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A NEWSLETTER OF HISTORIC COLUMBIA
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FALL 2020
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ANNUAL REPORT
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Historically Speaking
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From our President
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hen I took over the reins as President of Historic Columbia in October 2019, I anticipated leading an organization with a long history and a lot of forward momentum into 2021 – its 60th anniversary year. At the end of January 2020 at our annual board retreat, we reflected on the success of the previous three years and began work on a new strategic plan to guide us through the next three. We were challenged by our facilitator to think big and set a course for Historic Columbia that would build on the foundation of education and preservation toward an organization fully engaged with our community. At the time of the retreat, we were positioned to have a breakthrough year. As you will read throughout this report, the organization was posting impressive numbers and seeing new engagement across a variety of sectors. We received exciting new grants – one to build on our race equity work with Wideman Davis Dance (from the Central Carolina Community Foundation) and another to research Columbia’s LGBTQIA+ community (from the National Trust for Historic Preservation). We were excited about utilizing support from SC Humanities to co-host, with the University of South Carolina History Center, a symposium commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment. The staff was back to full capacity and excited about the spring. Then the world came to an abrupt standstill. It is difficult to predict how a group will respond to crisis, but I could not be prouder of Robin and her extraordinary staff, as well as my colleagues on the board, as everyone navigated the final quarter of the fiscal year. Robin’s outstanding leadership guided us through uncharted territory. The Board of Trustees also came together seamlessly. Members opened their wallets, reached out to long-time donors and members to ask for help, and jumped on Zoom calls at a moment’s notice to address immediate issues as they arose. During this uncertain time, Robin, her team, and your Board of Trustees came together to lead. Even as we did everything in our power to support HC, the staff took an unimaginable situation and shifted. With in-person events prohibited, the cultural resources and education departments moved research roundtables, traveling trunks, and family programs to virtual platforms. As engagement was only possible on web-based and social media platforms, the marketing team (which included two individuals on staff for less than three months) became both the forward facing and behind-the-scenes megaphone for HC – mining a decade’s worth of research and content to find creative ways for people to remain connected with HC and the community. The development team worked tirelessly to identify emergency grant opportunities and contact members and donors. These shifts did not just happen when we ceased all in-person activities in mid-March; they continued over the course of the spring and into the fall, as the staff continues to pivot to remain relevant and to benefit those relying on us. In midst of the pandemic, George Floyd was murdered, sparking protests across the city, state, and country. If there was ever a time that the community needed to understand the historically unequal systems that underpin much of our society, this was it. To Historic Columbia’s credit, we have worked for more than a decade to shift interpretation at the house museums, web-based tours, and public programs to reflect a more inclusive history. The challenge has been to find ways to connect people to this content and stand firm in its authenticity.
Historically Speaking Fall 2020 President Gina Lesslie 1st Vice President Mark Jones 2nd Vice President Kim Jamieson Treasurer Jamie Keller Secretary Jeff Payne The mission of Historic Columbia is to nurture, support and protect the historical and cultural heritage of Columbia and Richland County through programs of advocacy, education and preservation.
In This Issue 3 4-5 6-7 8
Board & Staff, Financial Statement Looking Back on a Unique Fiscal Year Overcoming Challenges Collections Spotlight
On the cover Highlights to the 2019-20 FY include Palladium Fall Tour of Mid-Century Modern homes (top left), the 41st annual Jubilee celebration (top right), garden additions at Robert Mills (bottom left) and shift to virtual platforms (bottom right).
Fiscal year 2019-20 did not end with the type of financial strength that we have enjoyed in my time on the board, but it left us with key experiences and insight into who Historic Columbia is as an organization, what YOU value about our work, and how we can be a voice of change for the future.
