 11 in 1924, and added grade 12 in 1947. Columbias only black high school from 1917 to 1948 and for many years the largest black high school in the state, it closed in 1974.
Booker T. Washington High. Booker T. Washington High, one of the first black high schools accredited by the S.C. Dept. of Education, was also one of the most significant institutions in Columbias black community for more than fifty years. Notable principals included C.A. Johnson, 1916-1931; J. Andrew Simmons, 1932-1945; and Harry B. Rutherford, 1950-1965. The University of S.C. bought the property in 1974 and demolished the main building in 1975.
Erected 2009 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History, sponsored by Historic Columbia Foundation, the City of Columbia, and SC Department of Transportation. (Marker Number 40-164.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education.
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Location. 33° 59.586′ N, 81° 1.533′ W. Marker is in Columbia, South Carolina, in Richland County. It is in Midtown - Downtown. It is on Wheat Street east of Sumter Street, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1400 Wheat Street, Columbia SC 29205, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Midlands. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Booker T. Washington High School (within shouting distance of this marker); Gladden Home Site (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Richard Theodore Greener (1844-1922) (approx. Ό mile away); Blossom Street (approx. Ό mile away); Woman's Club of Columbia (approx. Ό mile away); Site of Parade Ground (approx. 0.3 miles away); Mexican Border and World War Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Beth Shalom Cemetery (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbia.
October 1, 2018
2. Booker T. Washington School/Booker T. Washington High Marker Reverse
October 2018
3. Booker T. Washington School/Booker T. Washington High Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 19, 2018. This page has been viewed 482 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 5, 2018. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
