Old County Jail

The Columbia City Council voted against extending historic landmark status to the old Richland County Jail, a move that would have protected the building from demolition and required any changes to be approved by the city’s Design and Development Review Commission.

Historic Columbia recognized the significance of the neo-Gothic structure and was an active supporter of its preservation. This concrete building was erected in 1915 on the site of a previous jail that dated from 1868. It served as the Richland County Jail until 1994. This structure is important not only for its style but also because it represents an era of penal reform towards more humane prisoner conditions.

Adjacent to the early 19th-century building, the building’s owners have constructed a twelve-unit luxury condominium complex. Though Estates Inc. had no immediate plans to raze the building, they were deterred in their option to adaptively reuse it. The biggest problem was the cost of renovation, which one construction company estimated at $3.1 million. City Council used that estimate as a major factor in the determination to withhold historic landmark status.

Historic Columbia Foundation’s then-director Roger Poston was disappointed by the Council’s decision, and believed that developers have a responsibility to preserve the historic buildings they purchase. However, as there seemed to be no viable options for reuse of the jail, Estates will be expanding their condominiums onto the now vacant jail property. The building was demolished in the spring of 2004.

Some Columbia preservationists looked to Charleston as an example for adaptive reuse of the jail. The Charleston County Jail, built in 1912, was bought and renovated by a private developer in 1999 for office space. It has become prime real estate, and offers a blueprint for a successful adaptive reuse option.

The story of the County Jail raises an important preservation issue. Located in the Vista area, this structure is in the midst of a revitalization effort that is incorporating the old with the new every day. Part of the charm and marketing strategy of the Congaree Vista is its aesthetic appeal, which is derived from its historic integrity. The jail represents the constant struggle between economic progression and historic preservation. The Vista is evidently an area with appreciation for both the old and the new, and it will be interesting to see if the Old Richland County Jail was not integrated into this development, rather it a casualty of it.

Resource: The State, 3 Oct. 2003, B1

Timeline:
Historic Columbia Files:

The County Jail was the first building in Columbia to be constructed out of reinforced concrete. Due to budge constraints, the original design of a brick building gave way to the cheaper concrete material. The resulting structure was a gothic building that was solid and imposing, and still in excellent condition almost ninety-years later. It is also possible that the interior steel cages are even older, as they were removed from the original 1868 jail and reset in the city stockade to house county jails while the new building was being constructed in 1914. The new County Jail reflected a changing attitude in penal reform in the early twentieth century.

The State, 20 Nov 2003
The HCF has appealed the Columbia Design/Development Review Commission’s decision granting a demolition permit to Estates Inc., the owners of the Old County Jail. Roger Poston, executive director, is seeking a temporary restraining order in circuit court to prevent Estates from demolishing the building until the appeals process is complete.

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