Visit us on the web: Gina Lesslie
Board of Trustees President
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www.historiccolumbia.org
Board of Trustees Board of Trustees Gina Lesslie, President Mark Jones, 1st Vice President Kim Jamieson, 2nd Vice President Jamie Keller, Treasurer Jeff Payne, Secretary Ex-Officio Members Robert Lewis, Past President C.D. Rhodes, III, Chair HCAC Grace Salter, Chair Palladium
Palladium Board of Directors At-Large Members Carroll Heyward Katherine Hopkins Isabelle Mandell Dawn Mills-Campbell Doug Quackenbush Rodrick Shiver Alison Summey
HC Advisory Council C.D. Rhodes, III, Chair Mike Adams David Bornemann Janice Bowman Frank Braddock Susan Brill Anne Bristow Jim Byrum Ann Cameron David Campbell Frank Cason Kenneth Childs Debbie Cohn Beryl Dakers Jim Daniel Fred Delk
Lauren Dillon Kate Dixon Jessica Elfenbein Lindsey Griffin Alex Guzman Jamie Harpootlian Monya Havekost Susan Haynsworth David Hodges Kathy Hogan Ann Holtschlag Michelle Hurley-Johnson Gloria James Richard Linden Andrew Lucas Esther Maldonado
Staff Robin Waites, Executive Director Katharine Allen, Director of Research Heather Bacon-Rogers, Tour & Program Coordinator Charles Calhoun, Development Coordinator RenĂŠe Chow, Director of Marketing Fielding Freed, Director of Historic House Museums Debbie Giles, Director of Administration & Finance Shelby Harris, Rentals Coordinator Kevin Jennings, Facilities Coordinator Kelly Kinard, Education Manager Betsy Kleinfelder, Visitor & Interpretive Services Coordinator Keith Mearns, Director of Grounds Melanie Murray, Groundskeeper Megan Plott, Director of Development Don Polite, Interpretative Guide James Quint, Director of Education Andrew Ramspacher, Public Relations Coordinator Dave Ruff, Head Gardener John Sherrer, Director of Cultural Resources Grace Steimer, Curatorial Assistant Christopher Tenny, Research Coordinator Chandler Yonkers, Marketing Coordinator
Betsy McDonald Todd Miller Stuart Moore Kathy Norton Lorin Palmer Debbie Parker Eleanor Pope Henry Roe Scottie Smith Jenna Stephens Holly Suggs Cleve Walker J. Calhoun Watson Mozella White Toni Wilson
Grace Salter, President Parrish Behles Janie Campbell Hardy Childers Patrick Cleary Carter Davis Lauren Elliott Oliver Hartner Rebecca Hartner Jordan Heavner Andrew Montgomery Elaina Penney Amanda Rogers Brad Shell Abi Snyder Myers Truluck
2019-20 Financial Statement Historic Columbia’s Statement of Activities for the year ending on June 30, 2020. Operating Income City of Columbia..................................655,485 Richland County..................................481,143 Individual/Corporate Donations......... 375,023 Grants.................................................... 23,048 Assets Released from Restriction.......... 36,751 Rentals................................................... 59,229 Tours/Public Programs......................... 65,986 Other...................................................... 74,822 Total Operating Income.................... 1,771,487 Operating Expenses Program Expenses..............................1,551,953 General Supporting..............................230,563 Fundraising Expense...........................169,763 Total Operating Expense.................. 1,952,279 Net Operating.................................... -180,792 Non-Operating ................................... 492,445 Decrease in Unrestricted Net Assets ... -143,287 Increase in Donor Restricted Net Assets ........................................... 418,189 Increase in Net Assets ........................ 274,902 Net Assets, beginning of year.......... 2,595,181 Net Assets, end of year.................... 2,870,083
FALL 2020
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Fiscal Year in
REVIEW T
Looking back on an unprecedented 12 months at Historic Columbia
he mood inside the Columbia Museum of Art on March 8, 2020, was rightfully celebratory. Applause filled the space each time Historic Columbia and the Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN) introduced a new Columbia City of Women honoree. Eight individuals – Ethel Martin Bolden, Suzan Boyd, Victoria Eslinger, Nikky Finney, Edna Smith Primus, Ida Salley Reamer, Henrie Monteith Treadwell, and Donella Wilson – were recognized for their tremendous impact on this city, forever stamping their place on the iconic map.
Though the awareness of the pandemic was on the rise, HC was still looking forward to finishing the fiscal year strong.
In many ways, the successful event was similar to the several HC hosted during the first eight months of the 2019-20 fiscal year. It came with a crowd and a purpose.
This was Historic Columbia’s introduction to its new reality. The COVID-19 pandemic was rapidly sweeping the country and the organization had to adjust quickly.
