 Thanks for joining us on the Hidden Columbia Preservation Bike Ride today. This is a self-guided tour with directions between stops, allowing you to pause the video and ride at your own pace. Please keep in mind that you ride at your own risk, but bicycle safety tips are provided at the start of the video. We hope you have a great ride. Hi, my name is Megan McNish and I'm a preservation planner at the City of Columbia Planning and Development Services. Thanks so much for joining us today on the Hidden History Columbia Bike Ride. This was a bike ride we presented in 2018 for Preservation Month, and since we can't meet the person right now, we've decided to record this. You can either play it back on your couch or do it on your own. We're going to be going over a couple of things and how we get started. If you don't have a bike, why not try a new bike? We are starting our tour today at the corner of Laurel, Macon Street. There is a new bike station around the corner at the Robertville St. So if you don't have a bike, try that out. We're also going to be going over safety tips, things to keep in mind as we travel along on this bike ride. You're so excited you're joining us today on our bike ride. Now, there are a couple of tips you need to know before you get started. The first thing that we want to do is we want to take a look at our bikes. So whether it's a blue bike or my bike here, we want to make sure that, oh, I don't know, your brakes connected, your tires are basic things. Make sure you're safe. Just start out. After you've taken a look at your bike, you want to make sure you put them on and all your experts here. Do you have either a vest or something bright that you can wear on your travels today? Because we want to make sure that motorists can see you and that you're safe as well. You check your pants legs here on the other side of my bike, which you can't see. And if I don't roll up my pants legs, that gear might catch my pants leg and that might trip me up and cause me to fall or cause damage to my bike. So I've made sure to roll up my right pants leg. The other things that we want to talk to you about today are about how to be safe. You need to be riding in the street, other parts you can ride on the sidewalk or in the street depending on your level of comfort. But during that time, we want to make sure that we're not only riding safely for ourselves, but we're telling other motorists, other riders what we're doing. So we're getting them cubes, just like you need to put a signal in your car. You need to tell people when you're turning or stopping. Here, we don't have brake lights, right? So pretty simple. And I know you're going to see me in reverse here, but when you're making a left turn, stick your left hand out like this, that will cue drivers and bicyclists that you're going to turn. Hold your arm for one or two, three seconds, because you don't just want to do this, right? Like a driver could be looking down, looking at another car, they won't see you. If you're turning right, you have two options. Hold out your right arm like this, or you can do this, or this. Sorry about that. But this is down that will cue to drivers in the city, specifically that you also should be aware of. One is there are places throughout the city where we do have a bike lane. That's a large bike lane. Or if you're on a street with a bike lane and you're riding in this, you can ride in the sidewalk with all the riding of Gervais and Helmholtz. So if you're within that area that's two blocks wide, please be sure to ride in the street or if you don't feel comfortable, walk your bike on the sidewalk. And then you'll be following all the rules and people will know where to expect you and where not. So we are excited to get started. So let's put on our safety equipment and get going. Between each stop, a map of the route to the next stop will appear, followed by written directions. You can pause the video at either point to help you navigate to the next location. Many people in Columbia know about the history of the Robert Mills House and the Amphipressed Invention being connected to academia and colleges, theology, and all of that. But many people don't know that this site here is also connected and has long been connected to academia. In 1828, this lot was donated by Governor John Taylor for school purposes. The earliest school on this lot was the Columbia Male Academy, also known as the Compton School. This building was described as a school amply suited for educational purposes that for years satisfied its patrons in every particular. However, in 1905, the school was demolished to make room for what would become known as the Taylor School, public school for boys and girls from grades one to seven. At the time, a petition by two dozen people asked that the school be preserved if possible, but it was decided to be impractical. Hereafter, it was known to us as only a pleasant memory for other days. A familiar structure, old and worn with honorable service, had disappeared, and a new one, strong and ready for the work to come, has taken its place in the forward march of progress. There was a lot of excitement about the new school that went in at this site and the expansion of public education in Columbia in general. One article mentioned that the school buildings of Columbia have here to for attracted attention, chiefly, because of their inferiority. But in the near future, they will attract wide attention because of their superiority. It went on to say, architects and the city superintendent of schools have given careful study to the arrangement of the building and everything has been arranged accordingly to the most approved modern school architecture. It will be one of the hands-missed and most conveniently arranged school buildings in this section of the country. When the building was finally completed, it was described as a beautiful building, practical yet aesthetic, carefully designed and splendidly situated. It is hard to see how it could be