Skip to main content
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 Trunk
    • 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!
    • LGBTQ Columbia
  • Support
    • Corporate Support
    • Donate
    • Membership
    • 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
    • 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

Donate

  1. Home
  2. Online Tours
  3. University Hill
  4. South Caroliniana Library

South Caroliniana Library

910 Sumter Street

University of South Carolina Horseshoe

Celebrated as the first separate college library building in the nation, the South Caroliniana Library stands at the northwest corner of the University of South Carolina's historic Horseshoe. Designed by Robert Mills in 1840, this library is an example of Greek Revival architecture. By 1927, the library collection outgrew the size of the structure and J. Carroll Johnson, a noted Columbia architect, designed two fireproof wings to house additional materials. With the construction of the university's new library building in 1940, which is now McKissick Museum and the USC Visitors Center, this building became a special collections library. It houses manuscripts and archival materials that document the state's rich history. The building received additional attention in the 1970s, as interior and exterior renovations brought modern conveniences, including air conditioning. In 2015, renovations began to upgrade storage facilities, add a new fire suppression system, and improve exhibition spaces within the ground floor gallery.

  • Exterior of South Caroliniana Library

    South Caroliniana Library, "Artwork of Columbia, S.C., published by Gravure Illustration Company, 1905." Historic Columbia collection, HCF 2008.4.1E

  • Interior of South Carolinana Library

    South Caroliniana Library's Reading Room, "Artwork of Columbia, S.C., published by Gravure Illustration Company, 1905." Historic Columbia collection, HCF 2008.4.1A

Directions:

    Previous1300 Greene Street

    NextMcCutchen House

    Newsletter Signup

    newsletter signup

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

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

    © 2023 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.

    Website by Cyberwoven