VOLUME
57 ISSUE â„– 03
Historically Speaking
SPRING 2018 A NEWSLETTER OF HISTORIC COLUMBIA
Letter from the Executive Director S
ince Historic Columbia’s founding in 1961 to save the Ainsley Hall House (known today as the Robert Mills House) from demolition, preservation has been central to our institutional mission. For more than 50 years, we have dedicated ourselves to maintaining the buildings under our stewardship at the highest level of professional standards. That commitment has not waivered, as you will note when reading John Sherrer’s article about the rehabilitation of the Hampton-Preston Mansion; however, our vision of and engagement in community preservation has expanded significantly.
In the last decade, our preservation activities have grown beyond the sites we managed to include: historic property research, National Register nominations, façade easements and public programs such as behind-the-scenes tours, renovation rodeos, walking tours of historic districts and hands-on preservation workshops. A recent effort that has realized exponential benefits is the nomination of a portion of the commercial center of the city for a National Register district. Completed, thanks to funding from the Richland County Conservation Commission through the City Center Partnership, the certification of the Columbia Commercial Historic District in October 2014 paved the way for the current revitalization centered around Main Street’s 1600 block. Prior to the district approval, 13 buildings within the eight-block district were individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Following approval, the number of buildings increased to 36. With their properties listed, owners have access to a variety of financial incentives that make rehabilitation not only more affordable, but also of a higher quality. Owners of the Robinson, Marks and Habenicht buildings, which currently house two of this year’s award-winning projects—The Grand and Lula Drake— had to follow strict guidelines enforced by the South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office to receive tax credits. Before the district was established, owners of historic buildings such as Lourie’s (today Mast General Store), W.T. Grant (today Michael’s) and the State/Fox Theater (today Nickelodeon), led the way by showing the potential for success with preservation and adaptive use. With the district now in place, rehabilitation of the remainder of the historic buildings is and will continue to follow.
Historically Speaking Spring 2018 | Volume 57 | Issue 3
President
Robert Lewis 1st Vice President
Gina Lesslie 2nd Vice President
Isabell Mandell Treasurer
Jamie Keller Secretary
Mark Jones
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 Hampton–Preston Reopens 4-7 Preservation Award Winners
This issue of Historically Speaking focuses on the preservation of our built environment by recognizing the 2018 Preservation Award recipients. The increased number of submissions and the outstanding work represented by the recipients represents a significant uptick in rehabilitation and adaptive use as well as an improvement in the quality of work. Local capacity for architects, general contractors, and specialty craftsmen and women is growing as is interest from developers. As we capitalize on our historic assets and our local talent, we are excited to be part of this impressive renaissance.
Robin Waites
Executive Director
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H I STOR I C C OLUMBIA | NEWSLETTER
Visit us on the web: HistoricColumbia.org
Preserving the Hampton–Preston Mansion By John Sherrer, Director of Cultural Resources
Historic Columbia advocates for the preservation of historic structures throughout Columbia and Richland County, but we also work to preserve the six sites and 14-acres of landscapes entrusted into our care. The largest preservation project we currently are undertaking is the rehabilitation of the circa-1818 Hampton-Preston Mansion and the city block on which it stands. This Richland County-owned structure, like most older buildings, has evolved over the past two centuries. The property’s footprint evolved between 1848 and 1850, when members of the Preston family had the mansion doubled in size with a rear addition. The existing mock-granite stucco was recoated to match the stucco featured on the new addition—a yellow ochre-buff color, enhanced with light-colored mortar lines, offset by brown stucco pilasters, belt courses, quoins and frieze and earthy-brown paint applied to all wood trim. Over the next century, the mansion underwent a series of changes in both its architectural details and it is use. Between 1890-1930 during the property’s use as a campus for the College for Women and Chicora College, the home’s footprint changed again. Dormitories replaced buildings in which enslaved persons lived and worked for nearly 50 years. Basketball and tennis courts erased some of the estate’s grand gardens. This transition would pale in comparison to a spate of construction from 1949-1965 that ushered in parking lots, a car dealership and light industrial businesses. Then, from 1968-1970, the State of South Carolina transformed the historic property into the Midlands Exposition Center to celebrate the state’s tricentennial.