improved. Several articles went into great detail about the building ventilation, heating system, electrical bells, and even the blackboards used in the classrooms. In 1905, the school opened to rave reviews. Despite the great design of the school, the building was found to be inadequate by 1964. Ultimately, it was closed and torn down soon after. Part of the reason that the school was eventually torn down was that enrollment had greatly diminished and it needed a lot of work. Ultimately, it was decided that it was impossible to operate the building with efficiency. Today, the site still has connections to education that date back to 1829, even though you might not realize it. But we talked about earlier that the school was eventually demolished because of reduced enrollment. What do you think some of the reasons for that reduced enrollment might have been? Were there changes in Columbia's downtown at that point in time that may have caused these changes? Why don't you discuss that with the group that you're joining on this ride and see what answers you can come up with. Where we're standing now wasn't always known as the VISTA. The early development of these commercial, mercantile, industrial and warehouse buildings was influenced first by the construction of the Hungry River Bridge in 1827. That connected Germay Street as a major western route to other areas. The second most influential thing was the development of the railroad in this area with the establishment of the South Carolina Railroad Depot in 1846, making Germay Street a transportation hub for the city, which it still is today. Buildings here represent over a century of development with construction dates ranging from the 1840s into the 1940s. Despite long periods of development spanning the rise and fall of many different popular architectural styles, the area retained a cohesive feel due to brick in the primary building period. Houses and small shops remained in the eastern part of the district into the German Century, but eventually this area became more driven by retail with brick buildings and cast-iron storefronts. One example of a building from the turn of the century is 911 Germay Street. Built in 1904, it operated as the Richland County Dispensary, this came to be with changes in liquor laws across the state that allowed for government entities to be the ones to manufacture and sell liquor. This building operated as the State Dispensary until 1912. The railroad was really a big driver of development in this area with booms in the early 20th century. Retail businesses, wholesale grocers, pharmacies and other businesses flourished in this area, and buildings were built well into the 1930s, drawing people into this commercial district. Three of the railroad depots that were historically found in this area are still around today, one of which is the 1846 South Carolina Railroad Depot, the first passenger rail freight facility in the city as well as the first in the state outside of Charleston area. That's the street where we're standing right now. Another is 902 Germay Street, constructed in 1903 as the Seaboard Railroad Freight Depot, which is now the long road. The last is 903 Lincoln Street, constructed in 1904 as the Seaboard Airline Railroad Passenger Depot, which is now the Blue Marlin Restaurant. Interested in this area by its century, some are obstructive people out of downtown, and while businesses remained in the area, the unchanging urban industrial character of the area didn't appeal to everybody. In the 1980s, the intersection of Gervais and Hugie Street was photographed by National Geographic as an example of one of the worst urban environments in the nation. A newspaper article from 1988 described several major streets in Columbia, including Gervais, Assembly and Hugie Street as treeless asphalt expanses, which are depressing to look at and drive. However, reinvestment and rehabilitation in the area as early as 1976 allowed for adaptive reuse projects in this district. The first was the RL Bryan Book Depository, which was adapted into a restaurant and lounge, and was one of the first examples of adaptive reuse in this part of the city. The building is located on Gadsden Street, Washington, and Lady, and is now attorney offices. It was constructed in 1911 as a public school textbook supplier and functioned as the state's Book Depository until 1956. Yet another example of adaptive reuse in the late 1970s was the J.E. Young Building, which was constructed in 1909. It was later rehabilitated to be used as a furniture shop. In the 1980s, shop owners and business owners began to see the business. A historic character has been retained. This does a great area to show the possibilities for adaptive reuse projects, or your favorite adaptive reuse projects, but what are some that you can think of that would be great for our city? So now we're in Finley Park. This area was first developed as the city's waterworks using natural springs on the site in 1820. The park was developed by 1840, with springs, gazebos, pools, fountains, and walking paths. A 1939 newspaper recollected, on Sunday we would go to Sydney Park, a very beautiful place to go feed the animals, drink cool spring water, watch the goldfish in their two large ponds, and rest with your girl in a little summer house or tease Mr. Bailey, the parkkeeper, and get chased out. By 1900, the Seaboard rail lines had moved into the area. A 1955 article recollected, there are still a few Colombians in circulation who remember the area now familiarly known as Seaboard Park, when it was a beautiful section of town called Sydney Park. It takes an old-timer to have such a recollection. In 1899, the Seaboard Airline Railroad bought the land embracing Sydney Park from the city to be used as a location for their passenger and freight stations. It was the beginning of the end for one of the city's most beautiful spots. Doubtless, many a tear was shed as Sydney Park, long a mecca for old and young, fell victim to the march of progress. A 