Preserving the Past, Sustainably: The Deconstruction of 900 Main Street
Thursday, May 29th 2025
From brickwork to beer taps, the building at 900 Main has witnessed over a century of Columbia’s changing Main Street. Now, its next chapter honors both its character and community value.
The University of South Carolina Development Foundation, in partnership with Historic Columbia, Conway Salvage, and One Columbia, is embarking on a groundbreaking project to preserve the history of 900 Main Street while embracing sustainability. Rather than demolishing the building—most recently home to Hunter-Gatherer Brewery—the structure will be carefully deconstructed, with salvaged materials reused for projects in Columbia and nearby areas.
Built in 1913, the building at 900 Main Street has been a significant landmark in downtown Columbia, known to many as the home of Hunter-Gatherer Brewery since 1995. The decision to deconstruct the building ensures that its character and materials will continue to be part of the community, even as the site is prepared for future development.
“Preserving the memory of this iconic building while supporting sustainable practices aligns perfectly with our mission,” said Jason Caskey, President and CEO of the University of South Carolina Development Foundation. “This project is an opportunity to honor the past while building responsibly for the future.”
The deconstruction will be led by Conway Salvage, which specializes in sustainable salvage and reuse. All reusable materials, including bricks, beams, doors, windows, and architectural details, will be carefully removed and processed for use in other local projects. Materials that cannot be salvaged will be recycled whenever possible. Conway Salvage received training on best practices in deconstruction by RePurpose Savannah, 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to create a sustainable future through the deconstruction, salvage, and reuse of historic buildings.
“Deconstruction is about respecting history and the environment,” said John Sherrer, Director of Preservation at Historic Columbia. “We are proud to partner in this effort, ensuring the story of 900 Main Street is not lost, but rather transformed and shared.”
A special element of the project involves the Aaron Graves Memorial Mural on the building’s north-facing wall. The mural—created in 2019 in tribute to Graves, a beloved local musician and lead singer of Those Lavender Whales—will be carefully deconstructed by Conway Salvage with help from original artist Lauren Andreu and community volunteers.
"Aaron's mural has been a beautiful memorial for our family since his passing,” said Jessica Bornick, widow of Aaron Graves. “It's not only a reminder of his joyful life, but an extraordinary tribute from the community he loved so much. We are very grateful to everyone involved for helping facilitate the deconstruction in a respectful way and making it possible for the bricks of the mural to have a second chance."
One Columbia is partnering in this effort to advocate for the mural’s thoughtful removal and to coordinate the reuse of salvaged bricks in a future public art memorial. Volunteers are needed to assist in the mural wall's disassembly. Those interested can learn more by visiting the @i_love_my_friends_mural Instagram account.
The process will be documented and shared with the public through social media, offering a behind-the-scenes look at sustainable deconstruction in action. Community members are invited to share their memories of Hunter-Gatherer Brewery using this form.
Questions?
For questions about the project, please contact:
Jason Caskey, University of South Carolina Development Foundation
Alan Todd, Conway Architectural Salvage & Heritage Project
John Sherrer, Historic Columbia
Xavier Blake, One Columbia
Lauren Andreu, Aaron Graves Memorial Mural Artist
This project is a partnership of:
Press Kit
Press Release | Talking Points | Historical Timeline
High Res photo 1 | High Res photo 2 | High Res photo 3 | High Res photo 4
(Photos 1-3 courtesy Historic Columbia archive,
Photo 4 courtesy One Columbia)
