1338 Main Street
Barringer Building
The National Loan and Exchange Bank, as this building was originally called, is celebrated as the South Carolina's first skyscraper. Today, the 12-story building is better known for the Barringer Corporation, a later owner that occupied the property from 1953 until 1974. Underneath its brick and limestone façade, the structure represents advancements in late-19th and early-20th century building technology, particularly steel frameworks, high-pressure water pipes and elevators. In 2006, the office building was adapted for residential use under the auspices of Capitol Places.
- Architect: Brite & Bacon
- Architectural Style: Chicago School/Georgian Revival
- Built: 1903; updated 1950s; rehabilitated 2006
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Colorized postcard of the National Loan and Exchange Bank, circa 1915. Historic Columbia collection
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This image of the 1300 block of Main, circa 1913, dramatically illustrates the awe-inspiring changes this commercial district experienced in the first two decades of the 20th century. Historic Columbia collection
Site of the Kendall Building
Construction of the National Loan and Exchange Bank in 1903 required demolishing a portion of the ornate, four-story Kendall building, described as an “ornament to Main Street,” by The State newspaper in 1896. After the new skyscraper’s completion, the only eight-year-old Kendall building was literally half the structure it used to be. Economics and modern technology factored into the decision, as developers could build a much higher structure and the land on which the new bank was erected was more valuable than it had been just a few years earlier. The remaining section of the Kendall building met its demise in 1925 with the construction of the National Loan and Exchange Bank's annex to its east. During demolition, the Kendall building was described by as featuring exceptionally fine brick and wood with mortise and peg construction.
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The Kendall building was heralded as a magnificent addition to Columbia's Main Street in June 1896. Image courtesy The State Newspaper, Richland Library.
