Midtown - Downtown in Columbia in Richland County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Formal Education for a New Class

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 17, 2026

1. Formal Education for a New Class Marker

Inscription.
After the Civil War ended in 1865, formerly enslaved African Americans could legally receive an education. Some attended Howard School—the state's first public school—opened in Columbia that same year. People of color associated with this estate may have gone there. Other black students—from mostly middle-and-upper-class families—attended two faith-based colleges located five blocks east of this property: Benedict College [1870-present] and Allen University [1880-present]. Graduates of these schools professionalized African American education, medicine and business in Columbia and beyond.

[Captions:]
Graduating from Benedict College in the early 1920s, Ruth Bynum had a long career as a teacher at the Howard School, Saxon Elementary and the Waverly School. Wealth and social class often determined African American students' ability to attend school—from elementary education through college.

Camille Drie's Bird's Eye View of the City of Columbia, SC, 1872 depicts the capital city seven years after the Civil War. Among its details are the former Hampton-Preston estate and Benedict Institute (today Benedict College).

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Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1865.

Location. 34° 0.663′ N, 81° 1.791′ W. Marker is in Columbia, South Carolina, in Richland County. It is in Midtown - Downtown. It can be reached from Blanding Street west of Henderson Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1613 Blanding 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

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 17, 2026

2. Formal Education for a New Class Marker

walking distance of this marker: Preparing "Truly Educated, Christian, Womanly Women" (here, next to this marker); Boyd Foundation Horticultural Center (here, next to this marker); The People Behind the Plants (a few steps from this marker); A Natural Showcase (a few steps from this marker); Cutting Pathways and Sowing Seeds (a few steps from this marker); Hampton-Preston Sustainers Garden (a few steps from this marker); Botanical Luxury (within shouting distance of this marker); Remembering Past People (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbia.

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 30 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 24, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.