Annual Fund:
THE POWER OF VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING Historic Columbia’s education team presents a virtual tour of the HamptonPreston Mansion.
W
hen Historic Columbia and Palladium made the decision to postpone Bluegrass Bidding & BBQ (originally scheduled for March 19, 2020), the team began looking at dates to reschedule the event for April. How naïve! Nearly a year later, we are still not ready to host events with hundreds of people on our grounds, but we have been able to adjust to continue delivering content that matters to our members as well as some new audiences. Despite the setbacks the last year held, the small (but mighty and nimble) team at Historic Columbia has found creative ways to march on. Perhaps the greatest challenge of the past year has been transitioning our in-person programming to a virtual platform. Staff worked tirelessly to identify the best formats and create and adapt content accordingly.
Upcoming Events SECOND SUNDAY STROLL: WAVERLY Time: 2 p.m. | Date: March 14 Waverly is recognized as one of Columbia’s first documented suburbs. The neighborhood evolved into a self-contained, self-sustaining Black community with many middle- and upper-class residents, among whom were leaders within spiritual, business, academic, and professional circles. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on 1300 Pine Street is a staple of the Waverly neighborhood.
VIRTUAL RESEARCH ROUNDTABLE: ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN HISTORIC HOUSES Time: Noon | Date: March 30 Learn about energy consumption in historic houses and simple steps to take to improve energy efficiency in them while caring for the historic qualities of the house.
With your support, HC purchased additional equipment and dedicated staff time to conceptualize and produce many high-quality experiences, including:
• Transitioning our traveling trunk and I had a virtual field trip with your education team for my Brooklyn eighth graders and wanted to express gratitude for your important work. It’s wonderful to be able to take advantage of your programming virtually.” - Melissa Bourgeois, assistant principal and English department head at Brooklyn’s German School
educational tour programs to virtual opportunities — even engaging a classroom in Brooklyn, New York.
• Bringing the annual Jubilee festival into
viewers’ homes through a partnership with WACH Fox that reached over 6,000 people — some of them new “event attendees” because of streaming options through WACH.com and broadcast TV.
• Holding virtual Behind-the-Scenes Tours for
members and the public — one member with limited mobility emailed about her delight at being able to participate in an event.
Though 2020 had its disruptions, we carried on with our mission to impact the Columbia community. This remains our goal for 2021 and beyond. With your support, Historic Columbia will be able to deliver additional relevant, timely, inclusive stories about our shared history. Visit historiccolumbia.org/annualfund to learn more or make a gift to support HC’s virtual programming efforts. Checks may also be mailed to 1601 Richland Street Columbia, SC 29201.
The Seibels House is accepted as Columbia’s oldest remaining building
MOVIES IN THE GARDEN SPONSORED BY THE ART OF REAL ESTATE: FIELD OF DREAMS Time: 6 p.m. | Date: April 9 Spring means the start of baseball, America’s favorite pastime. Join us in the garden for a screening of the modern classic Field of Dreams. Purchase your socially distanced pod and bring your crew and chairs or blankets to enjoy the film. Hot dogs and Cromer’s popcorn will be available for purchase. Field of Dreams is coming to the gardens of HamptonPreston Mansion. Visit historiccolumbia.org/events for registration information and to keep tabs on future events.
WINTER 2021
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