1913 article states that a commercial center to be built in Sydney Park tracks now running promiscuously about the yards will be relayed so as to serve conveniently a chain of large warehouses which will be built. Manufacturers or distributors doing business in Columbia on a large scale and having quantities of goods to be shipped in and out of the city will be granted long-term leases, allowing space for 19 establishments. The commercial center took hold so that no part of the original parkland was evident. A 1955 article states that 1950 Columbians knew nothing of the lost pleasure ground which once occupied the desolation now called Seaboard Park. Though both the park, which was sacrificed to the railway and Seaboard itself, have fled from the bowl-like valley below Assembly Street. In the 1950s, Seaboard abandoned this area and eventually the land came back to the city. First development back in this area started with the post office on Assembly Street built in the late 1960s and designed by Lyles Basette, Carl Allen Wolfe or LBC&W. In the 1970s, Mayor Finley fought back development in the park area. Finley's hope was to recapture the original charm of Sydney Park by remodeling the industrial buildings that collected in this area and making it once again land for recreation. Although this vision took many years to realize and is still being developed in many ways, at the time Mayor Finley stated, I realize schemes get announced over here and never come to pass, but this one will come to pass. So once again in this area, which was historically known as Sydney Park, we have Finley Park. And although the original layout of the park is no longer evident, we have historic photographs and maps of the area that show us what it once looked like. Did you know that Sydney Park was once here? We're going to talk about the first cemetery formally established for the city's black residents. In 1871, 19 local black legislators and businessmen came together to form an association to establish a respectable place for burials for blacks in Columbia. Prior to this, blacks were buried alongside poor whites in the local potters field. The men named their association in the cemetery in honor of Senator Benjamin Franklin Randolph. Randolph was born a free person of color and was college-educated and started his career as a minister. When the Civil War began, Randolph joined the Union Army as a chaplain, arriving first on Hilton Head Island in 1864 with the Union Army and eventually moving to Charleston after the war. Randolph became senator representing Orangeburg County in 1868 and played a major role in the 1868 South Carolina State Constitutional Convention in which black men and non-property-owning white men were granted the right to vote. His stance on civil rights issues and his political agenda made Randolph a target for hate groups. And in October of 1868, he was assassinated by a group of armed white men while attempting to board a train in Abbeyville County, South Carolina. Randolph's body would later be reinterred in 1871 at Randolph Cemetery, and a monument was placed here to honor him. From reconstruction through the early 20th century, Randolph Cemetery was a place of internment for some of South Carolina's most notable African-American citizens, one of which was William Beverly Nash, one of a dozen black legislators buried in Randolph Cemetery. Born into slavery, he later owned several businesses and was a highly active legislator for Richland County. He and his wife Dorcas are buried side-by-side. Yet another was Agnes Jackson Simons, the matriarch of the family occupying the Man Simons Cottage. And lastly, Reverend Sarah Smith, founder of the Bethlehem Baptist Church in 1913. In her obituary, she was referred to as a noble woman, and her grave is marked by an obelisk and urn, which were recently restored. By 1918, all of the originally planned plots for Randolph Cemetery had been sold off, but soon Cemetery began to decline. Many of the descendants of those who had purchased lots of land in Cemetery had moved north in the Great Migration. Plots were left unattended, and the cemetery became overgrown. Other black cemeteries were also established in the early 20th century, giving black citizens many more options for where they wished to be buried. By the May 20th century, the cemetery had declined into a wilderness. In 1959, the city of Columbia made plans to include Randolph Cemetery in an urban renewal program, and arranged for the cemetery to be cleared out. Fortunately, a local African-American woman, Minnie Simon Williams, saw the destruction and alerted the city to the historic significance of the cemetery, and had the clearing stopped. Descendants of the original founders of the cemetery formed the Randolph Cemetery Association. The group focused on promoting the history of the cemetery and soliciting help to improve the maintenance of the overgrown area. After years of discontent with how the cemetery had been operated, the group filed suit and rewarded custody of Randolph Cemetery. Today, the Committee for the Restoration and Beautification of Randolph Cemetery oversees the preservation of this historic place. Several conservation campaigns have been undertaken to stabilize repair and clean stones in the cemetery, but this is an ongoing process. And in many ways, Randolph Cemetery presents a unique challenge. What do you do with landscapes and places that are adapted for use as if possible? How do you make preservation of those spaces a priority? Something to discuss with your group and think about as you ride toward next stop. As we prepare to head to our next stop, our route will take you through Elmwood Park. So before we leave Randolph Cemetery, we wanted to tell you a little bit about the neighborhood. Feel free to stop along the route, but before we go, you're going to get a double dose of hidden history. The land that today comprises Elmwood Park was outside of the original city grid that was incorporated in 1786. In the years leading