Midtown - Downtown in Columbia in Richland County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Canal Dime Savings Bank
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Bouie v. City of Columbia (1964)
October 2018
1. Canal Dime Savings Bank/Bouie v. City of Columbia (1964) Marker
Canal Dime Savings Bank. This three-story building was designed by the noted Columbia architectural firm of W.B. Smith Whaley and Co. Completed in 1895 and featuring a granite facade and red barrel tile roof, the building is a rare example of Romanesque-style architecture in Columbia. Originally built to house the Canal Dime Savings Bank, the building was acquired by Eckerds Pharmacy in 1936 and continued to operate as a drugstore until the 1980s.
Bouie v. City of Columbia (1864). On March 14, 1960, African American college students Simon Bouie and Talmadge Neal led a protest march to the Eckerds luncheonette. The pair were jailed and convicted for refusing to leave their seats after being denied service due to their race. In Bouie v. Columbia (1964), the U.S. Supreme Court overturned their convictions. The sit-in demonstration was part of broader protest movements against racial segregation in Columbia and the nation.
Erected 2017 by Columbia SC 63. (Marker Number 40-195.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Civil Rights
this page online
Location. 34° 0.361′ N, 81° 2.131′ W. Marker is in Columbia, South Carolina, in Richland County. It is in Midtown - Downtown. It is on Main Street south of Taylor Street, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1530 Main Street, Columbia SC 29201, 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 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: We Shall Not Be Moved (within shouting distance of this marker); Taylor Street (within shouting distance of this marker); Sylvan Building
October 2018
2. Canal Dime Savings Bank/Bouie v. City of Columbia (1964) Marker
Also see . . . National Register of Historic Places continuation sheet for the building. While the original nomination form is not available from the National Park Service, this continuation sheet, processed on October 22, 1980, shares the building's historical significance on page 1:
Columbia's only surviving example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style of architecture, the Eckerd's building was constructed sometime between 1892 and 1895. The unaltered second and third floor facade is typical of the 19th Century style with rough cut granite, rounded arches, and an asymmetrical design with a heavy sculptural quality. The architectural firm of W. B. Smith Whaley and Company designed the building at 1530 Main Street for the Canal Dime Savings Bank. The design(Submitted on January 23, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)could be the work of either Whaley, a prominent Columbia architect, builder, and cotton industrialist, or of his partner, Gadsden E. Shand.
Subsequently owned by the Loan and Exchange Bank of South Carolina, the State Bank and Trust Company, and the People's Bank of Columbia, the building was acquired by Eckerd's in 1936. It has been occupied by Eckerd's since that time.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 16, 2026
4. National Register of Historic Places plaque for the building
of Historic Places
Canal Dime Savings Bank
Credits. This page was last revised on January 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 19, 2018. This page has been viewed 473 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 5, 2018. 3, 4. submitted on January 23, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
