Skip to main content

The Hampton-Preston Mansion and Gardens is closed on Sunday, May 18. All other sites and tours will run as scheduled, including Free Sunday at the Museum of the Reconstruction Era.

See Available Tour Times
Menu Close Menu

Historic Columbia

Donate
  • FAQs
Upcoming Events

Navigation

  • Tours
    • House Tours
      • Robert Mills House and Gardens
      • Hampton-Preston Mansion and Gardens
      • Mann-Simons Site
      • The Museum of the Reconstruction Era
      • Modjeska Monteith Simkins House
      • Hours and Pricing
    • Garden Tours
      • Garden Database
    • Offsite Tours
      • Walking Tours
    • African American History Tours
    • Online Tours
  • Education
    • Field Trips
      • House Tours
    • Traveling Trunks
  • Support
    • Corporate Support
      • Additional Support Opportunities
      • Corporate Membership
      • Program & Event Sponsorship Options
    • Donate
    • Membership
      • Palladium
    • Volunteer
    • Partners and Donors
  • Rent a Venue
    • Gardens of the Hampton-Preston Mansion
    • Seibels House and Garden
    • Robert Mills Carriage House and Gardens
    • Gardens of the Woodrow Wilson Family Home
    • Weddings
    • Photoshoots
    • Contact Us
  • Research
    • Object Collection
    • Projects and Initiatives
  • Preservation
    • Preservation Awards
    • Preservation Advocacy
    • Resources and Services
    • Economic Impact Study
    • Building Richland County
  • About
    • Blog
    • Board Members
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
    • Gift Shop at Robert Mills
      • Online Store
    • Newsletter
    • Staff Directory

Donate

  1. Home
  2. Online Tours
  3. Arsenal Hill
  4. 1716 Wayne Street

1716 Wayne Street

Francis Butler, a postal clerk for the Atlantic Coastline Railway and a skilled carpenter, completed this residence in 1914. It was a replacement for his family's original home, which was destroyed by fire earlier that year. Erected for $5,000 with plans purchased from the Sears Roebuck Company, this property is representative of houses owned by many financially successful, middle-class African Americans that moved into parts of Arsenal Hill during the first few decades of the 20th century. Butler and his family lived in the home until the mid-1940s.

During the 1910s, the Seaboard Airline Railroad established what many Arsenal Hill residents referred to as "the Cut." A large trench that allowed trains to access Seaboard Park, this right-of-way became one of the neighborhood's most visible features that endure today.

  • 1716 Wayne Street

    1716 Wayne Street, 2018. Historic Columbia collection

  • sanborn 1919 arsenal hill

    "The Cut" seen crossing southeast to northwest across Arsenal Hill. Sanborn FIre Insurance Company Map. Image courtesy Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Company Collection, South Caroliniana LIbrary, University of South Carolina, Columbia

James Carter describes the "the cut" used by the Seaboard Airline and Silver Media Railways.

Directions:

    Previous1713 Wayne Street

    Next1717 Wayne Street

    NTHP Preservation Award Winner
    Historic Columbia

    © 2025 Historic Columbia

    Administrative Offices
    1601 Richland Street
    Columbia, SC 29201

    Tours
    All historic house and garden tours start at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills.
    1616 Blanding Street
    Columbia, SC 29201

    Questions? Call (803) 252-7742.

    Newsletter Signup

    newsletter signup

    Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for events, news, and updates from Historic Columbia!

    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Flickr
    • Privacy Policy
    Website by Cyberwoven