The 200th anniversary of the Hampton-Preston Mansion’s construction marks an auspicious occasion to replicate the dynamic paint scheme the building featured following a mid-19th-century renovation.
Extensive site work, involving the installation of new drainage pipes, will address severe moisture problems that have plagued building’s basement for decades.
Today, in anticipation of the property’s 200th anniversary, a massive capital repair is underway, funded largely by Richland County. Perhaps the most noticeable change involves reinstating the building’s mid-19th century appearance. Contractors are bringing back the long-forgotten warm, earth-tones that once complimented the property’s renowned gardens. Inside, paint analysis funded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation has led to a deeper knowledge of the interior’s evolving aesthetics. Further upgrades include: site drainage and waterproofing to mitigate interior moisture levels; a new HVAC system; and installation of ultraviolet light-blocking windows. Generous support from the Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Foundation, coupled with a grant from the Central Carolina Community Foundation, and private funds, has fueled expansive improvements to the gardens surrounding the mansion. There, like inside the historic house museum, interpretive panels and digital resources will tell a more complete story of the property’s past with emphasis on the previously untold stories of enslaved men, women and children during the antebellum period and of black people who worked at the property following emancipation. These and further enhancements have been made possible through by AgFirst, National Trust for Historic Places, Richland County Conservation Commission, South Carolina Humanities and Synovus/NBSC.
Visit HistoricColumbia.org/HP200 to learn more.
Hampton–Preston Reopens! Saturday, May 12 | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Join us for the reopening of the Hampton-Preston Mansion and Gardens on Saturday, May 12. 12. Guests can participate in a variety of activities, including house and garden tours, special presentations, food trucks, and children’s games and crafts. Plants propagated by Historic Columbia’s horticulturalists also will be for sale. Tickets are $5/adult; $3/youth for HC members and $8/adults; $5/youth for non-members. To purchase tickets, visit HistoricColumbia.org/HP200 HistoricColumbia.org/HP200,, call (803) 252-1770 x 23 or email reservations@historiccolumbia.org.
Historic Columbia’s 2018
Preservation Award Winners
Each year, Historic Columbia presents its Preservation Awards to celebrate accomplishments of local property owners; professionals in the fields of architecture, construction and design; and leaders who champion preservation as an opportunity to support the Midlands’ economy and culture. These awards recognize local projects that have maintained or added to the historical, architectural and cultural richness of Columbia and Richland County in the categories of Adaptive Use, Preservation/Restoration and New Construction in an Historic Context. In addition, Historic Columbia presents the Preservation Leadership Award to those who contribute to the advancement of historic preservation in the region. Sponsored by:
Historic Columbia would like to thank this year’s Preservation Awards committee: Lydia Brandt, Esther Maldonado, Adrienne Montare, Amy Moore, Doug Quackenbush and Michael Ritchie.
Adaptive Use 1402 Jim Hamilton Blvd
2238 Sumter Street
Owners: Hangar Owner LLC (Will Brennan, Robert Lewis, Scott Linaberry and Chris Rogers) Architect: Brennan Design Contractor: Buchanan Construction
Owner: Cason Development Group Architect: Seed Architecture (John Powell) Contractor: Montgomery Construction Company
Curtiss-Wright Hangar
Constructed in 1929, the Curtiss-Wright Hangar remains one of the few extant and unmodified examples of a Curtiss-Wright designed hangar in the United States. During its early years, the building boasted not only entertainment air shows, but also visits from Amelia Earhart and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Developers retained the character-defining elements of the historic structure and integrated them into the building’s new use, including the large sliding doors, exposed metal trusses and window frames. A new roof, which is a near match to the original, and new panes of glass are among the few things that were replaced during the process. The hangar is now home to Hunter-Gatherer Brewery.
