2608 Cardinal Street
Thanks to its proximity to the South Carolina Department of Mental Health’s Bull Street campus, Cottontown historically has been a convenient and popular neighborhood for State Hospital employees. Members of the community often recall that relationship, particularly before the enlargement of Bull Street and the creation of the SC 277 connector. While employees were spread out among Cottontown’s various streets, this residence offers an interesting perspective into the two communities. From over three decades, no fewer than four hospital employees lived at this address at different times, including Lawson H. Bowling, the institution’s clinical director, who lived here from 1956 through 1963.
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![2608 cardinal]()
2608 Cardinal Street, 2018. Historic Columbia collection
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![SC State Asylum]()
Drawn in 1916, this birdseye rendering of the South Carolina State Hospital conveys the enormity of the mental health facility. Image courtesy South Carolina Department of Mental Health
