Midtown - Downtown in Columbia in Richland County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
1900 Block of Henderson Street
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William J. Sumter
Photographed by Nancy Stone-Collum, February 23, 2020
1. 1900 Block of Henderson Street Marker
1900 Block of Henderson Street. This block features a dense collection of late 19th and early 20th c. houses historically associated with and home to African Americans. Residing here through the mid-1900s were many middle- and working-class African Americans, including barbers, teachers, nurses, carpenters, cooks, porters, maids, a butcher, a pastor, and a blacksmith. By the 1940s, several properties here were owned by barber William J. Sumter.
William J. Sumter. The house at 1931 Henderson St. was the home of William J. Sumter (1881-1967), an African American entrepreneur who owned and operated a well-known barbershop on Main St. from 1905-1954, said to have been the oldest in Columbia when it closed. Sumter purchased this house in 1909 from African American carpenter John W. Bailey. Sumter and his wife, Daisy A. Robinson, lived here with their children. He later owned 1921 and 1925 Henderson St., which he rented to tenants.
Erected 2019 by Richland County Conservation Commission. (Marker Number 40-212.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans •
this page online
Location. 34° 0.857′ N, 81° 1.819′ W. Marker is in Columbia, South Carolina, in Richland County. It is in Midtown - Downtown. It is at the intersection of Henderson Street and Calhoun Street, on the left when traveling north on Henderson Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1931 Henderson St, 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 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: A Nurturing Nature (about 400 feet away,
Photographed by Nancy Stone-Collum, February 23, 2020
2. William J. Sumter Marker
Photographed by Nancy Stone-Collum, February 23, 2020
3. 3 generations of Sumter descendants
Photographed by Victoria
4. 1900 Block of Henderson Street / William J. Sumter Marker
Dr. and Mrs. John Dozier
Photographed by Victoria
5. William J. Sumter at 1931 Henderson Street
Photographed by Victoria
6. Mrs. William J Sumter
Photographed by Nancy Stone-Collum, February 23, 2020
7. William Sumter's Barber license
Credits. This page was last revised on January 24, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 10, 2020, by Nancy Stone-Collum of Columbia, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 979 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 10, 2020, by Nancy Stone-Collum of Columbia, South Carolina. 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 27, 2020, by Victoria of Columbia, South Carolina. 7. submitted on March 11, 2020, by Nancy Stone-Collum of Columbia, South Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