“By no means,” said Historic Columbia Executive Director Robin Waites, “did we have any sense of what was about to unfold.” The Columbia City of Women event happened on a Sunday. By the following Saturday, HC sent out a press release announcing event postponements and temporary closings of all historic house museums.
Eight individuals were recognized as 2020 Columbia City of Women honorees during a celebration in March. “We knew we were going to have to make some changes,” Waites said, “but we didn’t have any idea what the magnitude of that would be.” The 2019-20 fiscal year was as unique as any in the near-six decades of HC’s existence. Find throughout this issue of Historically Speaking how each department overcame these challenges.
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n Sept. 21, 2019, Historic Columbia hosted Jubilee: Festival of Black History and Culture for the 41st time. It was the first major event of the fiscal year, bringing an eye-popping 96 vendors – the most for Jubilee in recent memory – around the Mann-Simons Site to the delight of 6,500 visitors.
Grammy Award-nominated soul singer Dwele rocks the stage at 2019 Jubilee: Festival of Black History and Culture. Actress Karyn Parsons was a special guest at 2019 Jubilee: Festival of Black History and Culture.
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Musical guests included multi-GrammyAward nominated soul singer Dwele, and Karyn Parsons, famous for her role as Hilary Banks on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” was on hand to welcome festival attendees and sign copies of her book.” In November, the Palladium Fall Tour took guests through a variety of Columbia’s Mid-Century Modern homes. The attendance goal was shattered as over 400 people showed up, and many left with sterling reviews. Tammy Davis of SCNewsExchange.com called it “everybody’s home tour” and added,
Numbers of Note
6,500
Jubilee visitors
4,500
Plants added to HC grounds
407 132
Palladium Fall Tour attendees Speakeasy at Seibels House attendees
26,825
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Total visitors to HC properties
Countries represented among HC visitors
2,596
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Combined hours of HC volunteers
“From the gracious young home owner to the volunteers in their 30s and 40s to the crowd that spanned all ages, we were a perfect mix of ages and styles, just like Columbia architecture.” Total income for the Palladium Fall Tour – ticket and sponsor revenue included – was $18,685. A sold-out crowd was on hand for a special Happy Hour program in January. In a creative nod to the 100th anniversary of Prohibition, the HC team turned the Seibels House into a speakeasy. Ragtime and jazz music served as the soundtrack to a fun evening that focused on the 18th Amendment. Over 130 guests participated, marking a new attendance record for an HC “Happy Hour” event.
Guests for the Seibels House Speakeasy dressed for the part in a night recognizing the 100th anniversary of Prohibition.
“From an event perspective, the HC staff introduced really creative twists to longstanding programs,” Waites said. “Not only were we attracting new audiences, but those participating responded in extremely positive ways.”
istoric Columbia’s new reality, established by mid-March, meant a break from the usual. An organization that sees in-person events as a major part of its community value had to find new ways of engagement – while also keeping its proverbial head above water financially.
“The major concern, after the safety of our staff and our guests, was the financial impact,” said Waites, who added the projected loss of rentals and tour ticket sales for the final quarter of the FY was just under $100,000. HC received the Paycheck Protection Program loan in April, allowing the retention of fulltime staff. More good news came May 5 when a record number of unique donors gave to HC during the Midlands Gives challenge. “Midlands Gives was so heart-warming,” Waites said. “We reduced our expectations this year making the outpouring of community support so surprising. It speaks to the value folks find in this organization and that they want to see us not only survive, but to thrive.” With the closing of the historic sites and cessation of in-person events, HC’s loyal supporters stayed attached to the organization through its daily social media content, virtual house tours, traveling trunks, and Zoom webinars. In June, the gardens opened again for public visitation, offering guests a welcome spot for a walk or lunch and featuring the recent addition of over 4,500 Eastern United States native plants, courtesy of funding by the Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Foundation. It was a subtle step on the road back to normalcy. While the fiscal year ended with an operating budget deficit of $180,000 – and with challenges still mounting – optimism abounds for Historic Columbia. “We have a really creative staff that has had to make shifts as needed to come up with multiple plans and move forward, sometimes at the last minute, with the one that works,” Waites said. “It’s been, certainly, a shakeup but one that will be healthy for the organization in the long run.”
