Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia is the capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is the second-most populous city in the state. The city is the county seat of Richland County, and parts of it extend into neighboring Lexington County and Kershaw County.

The name "Columbia" comes from Christopher Columbus, who explored the Caribbean for the Spanish Empire. People often call the city "Soda City" because its name is sometimes shortened to "Cola."

Columbia is an important city in South Carolina. It is the location of the South Carolina State House, where the state's government meets.

The city is also home to the University of South Carolina, the largest public university in the state. Nearby, Fort Jackson is a major United States Army training site. East of the city is McEntire Joint National Guard Base, where the U.S. Air Force trains the South Carolina Air National Guard.

History

See also: Timeline of Columbia, South Carolina

Early history

In May 1540, a Spanish expedition led by Hernando de Soto passed through what is now Columbia while exploring the Southeast. This expedition provided the earliest written records of the area, which was part of the regional Cofitachequi chiefdom of the Mississippian culture.

During the colonial era, European settlers met the Congaree people in this area, who lived in several villages along the Congaree River. The settlers built a fort and fur trading post named after the Congaree, on the west bank of the river. It was located at the fall line and the head of navigation in the Santee River system.

In 1754, the colonial government in South Carolina established a ferry to connect the fort with growing European settlements on the higher ground on the east bank.

Columbia is located on the fall line of the Piedmont region. The fall line is often marked by rapids where the river drops sharply to lower levels in the coastal plain. Beyond the fall line, the river is difficult for boats to navigate upstream. Entrepreneurs and later industrialists built mills in such areas because the flowing water provided power to run equipment.

Designation as state capital

After the American Revolutionary War and United States independence, State Senator John Lewis Gervais of the town of Ninety Six introduced a bill that was approved by the legislature on March 22, 1786, to create a new state capital. There was much debate over the name for the new city. According to accounts, Senator Gervais hoped that "in this town we should find refuge under the wings of COLUMBIA". The site was chosen as the new state capital in 1786 due to its central location in the state. The State Legislature first met there in 1790. After being under the direct government of the legislature for the first two decades of its existence, Columbia was incorporated as a village in 1805 and then as a city in 1854.

Columbia received a boost to its development when it was connected by a direct water route to Charleston by the Santee Canal. This connected the Santee and Cooper rivers over a 22-mile-long section. It was first chartered in 1786 and completed in 1800, making it one of the earliest canals in the United States. With competition later from faster railroad traffic, it ceased operation around 1850.

The commissioners designed a town of 400 blocks in a 2-mile square along the river. The blocks were divided into lots of 0.5 acres and sold to speculators and prospective residents. Buyers had to build a house at least 30 feet long and 18 feet wide within three years, or face an annual 5% penalty. The perimeter streets and two through streets were 150 feet wide. The remaining squares were divided by thoroughfares 100 feet wide. As the capital and one of the first planned cities in the United States, Columbia began to grow rapidly. Its population was nearing 1,000 shortly after the start of the 19th century.

The commissioners governed the local area until 1797, when a Commission of Streets and Markets was created by the General Assembly. Three main issues occupied most of their time: public drunkenness, gambling, and poor sanitation.

19th century

In 1801, South Carolina College (now the University of South Carolina) was founded in Columbia. The original building still stands. The city was chosen as the site of the state college in an effort to unite residents of the Upcountry and the Lowcountry after the American Revolutionary War.

Columbia received its first charter as a town in 1805. An intendant and six wardens governed the town. John Taylor, the first elected intendant, later served in both houses of the General Assembly, both houses of Congress, and eventually was elected as governor. By 1816, some 250 homes had been built in the town and the population was more than 1000.

In 1828, the South Carolina Female Collegiate Institute was founded by Elias Marks for the higher education of young women. Since the school was located on 500 acres in the Barhamville area of Columbia, it was often informally called Barhamville Institute or Barhamville Academy.

