320 South Waccamaw Avenue
Site of Rose Hill School
Rose Hill School—the predecessor to A.C. Moore School—was established at the corner of Saluda Avenue and Rosewood Drive about 1911. When students outgrew the original two-story brick building, construction began on a new school located farther east on Rosewood Drive between South Waccamaw and South Etiwan avenues. Opened in 1930, this new school, renamed in honor of educational administrator Andrew Charles Moore, featured seven classrooms constructed with materials donated by Southern Lumber Company and Columbia Company. A.C. Moore Elementary School Currently, 350 students ranging from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade are enrolled at A.C. Moore Elementary School.
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Students in Mrs. Willis' 5th-grade class. Image courtesy A.C. Moore Elementary School
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Rose Hill School depicted on the Tomlinson Map of Columbia, 1928. Also of interest is the irregular block sizes found within the then-recently developed suburb. Image courtesy South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia
With a student body whose members come from over twelve countries, this neighborhood landmark carries a reputation for diversity and promotes its motto of 'Meet the World at A.C. Moore.' Notable students whose educational foundation was established at A.C. Moore include Nobel Prize winner and chemist Dr. Kary Mullis and celebrated artist Jasper Johns. Biography of A.C. Moore The namesake of A.C. Moore Elementary School, Andrew Charles Moore was the eldest son of State Representative and Senator Thomas J. Moore. Attending mostly rural schools as a young man, Moore graduated from South Carolina College (today's University of South Carolina) with honors. Afterward, he spent over ten years teaching and overseeing schools in both South Carolina and Alabama. He returned to academia in 1898 to further his education. Two years later, in 1900, Moore graduated from the University of Chicago with a graduate degree in biology. The same year, Moore was appointed to the Board of School Commissioners for Columbia City Schools and remained in that position until his death in 1928. He also served South Carolina College as the chair of the Biology Department and Dean of Faculty.