News

3rd Annual Hungry for History Tour
Explore the Architectural and Cultural History of Lower Main Street
September 23rd from 6 - 8 p.m.

(Columbia, SC) - Historic Columbia is serving up a dish of history on Thursday, Sept. 23 from 6 - 8 p.m. by offering a guided walking tour of the architectural and cultural history of Columbia's Lower Main Street. Visit some of the city's most unique buildings, learning about their prior uses from the early 1900s. Enjoy appetizers and refreshments provided by some of Lower Main Street's favorite restaurants. Tickets are on sale now at $10 for members of Historic Columbia and $15 for non-members. To purchase tickets please call 803.252.7742 ext. 23.

Lower Main Street historically has been a transitional area supporting a wide variety of businesses throughout the 20th century. The former sites of a barber and blacksmith shop located in the 900 block during the 1900s to a focal point for university students and entertainment today, Lower Main Street's history is integral to the development of Columbia's built history. The addition of a bank, grocery store and fish market in the 1920s encouraged commercial growth but by the 1940s many tenants had vacated the area. A return to the area led by the State's Board of Health in the 1950s brought about new buildings, creating the cityscape still evident today. Vacancies abounded during the 1960s and 1970s and it wasn't until the 1980s that customer-oriented businesses took over the area. Since then, Lower Main Street has grown steadily from adaptive reuse as many vacant buildings have been transformed into thriving downtown businesses, restaurants and pubs.

The tour will begin at the entrance to the USC Horseshoe on Sumter Street. Please plan to arrive by 5:45 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the door for $15 for members of Historic Columbia and $20 for non-members. Restaurants including Hunter Gatherer, Immaculate Consumption and Cool Beans will provide free appetizers and drink specials. For registration please call 803.252.7742 ext. 23.

Historic Columbia was founded in 1961 by a group of preservationists determined to save the Ainsley Hall House, known today as the Robert Mills House. More than four decades later Historic Columbia now manages four historic house museums and their associated artifacts. Through programs of advocacy, education and preservation, Historic Columbia protects, supports and nurtures the historical and cultural heritage of Columbia, South Carolina.

CONTACT
Adam M. Roy
Public Relations Coordinator
803.252.1770 ext. 27
aroy@historiccolumbia.org

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