Skip to main content

Please note The Museum of the Reconstruction Era will be closed for house tours Wednesday, Feb. 1 - Friday, Feb. 3 due to garden renovations, and the Robert Mills House will be closed for tours on Thursday, Feb. 2 due to a private event on site.

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
      • Walking Tours
    • Traveling Trunk
    • Scout Troops
    • 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 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

Donate

1609 Crestwood Drive

Built in early 1928 by J. Frank Bailey, Inc. as 209 Crestwood, this residence was purchased by real estate developer Jack Ulmer and his wife, Bessie Brawley, in October 1928. They lived here until 1935 with their daughters, Marie and Julie, and Ulmer’s father, John Ulmer. They subsequently moved to 1605 Hollywood, a two-story residence with completed basement built by Jack Ulmer’s company, Jack Ulmer, Inc.

  • 1609 Crestwood Drive from the street.

    1609 Crestwood Drive, 2019. Historic Columbia collection.

Jack M. Ulmer

Jack M. Ulmer was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina in 1888. He moved to Columbia in 1903 and initially worked in sales, including at Ehrlich’s Shoe Company. After completing a year of service at Camp Jackson during World War I, he became a real estate developer. After working at J. Frank Bailey, Inc. on developing Hollywood, he helped establish four different companies: State Realty Company (1920), State Building Company (1923), Jack Ulmer, Inc. (1929), and Biltrite Building Company (1929), which each built multiple homes in downtown Columbia. He often used the slogan, “The House That Jack Built.” His daughters, Marie and Julia, married prominent real estate developers Oliver J. Wolfe (Oliver Wolfe Co.) and Clyde James Nettles (Bestbuilt Building Company), respectively. In 1935, Ulmer cofounded the Home and Federal Savings Loan Association, and he remained employed there as an executive after retiring from real estate in 1943. He died in 1967, one year after stepping down as Chairman of its Board of Directors.

  • Advertisement for Jack Ulmer, Inc. Reprinted from The State, July 28, 1929

    Advertisement for Jack Ulmer, Inc. Reprinted from The State, July 28, 1929

33.9868342, -81.0185273

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