825 Washington Street
Site of Sribnick's Grocery
Russian immigrant Hyman Sribnick (1886 - 1978) and his Lithuanian wife, Rose, married in 1910 and began a family later that year with the birth of their son, Isidore (1910 - 2002). Hyman, who spoke only Russian and Yiddish, worked as both a cabinetmaker and grocer in Charleston before relocating to Columbia. The Sribnicks settled at 810 Washington Street and bought an existing grocery store at 825 Washington Street in 1915. Members of the House of Peace Synagogue, the Sribnicks ran their store in the predominantly African American neighborhood, where son Isidore learned the grocery trade before serving in World War II. He later ran the family store until the City of Columbia bought the property in 1953. During the 1950s and 1960s, Isidore Sribnick owned multiple businesses throughout Columbia, including liquor, clothing and drug stores. Through hard work, the entrepreneur sent several of his children to medical and graduate school.