Columbia became chartered as a city in 1854, with an elected mayor and six aldermen. Two years later, Columbia had a police force consisting of a full-time chief and nine patrolmen. The city continued to grow quickly, and throughout the 1850s and 1860s, Columbia was the largest inland city in the Carolinas. Railroad transportation was a significant cause of population expansion in Columbia during this time. Rail lines that reached the city in the 1840s primarily transported cotton bales, not passengers, from there to major markets and the port of Charleston. Cotton was the chief commodity of the state and the lifeblood of the Columbia community.

Civil War

Columbia was very important to the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Columbia was the site of the first Southern secession convention, which met in the First Baptist Church on December 17, 1860. Secession may have been declared in Columbia, were it not for a smallpox outbreak that moved the convention to Charleston, where South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union on December 20. A significant military infrastructure developed in Columbia. The state arsenal was located in Columbia, along with the state military academy. The University of South Carolina grounds were converted into a military hospital since its role as an educational institution had ended after its entire student body volunteered for the Confederate Army. Numerous industrial facilities produced war supplies.

The Union Army, under Gen. Sherman, captured the city on February 17, 1865. Much of the city was destroyed by fire between the 17th and 18th. The idea that General Sherman ordered the burning of Columbia has persisted as part of a certain historical view. However, modern historians have concluded that no one cause led to the burning of Columbia. Rather, the chaotic situation in the city when it fell created the conditions for a fire to start and spread.

Reconstruction era and beyond

During the Reconstruction era, when African-American Republicans were among the legislators elected to state government, Columbia became the focus of considerable attention. The city began to rebuild and recover from the devastating fire of 1865; a mild construction boom took place within the first few years of Reconstruction. In addition, repair of railroad tracks in outlying areas created more jobs for residents.

By the late 19th century, culture was expanding in the city. In 1897 the Columbia Music Festival Association (CMFA) was founded by Mayor William McB. Sloan and the city aldermen. It was headquartered in the Opera House on Main Street, which also served as City Hall. Its role was to book and manage concerts and events in the opera house for the city.

20th century

During the early 20th century, Columbia developed as a regional textile manufacturing center. In 1907, Columbia had six mills in operation: Richland, Granby, Olympia, Capital City, Columbia, and Palmetto. Combined, they employed over 3,400 workers. Columbia had no paved streets until 1908, when 17 blocks of Main Street were surfaced.

During 1911 and 1912, some $2.5 million worth of construction occurred in the city, as investors used revenues generated by the mills. New projects included construction of the Union Bank Building at Main and Gervais, the Palmetto National Bank, a shopping arcade, and large hotels at Main and Laurel (the Jefferson) and at Main and Wheat (the Gresham). In 1917, the city was selected by the US Army to be developed as the site of Camp Jackson, a U.S. military installation.

In 1930, Columbia was the hub of a trading area with about 500,000 potential customers. It had 803 retail establishments, 280 of them being food stores. The city also had 58 clothing and apparel outlets, 57 restaurants and lunch rooms, 55 filling stations, 38 pharmacies, 20 furniture stores, 19 auto dealers, 11 shoe stores, nine cigar stands, five department stores, and one book store.

In 1934, the federal courthouse at the corner of Main and Laurel streets was purchased by the city for use as City Hall. Built of granite from nearby Winnsboro, Columbia City Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1940 Camp Jackson was reactivated after war started in Europe, and was designated as Fort Jackson. City leaders and the congressional delegation had lobbied to gain such a permanent military installation. In the early 1940s, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, which led the US to enter World War II, Lt. Colonel Jimmy Doolittle and his group of now-famous pilots began training for the 1942 Doolittle Raid over Tokyo at what is now Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

During the 1940s African Americans increased activism for their civil rights: seeking to reverse Jim Crow laws and racial discrimination. In 1945, a federal judge ruled that the city's black teachers were entitled to equal pay to that of their white counterparts.