Indah Coffee/Circa Barber Shop
Built for Dunn Electric in the early 1940s, the structure at 2238 Sumter Street continues to serve the evolving Cottontown neighborhood. The building’s façade was retained, bricked-up windows re-opened, and the Dunn Electric mural signage restored. The front-most retail space was redesigned for use by Indah Coffee as an open-concept coffee counter. Overhead, the original ceiling frames and bow truss roof structure were exposed to open the space and showcase the construction methods typical of the era. In addition to Indah Coffee’s first brick and mortar establishment, 2238 Sumter also houses Circa Barber Shop.
The trusses and window frames were all cleaned by hand with wire brushes and sandpaper before being restored with a rust-converting compound.
At the rear of the building are the former Dunn Electric warehouse and parts storage, which have been converted into Indah’s roasting and storage facilities.
The preservation of the interior’s openness was pivotal to the rehabilitation. Dividing walls were kept low so that patrons can see directly into the brewing area
Retention of the space’s openness facilitates a warm, communal environment around Indah’s coffee counter. As with Cason’s other NoMa projects, the emphasis at 2238 Sumter is placed on the community atmosphere.
Images courtesy of Janie Campbell
Images courtesy of Sandy Andrews
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H I STOR I C C OLUMBIA | NEWSLETTER
1621 Main Street
2428 Main Street
Owner: G. Scott Middleton Architect: Lambert Architecture Contractor: Mashburn Construction
Owner: Noma Properties (Gretchen Lambert) Architect: Studio 2LR Contractor: Buchanan Construction
From grocers to retailers to Columbia’s leading Vaudeville house, the Robinson Building has undergone multiple transformations since its construction in 1866. Now home to The Grand, 1619-1621 Main Street has been restored to showcase rich historical detailing, both inside slip-over façade and out. The façade, which was previously covered by wood, was restored and given a decorative wood cornice as well as “eyebrows” over the second-story windows. Restoring the significant historic fabric of the building, the wooden trusses (damaged in a recent fire) were cleaned and restored and new tongue and groove decking was added. The Robinson Building is now home to a boutique bowling alley, The Grand, on the ground floor and a luxury apartment on the second story.
The former Wilson Upholstery Building now houses the offices of Studio 2LR, an architecture and interiors firm. The building’s old garage doors were removed and replaced with storefront windows and a new entry door. Painted signage from the days of Wilson Upholstery was maintained on the exterior of the building as a nod to the past. The steel windows were abated, refurbished and reinstalled in their original openings. The concrete slab flooring was cleaned but kept as-is to show the character acquired over years of use.
The symmetrical two-story masonry building was initially designed to feature groundlevel double storefronts. In keeping with the original layout, both entryways have been restored.
Painted signage from the days of Wilson Upholstery were maintained on the exterior. Passersby stop by from time to time to ask whether they still do upholstery work.
Wilson Upholstery Building/Studio 2LR
The Grand/Robinson Building
The Grand draws its name from one of its former occupants—from 1909-1914, this space operated as The Grand Theatre, Columbia’s “Leading Vaudeville House.” During renovations, the original Grand sign was uncovered and incorporated into the design.
Images courtesy of Benton Henry Photography
2025 Barnwell Street The Parker Annex
Owner: Diversified Development, Inc. Architect: Studio 2LR (Gretchen Lambert) Contractor: Hood Construction (exterior) Buchanan Construction (interior)
The building’s symmetrical design faces the iconic Babcock Building. This space is one of many that were integral to the day-to-day operations of the Bull Street campus.
In the 1940s, this space housed the American News Company whose employees would toss unsold comic books out of the building’s windows into dumpsters where neighborhood children would gather.