A record-setting Midlands Gives included virtual conversations such as this with HC director of cultural resources John Sherrer and local preservation experts Fred Delk and Jenny Boulware.
Robert Mills Garden Enhancements by the Numbers
US native plants 4,521 Eastern
3,712 perennials • 738 shrubs • 71 trees
55 70
Tons of local granite gravel Cubic yards of mulch
1 Large wood pergola FALL 2020
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Coming THROUGH
HC donors provide generous support during difficult time
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n mid-March when Historic Columbia closed its doors to tours and rentals, canceled or postponed all programs and events, and locked up the garden gates for all staff to start working from home, things looked pretty bleak.
Digging deep in the database, Historic Columbia turned to loyal supporters to get through the immediate financial impact of having no earned revenue for the foreseeable future. The results were astounding as longtime donors contributed over $50,000 to support HC through the COVID-19 crisis. In May, it was time for Midlands Gives – traditionally, a fun day of philanthropy where the HC team comes up with zany content to generate support. With a history of Midlands Gives revenue growing each year, HC budgeted for that trend to continue with a projected $25,000 in revenue for 2020. In light of the pandemic, those expectations were reduced to half of the original goal. All working from home, and stifled by the inability to get creative together, HC staff returned to their roots and called on friends and neighbors to stand in front of their favorite historic places sharing the message, “This place matters.” The video that came together was an amalgamation of heartfelt proclamations celebrating the sites that keep us connected to this place and to each other. At the end of Midlands Gives, HC blew past previous records! Nearly 400 unique donors gave to the organization, generating over $40,000 in revenue in a single day. Collectively, the Columbia community contributed over $3 million to worthy organizations in the Midlands, a tremendous achievement in supporting local nonprofits. Faithful members and donors continue to keep Historic Columbia going in these uncertain times. We are beyond grateful for that support and ask that you keep Historic Columbia in mind for your charitable giving.
What’s Next? Despite facing difficulties in 2020, Historic Columbia can look forward to exciting developments in 2021. Through the long-standing relationship with garden committee member Susan Boyd and with support from the Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Foundation, the Hampton-Preston site will re-instate two integral components of the site’s famed 19th-century gardens: a greenhouse and gatehouse. Plans are in the final stages for erecting a state-of-the-art greenhouse in the fouracre block’s northwest corner. This muchanticipated space will allow staff to propagate and interpret native and exotic plants while providing further interior amenities for special programming and events. A custom-designed gatehouse will complement the new addition to the grounds. Situated in the southwest corner of the property, the octagonal structure will be based upon its historic antecedent that was lost sometime between 1930 and 1947, when the property was subdivided and developed after World War II. However, this new gateway structure will be rendered in steel for durability and to serve as an aesthetic foil to the custom, steel pergola gracing the property’s southeast garden. While these two exciting additions must wait for 2021, the property’s sprawling gardens are open to the public six days a week to provide members and the public with healthy, socially distanced greenspaces as a respite from this year’s challenging times.
Midlands Gives Totals 2014-20 $45,000 $40,000 $35,000 $30,000 $25,000 $20,000 $15,000 $10,000 $5,000 $0
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Why Donors Gave to HC
In honor of all those who labor each day to preserve our past that we may enjoy a better today and tomorrow!” – John Spade I am so thankful for the terrific people that make up HC and I have absolute confidence that the actions planned and taken will be thoughtful and strategic.” – Krista Hampton
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A state-of-the-art greenhouse is scheduled to be completed on the Hampton-Preston site in 2021.