up to the Civil War, the area was used as a fairground, but was converted to a hospital and medicine and munitions production facility during the war. During reconstruction, fairs resumed, and the adjacent land was used as a racetrack. Although the subdivision of the lots in the neighborhood began in 1891, the death of Charles Logan in 1903 increased the rate of subdivision. Logan's death, and the donation of some of his land for school purposes, drove the rapidly growing State Fair Association to move its activities to its current location off Rosewood Drive. By the spring of 1905, the first public sale of lots occurred, and subdivision continued through 1919. Development in Elmwood Park began in earnest after the first public sale of lots, and continued until about 1940. By the 1950s and 60s, however, the area fell on hard times. The advent of readily available automobiles and the rising popularity of suburbs further afield pushed residents out of the neighborhood. Incentivized restoration and owner occupation sparked a renaissance in the district. By 1988, the area was designated a local architectural conservation district, and was one of the first districts to receive historic designation following early preservation activities in the 1960s. Like with many other areas we've already explored, the original use of what is today Elmwood Park is not readily apparent, but small traces remain. The area where we're standing now was part of the original plan for Columbia. It was originally a residential area, and it was home to many of Columbia's antebellum aristocracy, if you will. A newspaper article at the time said it was a complex of fine mansions and attractive homes that was the center of the antebellum aristocracy. The area also became home to a military academy and armory. In 1842, the Arsenal Academy opened its doors to trains South Carolinians for military service. Ten years later, in 1852, the Palmetto Armory and Ironworks opened as the second largest foundry south of Harper's Ferry, Virginia, now West Virginia. Ten years later, or excuse me, a few years later, in 1855, the Arsenal Academy expanded, building quarters for their officers. The Arsenal Academy stayed open and has been through the middle of the Civil War, ultimately closing in 1863. In 1865, with the arrival of the Union Army, much of the city of Columbia burned, about two-thirds, including many of the homes in this area. The 1872 Bird's Eye map of Columbia illustrates what remained and what was reconstructed less than ten years after the fire. During the early years of reconstruction, there was very little building in this neighborhood. However, the officers quarters for the Arsenal Academy that had been constructed in 1855 was ultimately converted into the Governor's Mansion in 1869. So the area surrounding the Governor's Mansion quickly became a popular area for residential growth, with smaller, simpler homes being built to accommodate the needs of residents. A popular style was the Shotgun House, characterized by the single hallway running from the front to the back of the house. These homes proved to be affordable for middle and even working-class residents of Columbia. In spite of the simplicity of some of the homes in the area surrounding the Governor's Mansion, this section of the Arsenal Hill neighborhood sits along the border of the wealthier and more modest sides of the neighborhood. To the east, areas around Park Street were the larger and more decorative homes, while to the west were the smaller, simpler homes. The area on the eastern side of the neighborhood enjoyed paved roads and sidewalks, while on the western side, the roads remained unpaved into the 1960s. Arsenal Hill's neighborhood was greatly affected by the urban renewal program in Columbia, administered by the Urban Rehabilitation Commission. By 1961, the commission had demolished over a thousand buildings. A report submitted to the Historical and Cultural Buildings Commission, one of the first organized efforts for preservation in Columbia, lamented the harmful potential of urban renewal in 1965. The report stated, in larger cities, and especially in those which have embraced wholesale urban renewal, many of the slums have been demolished, and with them the oldest structures. This report was submitted by Mabel Payne, a city of Columbia employee. Payne had submitted a list of structures she felt ought to be included in a list of structures to preserve. And many of those in the Governor's mansion area that she included on the list are no longer standing. In the 1971 National Register nomination, it was observed, these surviving architectural and historic monuments of Columbia are repeatedly threatened, and it goes on to state that the urgencies of the city's preservation problem can be seen in the loss of eight houses since 1967. This visually clarifies the speed with which physical deterioration and aggressive businesses are short sightedly divesting Columbia of irreplaceable evidences of her past. The remaining tangible old Columbia was being divided and destroyed by approaching concerns who gave little thought to restoration or suitable replacement. With this area being significantly impacted by urban renewal, there is an interesting mix of more modern commercial buildings and the historic residences that once characterized this area. And urban renewals effect can still be seen today. Had you heard of urban renewal before we talked about it here? What other areas in Columbia can you think of that might have been impacted by this program? So now we're on the Bull Street campus. In 1821, South Carolina became the second state to pass legislation establishing and financing a state hospital for the mentally ill. When it opened in 1828, the new hospital was known as the South Carolina Lunatic Asylum. The hospital was the third mental health institution in America built with public funds. It was designed by famous South Carolina architect Robert Mills. Building at the corner of Bull Street and Calhoun is today known as the Mills Building and is considered the oldest structure in the United States continuously used as a mental hospital. The population of the insane asylum quickly outgrew the Mills Building and funds for a new building were sought in the early 1850s. Built in the Italian Renaissance Revival design, the Babcats building was constructed in four campaigns. 