Since the late 20th century, historic preservation has played a significant part in the city. The historic Robert Mills House was restored in 1967, which inspired the renovation and restoration of other historic structures. In the early 1970s, the University of South Carolina initiated the refurbishment of its "Horseshoe". Several area museums also benefited from the increased historical interest of that time, among them the Fort Jackson Museum, the McKissick Museum on the campus of the University of South Carolina, and most notably the South Carolina State Museum, which opened in 1988.

Mayor Kirkman Finlay Jr., was the driving force behind the refurbishment of Seaboard Park, now known as Finlay Park, in the historic Congaree Vista district. His administration developed the $60 million Palmetto Center package, which resulted in construction of an office tower, parking garage, and the Columbia Marriott hotel, which opened in 1983. In 1980, the Columbia metropolitan population reached 410,088, and in 1990, this figure had hit roughly 470,000. During the 1970s and 1980s skyscrapers were constructed and other real-estate development took place throughout Columbia.

21st century and recent history

During the 1990s and early 2000s the city worked to revitalize the downtown, as businesses had been pulled out to the suburbs. The Congaree Vista district along Gervais Street, once known as a warehouse district, became an area of art galleries, shops, and restaurants. The Colonial Life Arena (formerly known as the Colonial Center) opened in 2002, and brought several major entertainers and shows to Columbia. EdVenture, the largest children's museum in the Southeast, opened in 2003. The Village at Sandhill shopping center opened in 2004 in northeast Richland County.

The Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center opened in 2004, and a new convention center hotel opened in September 2007. A public-private City Center Partnership has been formed to implement the downtown revitalization and boost downtown growth. In 2009, Columbia's most recent skyscraper, the Tower at Main and Gervais, was completed. Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin started his first term in July 2010, elected as the first African-American mayor in the city's history.

Founders Park, home of USC baseball, opened in 2009. The South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team won two NCAA national championships in 2010 and in 2011. The 2010 South Carolina Gamecocks football team, under coach Steve Spurrier, earned their first appearance in the SEC championship.

A Mast General Store was opened in 2011. The Music Farm (now called The Senate) opened a location in Columbia on Senate Street in 2014. In 2000, the Confederate battle flag was moved from the South Carolina State House to the Confederate monument.

In May 2019, 10,000 people marched at the Statehouse in the "All Out Rally" to protest issues surrounding education, including low teacher pay, high student-to-teacher ratios, and the general underfunding of education.

In 2021, Republican Daniel Rickenmann was elected mayor of Columbia, defeating Democrat Tameika Isaac Devine. He succeeded Stephen K. Benjamin, who did not seek reelection, in January 2022.

In March 2019, laws were passed in several states including New Jersey, North Carolina, and New York State after an incident in Columbia where a person mistakenly entered a rideshare vehicle and was harmed. These laws require rideshare drivers to have special lights to show they are official vehicles.

Geography

Columbia is famous for sitting at the fall line, where the Piedmont region meets the Atlantic Coastal Plain. This is where rivers have small falls or fast currents, and it was the furthest point boats could reach. The city grew here because the falling water helped power early mills.

Columbia is about halfway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Blue Ridge Mountains, and it sits at an elevation of around 292 feet (89 meters). The city covers an area of 140.68 square miles, with a tiny part being water.

Climate

Columbia has a humid subtropical climate, so winters are mild and summers are hot and humid. The city usually has a few nights below freezing in winter, but very cold weather is rare. Summers can be very hot, often going above 90 °F (32 °C). This is because Columbia is at a low elevation, in the sandy Sandhills region, and away from the cooler coast. The city also feels warmer due to the urban heat island effect.

Rain comes mostly in summer, often from afternoon storms, and snow is rare, usually just a light dusting. The temperature in Columbia has ranged from a high of 109 °F (43 °C) to a low of −2 °F (−19 °C).

Metropolitan area

Main article: Columbia metropolitan area, South Carolina

The metropolitan statistical area of Columbia is the second-largest in South Carolina, with an estimated population of 858,302 in 2023. It includes several counties such as Calhoun, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Richland, and Saluda, along with many suburbs and smaller communities.

