915 Gregg Street
915 Gregg StreetBoyne-Pressley-Spigner House
In 1915, construction began on this Italian Renaissance Revival style residence for Thomas A. Boyne and Isabel Allworden Boyne, whose father had deeded the 27.8-acre tract to her. Designed by J. Carroll Johnson of the firm Urquhart & Johnson, the building includes unique architectural features, such as the uncovered limestone, brick and tiled terrace that spans the width of the front and wraps onto both side elevations.
The Boynes sold the property in 1937 to the director of the Palmetto National Bank, G. Trezevant Pressley and his wife, Annie. In 1963, Henrietta Geddes Bailey Spigner, the wife of Adolphus Fletcher Spigner Jr., a Richland County State Senator from 1955-1956, conveyed the property to the University of South Carolina. Between 2009-2012, the university hired the Boudreaux Group, a Columbia-based firm, to renovate the interior and rehabilitate the structure into a meeting and conference space. Once the project was completed, the house achieved Gold Level LEED status as the renovation work adhered to sustainable strategies that reduced energy costs. Historic Columbia recognized the efforts of both the University of South Carolina and the Boudreaux Group in 2013 and awarded both parties a Preservation/Restoration award at its annual Preservation Awards. The interior renovation included installation of new electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fire alarm systems. The wood windows received minor repairs and the hardwood floors were restored. An entirely new, but historically appropriate, color palette and lighting scheme brings the interiors to life and emphasizes the wood trim and plaster ceiling features. The upstairs is now used as offices for the University's food service vendor, Sodexho, which also operates the meeting space downstairs. A highlight is the previously-enclosed porch, which now features new windows. The light-filled space with leaded glass windows looking into the central hall now serves as the catering director's office.