Midtown - Downtown in Columbia in Richland County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Time to Collect the Rent
After the Civil War, property ownership for African Americans promised the hope of greater freedom and racial equality—at least to a degree—in a society framed by official and unofficial Jim Crow racism. As long-time property owners on this block, the Mann-Simons family continually improved its property by adding to existing buildings and erecting new ones.
Between 1912 and 1913, Charles Simons [b. 1865 - d. 1933] and Amanda Simons [b. 1887 - d. 1960] replaced five small structures on Marion Street with three, two-story rental houses. Their choice of white, mostly Eastern and Southern European, tenants complicates and challenges understandings of Jim Crow-era segregation and how black and white people interacted with one another.
[Sidebar:]
In 1899, activists and educator Booker T. Washington spoke to how important property ownership was to black people, when he wrote:
"The possession of property is an evidence of mental discipline, mental grasp and control…of fixedness of character and purpose."
[Caption:]
The family's three new rental houses were similar in style and to those being built in Columbia's suburbs at the time.
Erected by Historic
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1912.
Location. 34° 0.73′ N, 81° 2.073′ W. Marker is in Columbia, South Carolina, in Richland County. It is in Midtown - Downtown. It is on Marion Street north of Richland Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1403 Richland 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 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: From Historic House to Modern Museum (a few steps from this marker); Uncovering Traces of the Past
Credits. This page was last revised on January 24, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 24, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 24 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 24, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
