Wednesday, May 26th
12 — 1 p.m.
Wednesday Walk - State House Monuments
Members | $5
Adults | $10
Youth | Free
Tour begins at the George Washington Monument, facing Gervais Street
Since Columbia’s 1786 founding, the grounds of the South Carolina State House have grown from a four-acre site bounded by Richardson (Main), Gervais, Assembly and Senate streets into a 22-acre complex featuring seven buildings and more than 30 monuments. South Carolinians have constructed, altered and reconsidered this space for more than 230 years — and continue to do so today.
Through a project funded by SC Humanities, Historic Columbia (HC) began exploring this site in 2019 as an historic landscape. To provide a baseline of information about the State House Grounds, HC created a web-based tour using the comprehensive survey undertaken by architectural historian Lydia Mattice Brandt, Ph.D.
Brandt and Historic Columbia furthered this project this year with the launch of the Historically Complex podcast. In concert with this digital tour and podcast, HC is offering this one-hour of the State House to explore complex questions and encourage thoughtful consideration about what monuments in this public space represent.
Face coverings are required for this tour. No reservations are required as this is walk-up tour, but tickets can be purchased in advance.