2024 Preservation Awards | Maxcy Gregg House
Thursday, May 16th 2024
WINNER | Preservation, Rehabilitation, or Restoration (commercial, institutional, rental, or municipal)
Maxcy Gregg House | 1518 Richland Street
Avant & McLeod - Richlands, LLC — Property Owner
Avant Holdings — Project Manager
Studio 2LR — Architect
Historic Columbia — Preservation Consultant
Appreciating the value that historic buildings provide as unique work environments, owners Todd Avant and Mullins McLeod acquired this ca.-1841 former residence, which had fallen into disrepair following years of commercial use. One of Columbia’s oldest former residences, the antebellum property required extensive exterior, interior, and site work—rehabilitation guided by the State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service to qualify for historic tax credits and the Bailey Bill tax abatement.
With NPS-guideline-based rehabilitation plans rendered by Tripp Riley of Studio 2LR, the owners addressed plaster and lathe repairs, plumbing replacement, and the installation of new electrical fixtures on all three levels of the house. Restoration of the original hardwood floors followed the removal of a plywood patch and carpet in the main level rear. In the raised basement level, asbestos flooring was removed, historic brick pavers carefully cleaned, and concrete floors treated with a clear sealant. South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office guidance resulted in an enclosed former porch being successfully turned into a Class A office kitchenette by creatively accommodating historic windowsills and window height.
Outside, extensive rot and material loss required custom-milled replacements for deteriorated balusters, shutter louvers, fascia, and dormer trim. Window damage required replacing 26 broken panes with salvaged antique wavy glass. Installation of a new roof membrane mitigated water infiltration in the front central porch that had led to significant roof rot. Further carpentry improvements included the construction of an ADA-code-compliant ramp on the south elevation. Mortar testing ensured the correct recipe was used in performing chimney repairs. Lastly, the house received a comprehensive exterior and interior paint job.
What may seem like general maintenance to the uninitiated, this carefully executed rehabilitation involved elements—technical and financial—that are integral components of far larger commercial historic tax credit endeavors. The outcome is a revitalized property within the Robert Mills Historic District suitable to a host of potential tenants.
Before & After
Explore the
Economic Impact Study
This study's findings reinforce our long-held position on the importance of historic preservation for the city's economy and support our work advocating for policies that encourage preservation and the reuse of historic buildings. Columbia’s architectural heritage is not simply an exercise in nostalgia; it is an informed, strategic investment in the future.
Check out some of the other 2024 Preservation Award recipients:
2024 Preservation Awards | Morgan Hall
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 as a contributing building within the Benedict College Historic District, Morgan Hall bears the distinction of being the HBCU campus’s first separate facility intended as the president’s residence. Erected in 1895, the Queen Anne style, three-story building marked a notable achievement in the development of Benedict 25 years after the institution’s founding as one of the earliest Black colleges in the South during Reconstruction.
2024 Preservation Awards | 1214-1216/1218-1220 Taylor Street
Historically known as the Hillman’s Sporting Goods and Community Finance Company buildings, respectively, these ca.-1915 commercial destinations experienced more than a century of use by various owners that modified elements of their original appearance. Current sibling owners Greg Middleton and Sara Middleton Styles teamed up with Rogers Lewis, LTC Architects, and Pyramid Construction to design and implement a rehabilitation that would benefit from Bailey Bill tax abatement and historic tax credits by following the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. In doing so, the historic character of these mixed-use buildings was retained and restored, while stimulating further economic vitality within the National Register of Historic Places-listed commercial district.
2024 Preservation Awards | Campus Village
As part of its master plan, the University of South Carolina embraces design guidelines in its ongoing efforts to meet the housing needs of an ever-increasing student body while replacing obselete facilities within its urban campus. Opened in August 2023 as the initial step in a multi-phased initiative to transform an area of South Campus into a vibrant, community-oriented housing complex, Campus Village ranks as the largest state capital project completed to date.
2024 Preservation Awards | 1407 Gladden Street
Virginia native and long-time Melrose Heights resident Kandie Wright is no stranger to sensitive rehabilitations of historic properties. Previous efforts at two other neighborhood properties, including a rare Airplane Bungalow and the Prairie Style residence originally owned by the Powell family, have garnered accolades and been a source of community pride.