Historic Columbia Receives 2026 Organizational Excellence Award
Friday, July 31st 2026
Statewide honor recognizes nearly 65 years of sustained preservation leadership in Columbia and Richland County
Historic Columbia is proud to have received the 2026 Organizational Excellence Award as part of the South Carolina Historic Preservation Awards. Presented by Preservation South Carolina, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, and the Office of the Governor, the annual awards recognize exceptional accomplishments in the preservation, rehabilitation, and interpretation of South Carolina’s architectural and cultural heritage. The Organizational Excellence Award honors a nonprofit organization or foundation whose collective body of work demonstrates sustained achievement in support of historic preservation throughout the state.
For Historic Columbia, this recognition reflects a story that began in November 1961, when a group of passionate preservationists came together to save the Robert Mills House. Nearly 65 years later, the organization has grown from a grassroots effort focused on one landmark property into a multifaceted preservation and public history organization serving Columbia and Richland County.
Today, Historic Columbia stewards six historic sites and 14 acres of gardens while advancing preservation far beyond the properties in its care. Through research, advocacy, preservation easements, educational programs, heritage tourism, community partnerships, and resources such as the Building Richland County database, the organization works to protect historic places and connect people with the stories that have shaped our community.
That work has included nationally and regionally recognized preservation and interpretation at the Mann-Simons Site, the Museum of the Reconstruction Era at the Woodrow Wilson Family Home, Hampton-Preston Mansion and Gardens, and the Modjeska Monteith Simkins House. It also encompasses initiatives documenting historically overlooked communities, consultation and advocacy on behalf of threatened properties, and Historic Columbia’s own preservation awards program, which has recognized hundreds of preservation projects and advocates over the past five decades.
“This award belongs to the many people who have shaped and sustained Historic Columbia over nearly 65 years,” said executive director Suzanne Brooks. “It reflects the commitment of generations of staff members, board members, volunteers, donors, partners, and community advocates who believe that preserving historic places and sharing their complete stories strengthens our community.”
Historic Columbia accepted the award during a public ceremony at the South Carolina State House on Thursday, July 30. The event brought together preservationists from across the state to celebrate the people, organizations, and projects protecting South Carolina’s historic and cultural heritage.
We are deeply grateful to Preservation South Carolina, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, the Office of the Governor, and the awards selection committee for this recognition. Most importantly, we thank the community that has supported Historic Columbia’s work since 1961. This award celebrates what we have accomplished together and encourages us to continue protecting the places, stories, and cultural resources that make Columbia and Richland County distinctive.
South Carolina Preservation Awards Ceremony - July 30, 2026
Our Preservation Work
Learn more about Historic Columbia’s preservation work and discover how you can help protect the places that tell our community’s stories.