Images courtesy of Studio 2LR
Constructed around 1910 as overflow housing for the State Hospital, the Parker Annex is the last remaining building on the Bull Street campus built exclusively for African American patients. The large double-hung windows, original to the building, were saved and restored during the renovation. The interior of the building was badly damaged from years of neglect. When the second-floor ceiling was removed, the original wooden roof trusses were revealed and discovered to be mostly intact. Because of this, the decision was made not to reinstall a ceiling. Instead, the space in between the first and second floors was left open, exposing the overhead piping as well as the underside of the second-story floorboards. This building is now used for commercial office space.
The Parker Annex sat empty for many years prior to renovation. In lieu of refinishing every surface in the historic structure, designers made the choice to leave the building’s layers of historic paint exposed as a testament to the space’s history.
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Preservation/Restoration 1633-35 Main Street Seegers-Habenicht
Owners: CLM Properties (Martha Fowler, Robert Lewis, Katie Fowler Monoc, Jeff Prioreschi, Tom Prioreschi and Chris Rogers) Architect: Charlie Baker Contractor: Blackstone Construction (Don Blackstone) Built in the aftermath of the Civil War, John C. Seegers’ and Christopher C. Habenicht’s saloon and brewery opened in late 1865. In 2015, CLM Properties bought the property, returning it to the family of its original owners. Based on a family photo, the owners working with the architect and the City of Columbia’s Preservation office, carefully rehabilitated the façade to its original 19th century appearance. The second story windows, which were boarded up for decades, were reopened with custom Italianate windows installed on the first floor. During renovations, several sections of the original tile designs at the building’s entrance were uncovered and since have been restored. Today, the narrow, Italianate style building houses Lula Drake Wine Parlour, Pilates Bodies By Victoria and the Pastor’s Study.
The careful, labor-intensive restoration of the second story windows was a key factor in returning the façade to its former glory.
Owners located a trunk belonging to Lula Drake—a hat saleswoman who operated a business onsite— and based the décor around its eclectic contents.
4017 Kilbourne Road
301 South Saluda Avenue
Owners: Andrew and Katie Gainey Architect: Jackson Miller & Associates, Robert N. Jackson Contractor: Cosmetic Concrete (Jamie Poston)
Owners: Mira and John Howard Architect: Seed Architecture (John Powell and Laura Burns) Contractor: Palmetto Construction and Renovation (Jim Evatt)
Built in 1959 for Judge Lester Bates Jr. by Columbia architect Robert N. Jackson, this mid-century ranch house was a labor of love for homeowners Andy and Katie Gainey. The couple removed the existing carpets and refinished the floors by hand using period-appropriate material. The sunroom (a later addition) was opened to create a wide patio space, which opened into the backyard. The home’s doors, previously painted, were stripped of layers of varnish to reveal beautiful birch wood underneath. The couple refurnished the home with midcentury furniture from Knoll, Eames, McCobb and others. The overall effect is that of stepping into a time capsule.
Homeowners Mira and John Howard began renovations to their craftsman bungalow in May 2017. The home was remarkably well preserved, retaining the majority of its original lighting and plumbing fixtures, floors, windows, molding, fireplaces and countless architectural elements. Every effort was made to source period-appropriate materials and finishes. In the kitchen, the island countertop was crafted from a century-old pecan tree taken from the home’s backyard.
The kitchen was relocated to a former bedroom. A custom pantry was designed using two antique glass doors.
The Gaineys researched their home extensively before undertaking renovations. With the help of Thomas Bates, the couple was able to piece together the story of 4017 Kilbourne and preserve it for future generations.
In addition to the home’s renovations, the Gaineys took great care to furnish their space with period pieces, which primarily came from estate sales and second-hand shops.