Garden Hours Hampton-Preston: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday; 1-4 p.m., Sunday Seibels: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday-Friday Robert Mills: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., TuesdaySaturday; 1-4 p.m., Sunday
Expanding COMMUNITY
Collaborative initiatives help further define HC’s role
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ommunity has been at the heart of every program and project Historic Columbia has engaged in since its founding nearly 60 years ago. Throughout the past decade, staff has aggressively expanded the definition of community by seeking out citizens from all walks of life, professions, and interests in order to ensure inclusion and relevancy — for the simple reason that no single community shaped (or continues to shape) South Carolina’s capital city. These shared labors have yielded exciting, and often unprecedented, results that have woven formerly muted voices and sidelined stories together into a more synthetic account, while strategic partnerships have placed Historic Columbia and its collaborators in positions (strategic and tactical) as credible sources of information in contemporary issues that stem from long-unresolved conflicts and past opportunities not fully realized. Following the murder of George Floyd and resulting social unrest, Historic Columbia offered historical perspective on the foundations of racial biases through information about the Reconstruction era (a product of a 2014 partnership with University of South Carolina professors
In November 2019, HC worked Tom Brown and with ColumbiaSC63 to facilitate the Ken Clements); installment of a Ward One exhibit at interpretation of the Palmetto Compress Building. slavery (a product of several partnerships, including Wideman Davis Dance’s 2019 Migratuse-Ataraxia program at the Columbia’s work with residents of Hampton-Preston Mansion); and the Hollywood-Rose Hill and Wales Garden memorialization of the Lost Cause and (three early-20th-century suburbs) Ben Tillman on South Carolina State to generate historical markers that House grounds (the outcome of an 2019acknowledge the dates and, when 20 allyship with UofSC professor Lydia possible, the architects and builders, of Brandt). more 150 houses. Closer to home — in fact, in Historic Columbia’s very back and front Further examples abound. Since 2019, the yards — a force of volunteers has proved a Palmetto Compress, arguably Columbia’s tremendous ally in the evolution of the 14 biggest adaptive use project, has touted acres of grounds and gardens associated more than richly appointed apartments with the historic sites under its care. in a former cotton warehouse. An exhibit — that grew from Historic Columbia’s In furthering research on partnership with members of the Ward underrepresented stories, a grant One Community and UofSC professor from the National Trust for Historic Bobby Donaldson — chronicles the former Preservation will provide support for HC, Black neighborhood and celebrates in partnership with the Harriett Hancock how its residents’ spirit transcended the LGBT Center, to document sites related to physical impact of Urban Renewal. LGBTQIA+ history. In Lower Richland County, a partnership with Wavering Plantation led to the names of 200 men, women, and children enslaved at the site to be listed in its history. Neighborhood pride has resulted in further partnerships. One is Historic
Each special in their own right, these community alliances have bred remotely accessible information, prompted critical thinking and discovery, and broadly improved the quality of life for citizens during the global pandemic in which we have lived since March.
Becoming a Virtual Resource to Educators Prior to the pandemic, Historic Columbia’s educators established policies for offering virtual programs to schools that either lacked funding or were prevented from visiting due to distance. Once schools shifted to digital settings, cancelled field trips, and announced a ban on visitors in school facilities, staff was able to pivot quickly, using data and teacher feedback from these programs, to offer virtual learning experiences. With virtual field trips, HC delivered programs to students through smart boards, tablets, and software. Educators could customize the students’ experiences, while students could engage directly with
HC staff. With incredible pressure on teachers to shift to remote classrooms, HC maintained its commitment to helping them offer critical examinations of the past and provide a more inclusive historical curriculum. This year’s annual fund focuses on providing this vital resource to educators during socially distanced learning, as part of Historic Columbia’s mission and essential work to educate to all ages about Columbia’s history. An annual fund envelope is included in this mailing. Please consider giving whatever amount you can to maintain HC’s virtual education programs.
Due to restrictions from the pandemic, HC Education Manager Kelly Kinard adjusted to connecting with local teachers and students on a virtual platform.
FALL 2020
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NONPROFIT ORG USPOSTAGE PAID COLUMBIA, SC PERMIT #1000
Collections SPOTLIGHT
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icked up on the corner of Sunbury Lane and Berkeley Road, this “For Sale” sign advertised the company, Manning and Manning. The real estate firm was owned by brothers Preston Cocke Manning and John Adger Manning. Though the sign is weathered and worn, objects like this keep the history of Columbia and Richland County alive. This “For Sale” sign is included in the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Museum Collection Recent Acquisitions exhibit that is available to view at HistoricColumbia.org.
Commercial sign, c. 1950 Historic Columbia collection HCF2020.6.1
The Year in COLLECTIONS 15 33 8 20 5
New Accessions Objects Purchases Gifts Transfers from Other Institutions