John Sherrer
2020 Preservation Award Winner: UofSC’s Chemistry Lab
Sunday, August 30th 2020
USC's Chemistry Lab. Image courtesy of Lekita Hargrave Each year, Historic Columbia presents Preservation Awards to celebrate the accomplishments of local property owners; professionals in the fields of architecture, construction and design; and leaders who champion preservation as an opportunity to support the Midlands’ economy and culture. These awards are...
2020 Preservation Award Winner: Claussen's Apartments
Sunday, August 30th 2020
Claussen's Bakery Building. Image Courtesy of Historic Columbia Collection Each year, Historic Columbia presents Preservation Awards to celebrate the accomplishments of local property owners; professionals in the fields of architecture, construction and design; and leaders who champion preservation as an opportunity to support the Midlands’ economy and culture. These awards...
2020 Preservation Award Winner: 2144 Sumter Street
Sunday, August 30th 2020
x 2144 Sumter Street. Image courtesy of SEED Architecture Each year, Historic Columbia presents Preservation Awards to celebrate the accomplishments of local property owners; professionals in the fields of architecture, construction and design; and leaders who champion preservation as an opportunity to support the Midlands’ economy and culture. These awards...
Transforming Spaces
Tuesday, September 24th 2019
History is neither stagnant nor fixed. No, the study and interpretation of past events is a creative, dynamic, and transformational process that shapes both how we know previous people, places, and events and how we view our ourselves. This process lies at the heart of Historic Columbia, where recent capital...
A Historic Holiday Snapshot
Friday, December 21st 2018
On December 22, 1955, readers of The Columbia Record newspaper met a full-page chronicle of Columbia’s Gross family preparing to ring in the holidays. With husband Albert M. Gross ill and states away in Florida, wife Miriam wrangled her six children, ages 18 months through ten years, as the annual...
In the Path of Totality
Thursday, August 23rd 2018
Have you ever been in the path of something that you cannot escape? Have you ever been faced with an event that cannot be avoided? Such situations often elicit anxiety or even dread. What if you knew exactly when and where such an event was to occur? What would you...
A Holiday Parade to Remember
Monday, November 19th 2018
With the holiday season picking up pace, it seems a natural thing this time of year to recall people, places, and (in this case) parades that have shaped our memory of Holidays past. Much has been written about Main Street over the years—this corridor has hosted citizens who worked, lived...
Preservation Matters
Monday, March 26th 2018
Much-anticipated capital improvements to the Hampton-Preston site during work this winter and spring have yielded exciting finds—both inside and outside the building. In December, paint analyst Betty Prime with Meadors Construction of Charleston, spent two days pulling samples to determine how occupants changed the house over time to better suit...
Evolution of Landmark Property
Monday, March 26th 2018
Like most older buildings, the Hampton-Preston Mansion has evolved over time. Today, it stands as an amalgamation of changes, some large, some small, all interesting in their own right. Each change offers clues about the people who designed, built and subsequently modified the former residence so that it could perform...
Welcome to Columbia: Wish You Were Here?
Monday, March 26th 2018
In November 1943, local real estate developer and lawyer Thomas Hair bought the former Hampton-Preston estate, which had been placed to many uses since Chicora College left Columbia nearly 15 years earlier. Banking on the property’s widely known association with members of Columbia’s and South Carolina’s most elite families, Hair...