Neighborhoods

Columbia has many neighborhoods, including Arsenal Hill, Congaree Vista, Eau Claire, Elmwood Park, Five Points, Forest Acres, Harbison, Waverly Historic District, and many others.

Demographics

Columbia is the capital city of South Carolina. In 2020, the city had a population of 136,632 people. Many people in Columbia are young, with a median age of 29.9 years. There are also many children under 18 and older adults over 65.

In 2010, Columbia had a population of 129,272 people. The city has many different religious groups, including Southern Baptist, United Methodist, and Catholic communities. There are also Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, and Greek Orthodox groups. The city also has a temple for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Economy

Columbia has a strong and varied economy. Important employers include the South Carolina state government, Prisma Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, Palmetto GBA, and the University of South Carolina. Other key employers are Computer Sciences Corporation, Fort Jackson, and the U.S. Army. Large companies such as Square D, Michelin, and International Paper also have facilities in the area. Over 70 foreign companies and fourteen Fortune 500 companies are based in the region.

The city of Columbia has renewed its downtown area. The historic Congaree Vista district has many old buildings fixed up since the late 1980s. This area includes a former printing plant from the American Civil War and has the region’s convention center and a large hotel. New homes, shops, and offices have been built, making downtown a lively place to visit. Main Street has new buildings and improvements. The Soda City Market, started in 2005, brings vendors and shoppers to Main Street every Saturday.

Arts and culture

Columbia, South Carolina, has many places where people can enjoy art, music, and shows. There are groups like the Columbia Choral Society, which has been singing together since 1930, and the South Carolina Ballet, which puts on many shows each year. The Richland County Public Library is very large and was named the National Library of the Year in 2001. It has many books, technology, and art on display.

The city also has theatres and museums, such as the South Carolina State Museum, which shows science, history, and art. The Town Theatre is the oldest community theatre that is still used today, and it has been showing plays since 1917.

Venues

Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center

The Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center opened in 2004. It is a large, modern building used for meetings and conventions. It has many rooms of different sizes and is located near restaurants, shops, and nightlife spots.

Koger Center for the Arts

The Koger Center for the Arts hosts many performances, from local music to big global acts. It can seat many people and was first used in 1989. The center has hosted many different events over the years.

Carolina Coliseum

Carolina Coliseum opened in 1968 and was originally home to the university's basketball teams. It can hold many people and has also been used for concerts, car shows, and other events. Today, it is mainly used for the university's men's and women's basketball practices.

Township Auditorium

Township Auditorium can hold many people and was built in 1930. It has hosted many events over the years, from concerts to wrestling matches. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 after a big renovation.

Sports

Columbia is famous for its sports teams at the University of South Carolina. In April 2017, the women's basketball team won a big national championship.

The city has many places to watch sports. Williams-Brice Stadium is home to the university's football team and can hold many fans. Colonial Life Arena, which opened in 2002, is the largest arena in the state and hosts the university's men's and women's basketball teams. Other venues include Charlie W. Johnson Stadium for Benedict College football and soccer, Founders Park for college baseball, and Segra Park for the Columbia Fireflies Minor League Baseball team.

Parks and recreation

Columbia has many lovely parks to explore. Finlay Park is a big green space with a fountain, a stage for shows, and public art. Riverbanks Zoo is a fun place to see animals and also has a garden to walk through. There are also smaller parks like Memorial Park, Granby Park with river fun, and Valley Park honoring Martin Luther King Jr.. Other spots include Riverfront Park with nice trails and the W. Gordon Belser Arboretum and Harbison State Forest for nature lovers.

Government

See also: Past mayors of Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia uses a council-manager style of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years. The mayor can object to council decisions, but the council can still make a decision if enough members agree. The council selects a city manager to help manage the city's daily operations. The current mayor is Daniel Rickenmann.

The city council has six members. Four are elected from specific areas of the city, and two are elected by everyone in the city. They create rules and laws to help the city grow and function well.

