Midtown - Downtown in Columbia in Richland County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Half the House It Used to Be
This site's use in 1970 as the South Carolina Tricentennial Commission's Midlands Exposition Center called for demolishing all structures on the block except the circa-1818 mansion. The commission also removed the mansion's addition, which had doubled its size when constructed in 1850. Loss of this historic wing in 1969 erased more than a century of evidence about all the people who lived and worked here.
[Captions:]
By the fall of 1969, only a few bricks and boards littered the area where the addition previously stood for nearly 120 years.
Drawings by architect John Tabb Heyward, Jr. illustrate what the mansion looked like before the wing was razed and rehabilitation work began. The floorplan of the basement level, depicted here, is represented in the sunken patio's brick flooring.
Erected by Historic Columbia Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture. A significant historical year for this entry is 1970.
Location. 34° 0.641′ N, 81° 1.764′ W. Marker is in Columbia, South Carolina, in Richland County. It is in Midtown - Downtown. It can be reached from Blanding Street
this page online
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: Separate and Unequal (here, next to this marker); History Under Foot (a few steps from this marker); "Everything of the best. Silver, glass, china, table linen - damask - &c&c" (a few steps from this marker); Remembering Past People (a few steps from this marker); Form, Function, and Fashion (a few steps from this marker); Reclaiming a Horticultural Destination (within shouting distance of this marker); A New Garden Rooted in History
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 67 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 24, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