1857 to 1858, 1870 to 1876, 1880 to 1882, and 1883 to 1885. With the center of the building constructed last. Other additions have been made to the building over the years including the dining halls and these additions occurred up until about 1916. From a report on the asylum in 1885, Superintendent E. E. Griffith stated, it should be gratifying to the people of the state to know that they have in this new asylum a building which in beauty of design in solidarity with construction in sanitary provision and in arrangement for comfort of its inmates will bear comparison with the best hospitals of the country. It is not probable that the state will ever be called to erect another asylum as expensive as the one just finished. While the South Carolina lunatic asylum is important not only as one of the oldest mental institutions in the country, the Babcats building makes the 178-acre hospital campus even more significant in the overall history of mental health care. The Babcats building's design represents a revolutionary new sensitivity to caring for the mentally ill. Architect Samuel Sloan worked with Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride, an influential doctor from Pennsylvania in the design of multiple mental health institutions. Dr. Kirkbride recommended comprehensive planning for the comfort and advanced care of patients and developed a system for mental health buildings known eventually as the Kirkbride system. The South Carolina Asylum incorporates the overall plan citing landscaping and interior arrangements of the Kirkbride system. The architectural manifestation of the Kirkbride system was a composition of repeated blocks of pavilions and linking buildings arranging them about a central administration building. Will Street campus continued to evolve throughout the 28th century with many additional buildings coming onto the campus in that time. In the 1920s the LeBord building was constructed for white male tuberculosis patients. The ENZER building was constructed in the 1930s to serve as a research laboratory. The Williams building was constructed in 1938 for patients addicted to drugs alcohol and the Bennett-Hover complex, which served as the campus's auditorium and library was constructed in the 1950s. A series of five cottages were also constructed in the 1930s to house asylum staff. This area was historically a community landscape and buildings are an important component of that history. And in a place where context is so important to the development of this area we need to use a rise of preservation. How much change can a landscape experience before the entire context is lost? But in a similar sense adaptive reuse also comes from a question here as the uses of many of these buildings are no longer relevant today. So how can we preserve these buildings and adaptively reuse them in a way that the people they can once again become important parts of it? Well, we've made it to our last stop and here we're going to talk about a community called Hurleyville. It was an early housing development that was adjacent to railroad shops in this area. Unfortunately there's very little information available about the houses that were once in this area and little to no information available about the tight-knit community that once made up this area. Hurleyville was described in a newspaper article as quote, probably the first housing enterprise of any considerable magnitude in Columbia after the Confederate war, end quote. The area consisted of 32 frame dwellings used to house railroad workers and their families. We know this area was fully developed by 1872 as seen in the Birds Eye map. A contemporary source described Timothy Hurley as a quote, Yankee carpet bagger gangster who was uncouth and of common origin and made a small fortune lending money at high interest rates to railroad employees after the war and purchased the land adjacent to the rail shops and rented out the small and expensive houses to railroad employees, end quote. By 1930 little to no trades of Hurleyville were made. A 1930 newspaper article stated no part of Columbia has been so improved lately as Blanding Street between Henderson and Barnwell and Henderson Street between Blanding and Laurel. Pretty brick bungalows taking the places of small frame dwellings formally making up part of Hurleyville. So Hurleyville presents us with an interesting question. How do we tell the stories of places that we can't see but no longer hear but also that have little to no trace left? How do we make sure that those stories still get told? Thanks so much for joining us for Hidden Columbia, our bike tour today. We really appreciate you coming along with us. We hope you enjoyed it and stay tuned for our next ride. We hope you had as much fun as I did filming Megan around all these really great locations today. If you're taking part of this in May you may notice that there are leaves on the tree but also this both National Bike Month and National Preservation Month. So if you're doing this during May we hope you're celebrating not only this way but in many other ways that will be trying to do both virtually and by providing you in-person opportunities that are actually with us. It's been an interesting year and a bit and we have a lot to look forward to in the years ahead. So thank you so much and happy bike and preservation. As always we hope that you've signed up for our newsletter. You can do that by going to Columbiacompass.org and just stay tuned as we move forward with all sorts of different efforts on behalf of the Planning Division and the Planning and Development Services Department from the City of Columbia.