South Carolina State Capitol Building

South Entrance - S.C. State House

Welcome to beautiful downtown Columbia, state capital of South Carolina and one of the earliest"planned cities" in the country.  Many folks are aware of the extraordinary role played by the city of Charleston in the origin, growth and development of our state and its early life as our state capital.  Charleston still claims an almost mythic place in the hearts

North Entrance - S. C. State House

and minds of South Carolinians.  But, although we are a sentimental people, we are also a little on the "practical side" too and when it became apparent that all areas of the state would play increasingly significant parts in government and industry, (and since it is about 315 miles from one end to the other!!) the need for a more central site for the seat of government became obvious.  So, in 1786, the state legislature selected a site on the Congaree River - roughly along the

North Entrance

"fall line" of the flood plains - to become the state capital.  After a short but spirited debate,the name Columbia was chosen.  For the first twenty years of its existence, Columbia was governed by the legislature but, finally, in 1805 it was "incorporated" and in 1854

General Wade Hampton

became an official "city."  The layout of the city was developed with considerable thought and one of the scientific theories used has benefited the city to this day.  Early engineers determined that the

 African-American Memorial

greatest distance the malaria carrying mosquitos could fly was 60 feet so the major streets were designed to be at least that wide!!  We could spend all day talking about the history of the city but let me get to the subject of our

Confederate Memorial

visit today.  I'll try not to be too long-winded about it.  By 1851, legislative approval had been given for construction of a capitol building and work got underway.  The problems with the project were so massive that work was stopped and the site dismantled.  In 1854 work got underway again

Spanish-American War Memorial

and continued with frequent interruptions for decades - including what some locals call "the late
unpleasantness" otherwise known as the "War Between The States."  After General Sherman visited the city in February of 1865 work remained suspended for a while but eventually resumed.  Stunningly, the work would not be officially considered "complete" until 1907.  It is a magnificent structure which still bears the scars of battle - sadly but proudly displayed for posterity.  As beautiful as the grounds are and as proud as we are of the many great patriots and leaders honored here, our Capitol has been the site of controversy as well.  Ongoing debates about the appropriateness of the Confederate memorial have lingered - but - they did lead to a compromise that brought us a wonderful

Pitchfork Ben Tillman

memorial to the contributions of African-Americans to our state.  Ironically, the statue of perhaps one of the most divisive characters in our history - "Pitchfork Ben Tillman" has not stirred emotions like some of the others.  The grounds contain a number of significant memorials - including two that are not shown here today.  They are the statue to the late Senator Strom Thurmond, one of our state's most remarkable leaders and a memorial to law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.  We'll try to bring them to you at another time.  One of my favorites is the memorial to former Governor, U.S. Senator,

James F. Byrnes Memorial

U.S. Representative, U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Secretary of State James F. Byrnes.  Often referred to as "Assistant President" for his role during the administration of President Franklin Roosevelt, Byrnes is rightly known as one of the most powerful leaders of the twentieth century.  He was a remarkable man and I had the pleasure of meeting him on several occasions during my early years in Columbia.  Until his death he remained accessible to his fellow South Carolinians - particularly the children of his beloved Heathwood neighborhood.    I suppose it is fitting to end our visit to

Generals of the Revolution

the State House with a look at the top of the memorial dedicated to Revolutionary War Generals Thomas Sumter, ("The Fighting Gamecock") Francis Marion ("The Swamp Fox") and Andrew Pickens ("The Wizard Owl") three of the most amazing and memorable men ever to have served

Trinity Cathedral

their native state and their country.   We will close out our trip with a look at Trinity Cathedral that lies to the East of the Capitol Grounds and just across one of those extremely broad avenues designed by the early city fathers of Columbia.  I had hoped we would be able to take you inside to see the renovations that were recently completed in the Cathedral for the celebration of their Bi-Centennial.  The furnishings are stunning and we will try to bring them to you on a future visit.  Interestingly, the history of Columbia rings with the names of countless men and women - of all races - and we can be rightly proud of the progress we have made.  If you do get the chance to visit, take a stroll through the churchyard of Trinity.  There you will find many of the names that appear in the city's earliest years.  It is a great chance to see an incredibly historic site up close and personal - and - if you come in the springtime, it is awesome!!!!!!!   As we leave today, I thought I'd share a song I wrote for my state a while back. I hope that's not being too presumptuous and I hope you enjoy it.  Come on back soon!!!  See ya.