Skip to main content
Menu

Historic Columbia

search toggle

Donate
menu close

Historic Columbia

Donate
collapse

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
      • Plant Sale
    • Offsite Tours
      • Bus Tours
      • Walking Tours
    • African American History Tours
    • Online Tours
    • Group Tours
  • Events
  • Education
    • Field Trips
      • House Tours
      • Bus Tours
      • Walking Tours
      • Early Adventures
    • Traveling Trunk
    • Homeschool Friday
    • Scout Troops
    • Summer Camp
    • Adult Education
  • Preservation
    • Current Projects and Initiatives
      • Bull Street Campus 
      • Columbia's Green Book Sites
      • Veterans Administration Regional Office
      • Women’s Club of Columbia
    • Preservation Awards
    • Resources for the Public
      • For Property Owners
      • For Neighborhoods
      • Take Action!
  • Support
    • Corporate Support
    • Donate
    • Membership
      • General Membership
      • Palladium Membership
      • Corporate Membership
    • Volunteer
    • Partners and Donors
  • Rent a Venue
    • Gardens of the Woodrow Wilson Family Home
    • Seibels House and Garden
    • Robert Mills Carriage House and Gardens
    • Gardens of the Hampton-Preston Mansion
    • Recommended Vendors
    • Contact Us
  • About
    • Blog
    • Board Members
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
    • Gift Shop at Robert Mills
      • Online Store
    • Local History
      • Columbia Jewish Heritage Initiative
    • Newsletter
    • Staff Directory
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  1. Home
  2. Online Tours
  3. Columbia's Jewish Heritage Sites
  4. 1600 Block of Main Street

1600 Block of Main Street

1600 Main Street

Affording Luxury in Columbia

Polish immigrant Barrett Visanska (c. 1848 - 1932) and Austrian immigrant Henry Steele (1840 - 1908), who ran watchmaking businesses on the 1400 blocks of Richardson (Main) and Assembly streets, respectively, hold the distinction of being Columbia’s first Jewish jewelers. Others followed, including Philadelphia born Charles Reyner, Sr. (1898 - 1956), who moved to Columbia in 1916 and three years later opened Reyner Jewelers at 1610 Main Street. It stayed in operation until the mid-1960s, and at its peak had additional locations in Trenholm Plaza and Five Points. 

In 1946, Nathan Picow (b. 1924) opened King’s Jewelers at 1625 Main Street. There, he also sold furniture, refrigerators, small appliances, stoves and television sets. From 1962 until 1982, Picow operated two stores on Main Street. Today, Picow’s sons, Ian and Jeffery, run the current location at 1611 Main Street, which opened in 1964. King's Jewelry at 1611 Main Street.

  • Barrett Visanska

    Barrett Visanska's jewelry businesses occupied various locations on Main Street before relocating to the rear portion of the Sylvan Building (1215 Hampton Street), circa 1904. The Tree of Life: Fifty Years of Congregational Life at the Tree of Life Synagogue, Columbia, S.C by Helen Kohn Hennig

  • Reyner Jewelers

    Reyner Jewelers in the Manson Building, circa 1961. Image courtesy Joseph Winter Collection, South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia.

  • 1600 block

    1600 block of Main Street featuring Jewish-owned businesses Lourie's, King's Jewelers, and Allan's, 1978. Image courtesy Russell Maxey Collection, Richland Library

Directions:

    PreviousSouthwest Corner of Main and Taylor Streets

    Next1601 Main Street

    Newsletter Signup

    newsletter signup

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

    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Flickr
    Historic Columbia

    © 2021 Historic Columbia

    1601 Richland Street,
    Columbia, SC 29201

    (803) 252-7742
    Website by Cyberwoven