2024 Preservation Awards | 1214-1216/1218-1220 Taylor Street
Thursday, May 16th 2024
WINNER | Preservation, Rehabilitation, or Restoration (commercial, institutional, rental, or municipal)
1214-1216/1218-1220 Taylor Street
GSM Taylor, LLC — Property Owner
LTC Associates — Architect
Pyramid Contracting — Contractor
Rogers Lewis — Preservation Consultant
Historically known as the Hillman’s Sporting Goods and Community Finance Company buildings, respectively, these ca.-1915 commercial destinations experienced more than a century of use by various owners that modified elements of their original appearance. Current sibling owners Greg Middleton and Sara Middleton Styles teamed up with Rogers Lewis, LTC Architects, and Pyramid Construction to design and implement a rehabilitation that would benefit from Bailey Bill tax abatement and historic tax credits by following the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. In doing so, the historic character of these mixed-use buildings was retained and restored, while stimulating further economic vitality within the National Register of Historic Places-listed commercial district.
Historic photographs guided restoration of first-floor storefronts, a second-floor balcony, and paired double- and triple-hung windows on the west side of the second floor. State Historic Preservation Office and National Park Service staff assisted in arriving at historic image-based storefronts that provided both private entrances to upstairs apartments and public entrances to first-floor tenants. The buildings’ open, mercantile interiors were retained with openings strategically punched between the two spaces to allow for circulation between the two first-floor tenants, Good Life Café and Icon on Taylor Boutique. Second-floor rehabilitation work resulted in Historic Stays of Columbia–luxury one-bedroom short-term rental units with private rooftop patios.
Before & After
Images courtesy Janie Campbell.
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.