Columbia has its own police department, led by a chief of police who reports to the city manager. The current chief of police is W.H. "Skip" Holbrook.

The South Carolina Department of Corrections is based in Columbia and operates several facilities there.

Education

Colleges and universities

Columbia is home to the main campus of the University of South Carolina. This university was founded in 1801 and has many programs for students. It is located in the city and has a well-known business school.

The city also has several other schools, such as Allen University, Benedict College, Columbia College, and Columbia International University. There are also smaller schools offering different kinds of training.

Public school districts

Most schools in Columbia are part of the Richland County School District One. Some parts of the city belong to other school districts, and a few schools are run by the Department of Defense Education Activity for children whose parents work at Fort Jackson.

Private schools

Columbia has many private schools for families who choose them. These schools offer different kinds of learning for children of different ages.

Supplementary schools

There is a weekend school for children whose families speak Japanese. It meets on the University of South Carolina campus and has been operating since 1985.

Media

See also: List of newspapers in South Carolina, List of radio stations in South Carolina, and List of television stations in South Carolina

Columbia has several newspapers. One is The State, the city's daily paper. Another paper, The Post and Courier from Charleston, has a weekly edition for Columbia. There are also smaller papers like The Columbia Star and The Daily Gamecock, run by students at the University of South Carolina.

The city has public television and radio stations, and several network TV stations. The University of South Carolina has its own student radio station, which has been on the air since 1946.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Mass transit

Main article: The Comet (transit)

The Comet, called the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority, helps people move around Columbia and nearby places like Cayce, West Columbia, and Forest Acres. It runs buses and special shuttles. The service began in 2002 and now helps over two million people. It also has special buses for people with disabilities and works with the University of South Carolina's transit system. Blue Cross Blue Shield offers bikes to rent in downtown Columbia.

Roads and highways

Columbia is easy to reach because it’s in the middle of South Carolina. Many roads pass through, including nine State Highways and seven U.S. Highways. Four major Interstates connect Columbia to other cities:

• Interstate 20 goes west to Atlanta and east to Florence.
• Interstate 26 links to Greenville in the northwest and Charleston in the southeast.
• Interstate 77 heads north to Charlotte.
• Interstate 126 gives access to Riverbanks Zoo.

Air

Columbia Metropolitan Airport offers flights through American Eagle, Delta Connection, and United Express. There is also a smaller airport, Jim Hamilton–L.B. Owens Airport, for private planes.

Intercity rail

The Amtrak station in Columbia has daily trains on the Silver Star route, going to cities like New York, Washington, DC, Savannah, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and Miami.

Intercity bus

Greyhound Lines used to have a station downtown but moved in 2015. MegaBus started in 2015 and goes to cities such as Atlanta, Fayetteville, Richmond, Washington, DC, and New York City.

Health care

Columbia has several hospitals. Providence Hospital, founded in 1938, is part of the Sisters of Charity Providence Hospitals.

Prisma Health, the largest healthcare group in South Carolina, formed in 2019. It includes Richland Hospital, Children’s Hospital, and Baptist Hospital in Columbia.

Lexington Medical Center has locations in Lexington County and one in Columbia.

The Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center is a hospital for veterans.

Renewable energy and climate goals

Columbia wants to use only clean, renewable energy by 2036. Plans include building a solar farm to power the wastewater treatment plant, improving the water metering system, fixing water leaks, and replacing old vehicles with cleaner ones.

Notable people

Further information: List of people from Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina, is home to many famous people. They have become well-known in sports, entertainment, and other fields. The city is a place where interesting and successful people live and grow.

Sister cities

Columbia, the capital city of South Carolina, has seven sister cities around the world. These cities are Kaiserslautern in Germany, Cluj-Napoca in Romania, Plovdiv in Bulgaria, Chelyabinsk in Russia, Yibin in China, Accra in Ghana, and Taichung City in Taiwan.

Later, an eighth sister city was added: Columbia, Mississippi. This happened after the two cities helped each other during natural disasters and recognized their shared history.