Images courtesy of Katie Gainey
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The Howards made every effort to conserve as much of their home’s original details and features as possible. Images courtesy of Mira Howard
H I STOR I C C OLUMBIA | NEWSLETTER
New Construction in a Historic Context Green Tree House at Wavering Place
Shandon Presbyterian
Owners: Weston Adams III and Robert Adams VI Architects: Boykin and Munnerlyn, Lisa Boykin Adams & Jody Munnerlyn Contractor: Paul Hayes Construcion
Owner: Shandon Presbyterian Church Architect: Lambert Architecture Contractor: Hood Construction
Constructed as an open-air pavilion, Wavering Place’s Green Tree House marries the site’s historic fabric with the rolling landscape. In keeping with existing materials on the property, the new facility uses both new and reclaimed wood in its delicate design. The structure’s siding was salvaged from an old railway warehouse that had been moved to the property more than 30 years ago. Although the warehouse itself could not be saved, the material was given new life in the pavilion. The structure’s stucco chimneys are a nod to the basement level of the main house, built circa 1850. Its metal roof also unifies it with other outbuildings on the property. True to its roots, the building even draws its name from the site—Green Tree was the original moniker for Wavering Place.
Established in 1916, Shandon Presbyterian Church sought to restore its sanctuary in preparation for its 100th anniversary. The extensive renovation aimed at stripping the space back to its original 1916 appearance while adding modern amenities. A new wood ceiling inspired by similar sanctuaries of the era was added to improve acoustics. The border within the stained-glass windows was repeated in the design of the chancel flooring. The site’s original hardwood floors were stripped of their carpeting and beautifully restored. Certainly, the most notable aspect of the renovation was the chancel, which was doubled in size. This expansion allows for better wheelchair accessibility, increased choir loft capacity and improved acoustics.
The design of the Green Tree House is sensitive to its delicate natural surroundings. The structure itself mimics that of childhood treehouses suspended above the ground.
The most notable incorporation of the original stained-glass designs in the refitted sanctuary (along with the flooring patterns and new pendant lighting fixtures) is the organ, which mimics the existing, intricate designs.
The site sits slightly higher than the other structures on the property allowing for commanding views as well as a chance to capture the breeze from the open fields to the neighboring swamp.
The sanctuary’s paint colors were selected to contrast the colors in the stainedglass windows original to the building. Images courtesy of Shandon Presbyterian
Images courtesy of Lisa Boykin Adams
Preservation Leadership Award Waverly Neighborhood Association Bounded by Harden, Taylor and Gervais streets along Millwood Avenue, the Waverly Neighborhood emerged from a former antebellum plantation into an area that was a bustling hub of African American life in the early to mid-20th century. In 2005, Waverly elected to become an historic district to protect what remained of its original vernacular and dynamic architecture. Eleven years later in 2016, its citizens became the first protection area in the city to strengthen their guidelines to further protect Waverly’s historical integrity. While the process was not without conflict, the neighborhood was steadfast in its determination and vision for itself. Waverly is to be celebrated for garnering support to sustain their buildings, which continue to represent the important history of this community. They are a model of community engagement and neighborhood pride.
Federal District Judge, WWII veteran and civil rights activist Matthew J. Perry was one of several black leaders who grew up in Waverly. The neighborhood became a self-sustaining community for many of Columbia’s middle- and upper-class African American residents. S P RI NG 20 1 8
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On April 9, Historic Columbia held its annual Volunteer Awards Luncheon to celebrate and thank the many volunteers who donate their time and expertise to advancing the organization’s mission. Historic Columbia could not provide its many valuable service without the passion and commitment of its volunteer corp. Left to Right: Robin Waites (Executive Director), Jaelyn Ellis (Rising Star), Sherry Shoars (Volunteer of the Year) Rachel Barnett (Innovative Leadership), Lyssa Harvey (Innovative Leadership), Olivia Brown (Newcomer of the Year), John Sturm (Special Contributions) and Betsy Kleinfelder (Visitor and Interpretive Services Coordinator). Not pictured: Ann Awtrey (30 Year Service) and Dupree Catering (Community Partner)
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