An Enduring Landmark

An Enduring Landmark. . , Columbia was founded as South Carolina's second capital on March 22, 1786. Brothers James and Thomas Taylor owned much of the land that comprised the original city limits, including the tract upon which the Seibels House is said to have been erected in 1796., [Captions:] , Left , Believed to be Columbia's oldest remaining structure, the Seibels House began as a far simpler, wood-frame residence most likely built by white and enslaved black craftsmen. Later owners adapted the house to meet their needed, especially the Seibels family which acquired the property in 1858. , Historic Columbia collection, Left , The building's current Colonial Revival style, rendered in the 1920s by noted local architect J. Carroll Johnson, belies the former residence's original simpler appearance. , Historic Columbia collection, Above , When built at the end of the 18th century, the Seibels House stood in a largely undeveloped area. Three generations later, the property (outlined in red) had many neighbors, including the State Asylum (yellow), the Columbia Male Academy (blue) and the Hampton Preston estate. , Image courtesy of the Library of Congress