2025 Preservation Awards | Taylor House
Friday, May 16th 2025
WINNER | Preservation, Rehabilitation, or Restoration (commercial, institutional, rental, or municipal)
Taylor House | 1501 Senate Street
University of South Carolina — Property Owner
Karen Quinn, BOUDREAUX — Architect
Greg Tyler, Tyler Construction — Contractor
When completed in 1908, 1501 Senate Street stood out among neighboring residences for its architectural sophistication. Built for Thomas and Susan Ames Taylor, Jr., following a design by the Boston architectural firm Andrews, Jacques, and Rantoul, the neoclassical mansion ultimately evolved to function in ways for which it was never intended. During the residence’s time as the Columbia Museum of Art— which operated on the site from 1950 until 1998—many non-historic modifications and notable material degradation compromised the building’s original architectural integrity.
In 2015, the University of South Carolina, with financial support from the Boyd Foundation, initiated a comprehensive, multi-phased initiative to rehabilitate the property for use as the Joseph F. Rice School of Law admissions office, with rooms dedicated to events and administration. Historic documentation, including original construction documents, photographs, and postcards, and close consultation with State Historic Preservation Office and City of Columbia preservation staff played a crucial role in restoration efforts executed by BOUDREAUX and Tyler Construction.
Removal of non-historic, mid-20th century art gallery wings from the property a decade ago presaged other dramatic efforts that would culminate in the revitalized building’s debut in 2024. Subsequent exterior work returned missing or altered historic character-defining architectural elements. Historically appropriate terra cotta tiles replaced a contemporary shingle roof. Metalsmiths repaired damaged copper details and downspouts while fabricating new examples from historic elements. Masons repointed and replaced deteriorated brickwork with salvaged bricks, maintaining the historic material palette and pattern. Contractors repaired original windows where possible and removed brick infill and installed new sashes mimicking the same composition, massing, and detail of their historic counterparts. New plate glass and metal tracery replaced brick infill to allow originally open side porches to read more accurately by being daylighted once again.
Other upgrades involved mechanical, electrical, HVAC, and life safety systems that included fire suppression and alarm systems threaded through the structure. Reinstating a lost Juliette balcony and window on the grand stair landing followed the removal of an elevator. Throughout the building original lighting fixtures were refurbished, plaster and wood details and finishes restored or replicated, original wallpaper retained, library to kitchen built-in casework restored, and new era-appropriate finishes applied to return the home’s aesthetic grandeur. Recalling memories of her grandparents’ home, Taylor family member Susan F. Boyd donated original family furnishings, which provided historic aesthetics into the rehabilitated building’s interior design.
Today, the Taylor House stands as an example of how patient work, meticulous care, and dedication to authenticity can result in the successful adaptation of a historic building that honors the past while creating meaningful spaces for contemporary users.
Before & After images courtesy Oswald Design + Creative.
Before & After | Exterior
Before & After | Stairwell
Before & After | Foyer
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.
Check out some of the other 2025 Preservation Award recipients:
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