Barringer Building
Built in 1903 as Columbia's first skyscraper, the Barringer building is a steel-frame structure rising twelve stories above Main Street.

Capitol Cafe
Opened in 1913 in the ca.-1870 Brennan Building, the Capitol Café fed and entertained Columbians until May of 2002. A popular spot for post-legislative sessions, the Café often was crowded with political figures from the nearby State House.

Granby Mill
The first of two neighboring mills to be renovated, the Granby Mill will be home to about 140 apartments by the spring of 2005. The exterior façade of the century-old mill is being restored to its original appearance; however, the interior will offer 1,200 to 1,600 square foot upscale apartments to young professionals in Columbia.

Palmetto Building
1400 Main Street
Completed in 1913 for the Palmetto National Bank, it was the city's second skyscraper, after the Barringer Building and before the Columbia Building. One of the most modern structures in the Southeast when it was constructed, the Palmetto Building contained every modern convenience.

Old County Jail
In late 2003, preservationists lost their fight to prevent the demolition of an 88-year old abandoned jail located in downtown Columbia. Determined to save the structure, preservationists called for the city to deem it an historic landmark. Sadly, their efforts failed to garner enough support and the three-story reinforced concrete building, best described as restrained Neo-Gothic in design, was razed in December 2003.

Kirkland Apartments & the Black House
Preservationists enjoyed a great victory recently with the designation of the ca.-1910 Black House and the ca.-1918 Kirkland Apartments as local landmarks. This move granted the venerable structures greater credibility when the community challenged their impending destruction for the development of a hotel at the University of South Carolina. Ultimately, the buildings' significance to Columbia's built history prevailed and they have been incorporated into the master plan for the new hotel, whose construction began in 2004.

Confederate Printing Plant
Erected in 1864 for the production of Confederate currency, bonds, and stationery, this industrial structure was one of the many war-related buildings destroyed during Union occupation in 1865.

City of Columbia Fire Department Headquarters
Though Historic Columbia has saved several nineteenth-century buildings, it is becoming increasingly important to turn our attention to twentieth-century structures as well. The Fire Department Headquarters was constructed ca. 1950-1951, with a drill tower erected ca. 1952-1954, and served the city of Columbia until 1996.