2025 Preservation Awards | 1700 Huger Street
Friday, May 16th 2025
WINNER | Revitalization (any ownership or use)
1700 Huger Street
Columbia Presbyterian Church — Property Owner
Brandon Rogers, Catalyst Architects — Architect
Ray Hill, Hill Construction Company — Contractor
In 2016, two of Columbia’s most respected family-owned businesses— Flooring by Cogdill and Cromer’s Peanuts—left what for most passersby was simply a large commercial building featuring a post-modern, multi-story office and retail space from the mid-1980s. In 2022, after nearly six years having stood vacant, 1700 Huger Street found new life when it was purchased and transformed to meet the needs of Columbia Presbyterian Church, a young congregation of over 500 members that had outgrown its previous location in the Cottontown area.
Renovation of the 46,000-square-foot space into a modern church facility, completed in the fall of 2024, marked the end of an enormous undertaking. Repurposing the existing loading dock into a welcoming “front porch,” that leads into a spacious, light-filled area that encourages fellowship before and after services. Rehabilitation work revealed an original wooden bow truss system roof structure that is the signature feature of a 1950s-era warehouse subsumed by later construction episodes. Today, new steel columns and beams support that historic element and create a bold contrast with the historic fabric thus adding a sense of scale and structure to the room. Transformation of the former Cogdill carpet showroom into a 700+ seat worship space with original curved wooden trusses rising to thirty-four feet above the floor and spanning the entire room create a cathedral-like atmosphere, while restored clerestory windows once again allow soft, northern light to filter into the space. The stage design, framed by angled projection walls and a suite of storage and green rooms, was inspired by the church’s previous home on Sumter Street, ensuring a sense of familiarity and continuity for the congregation.
The former Cromer’s Peanuts retail space, repurposed into a coffee café, makes full use of the building’s large glass frontage on Huger Street and creates a casual, welcoming space that serves as a hub for fellowship and community activities. Adjacent to the café, a meeting room and office offer additional functional spaces for groups using the building during the week. At the far end of the gathering space, nine classrooms and a nursery were designed for young children, again taking advantage of the building’s large windows to provide a connection to the street outside. Opposite the church’s main entrance, another smaller assembly room, “The Annex,” provides an alternative space for Sunday services or other gatherings. The renovation also extended to the second floor of the 1986 addition, where the original Cogdill offices were reconfigured to create two comfortable and inviting staff areas.
Outside, 1700 Huger Street’s exterior envelope was also carefully updated to reflect the church’s modern identity while preserving the former commercial building’s post-modern roots. A fresh color scheme, faux-wood wall treatments, and a redesigned steeple from the original tower extension breathe new life into the building. A striking cable-suspended canopy and aluminum lettering above the entry pay homage to the church’s former location on Sumter Street.
Images courtesy of Columbia Presbyterian Church unless otherwise noted.
Before & After | Exterior
After image courtesy of Jason Korey, Farther Along Photography.
Before and After | Exterior
Before and After | Worship Space
Before and After image courtesy of Jason Korey, Farther Along Photography.
Before and After | Coffee Shop
Explore the
Economic Impact Study
This study's findings reinforce our long-held position on the importance of historic preservation for the city's economy and support our work advocating for policies that encourage preservation and the reuse of historic buildings. Columbia’s architectural heritage is not simply an exercise in nostalgia; it is an informed, strategic investment in the future.
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