Midtown - Downtown in Columbia in Richland County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
From Glass House to Glass Block
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 17, 2026
1. From Glass House to Glass Block Marker
After World War II, this block changed dramatically from what it had looked like for generations. Numerous commercial buildings replaced the estate's sprawling garden. By June 1948, this corner, where a glasshouse (greenhouse) had stood from at least the 1850s through 1910, became home to Wilson Motors, "the most up to date Ford dealership in the Southeast." The $200,000 Streamline Moderne style facility featured all the hallmarks of the modern age: concrete and steel construction, large plate glass windows, curved paneled walls, and a flat roof.
[Captions:]
Right
Wilson Motors Parts Department
Inside, Wilson Motors featured a parts department with a counter made of aluminum banding with glass blocks illuminated by fluorescent green lights. Through its use of plate glass and glass block construction, today's Boyd Foundation Horticultural Center features architectural similarities to both the site's original greenhouse and the later automobile dealership.
John Hensel photograph collection, South Caroliniana Library, University of Carolina, Columbia
Above
Wilson Motors Automobile Showroom
Radiant heat in the winter, air conditioning in the summer, and fluorescent lighting for day and night provided Wilson Motors customers, seen here in 1951,
this page online
John Hensel photograph collection, South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia
Erected by Historic Columbia Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1948.
Location. 34° 0.652′ N, 81° 1.822′ W. Marker is in Columbia, South Carolina, in Richland County. It is in Midtown - Downtown. It is on Pickens Street north of Blanding Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1725 Pickens 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: Rooms for a Day, Week or Month (a few steps from this marker); Uprooted and Paved Over (a few steps from this marker); Botanical Luxury (a few steps from this marker); Hampton-Preston Sustainers Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); A Natural Showcase (within shouting distance of this marker); 1715 Pickens Street (within shouting distance of this marker); Cutting Pathways and Sowing Seeds
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 17, 2026
2. From Glass House to Glass Block Marker
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 27 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 24, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
