Historic Columbia hosts array of engaging November events

Historic Columbia encourages people to spend more time exploring the history of Columbia in this cooler weather by offering new tours in November, including the Palladium Fall Tour (Sun., Nov. 3) and the Holiday House Tours. Visit historiccolumbia.org for more information and check out the list of all the Historic Columbia’s events below.

CALENDAR OF PROGRAMS AND EVENTS:

Homeschool Friday | Main Street Walking Tour
Friday, Nov. 1 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. | Meet at the South Carolina State House by the Washington Monument
Designated as the city’s main thoroughfare since the late 18th century, a portion of Columbia’s Main Street is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the “Columbia Commercial Historic District.” Bounded by the South Carolina State House to the south and Elmwood Avenue to the north, the corridor boasts history and architectural styles spanning three centuries. Homeschool students are invited to participate in Historic Columbia’s Homeschool Friday programs on the first Friday of each month. Each month’s program is 10 – 11:30 a.m. and includes hands-on activities while students learn and explore different themes and historic sites with Historic Columbia. Homeschool Friday programs are designed for students of elementary and middle school age levels. This program is open to families and homeschool groups of less than 10 students. For larger groups, we recommend arranging a separate visit to explore that month’s topic. To register for the Homeschool Friday series, email [email protected].

Palladium Fall Tour
Sunday, Nov. 3 | 12-4 p.m.; afterparty 4-6 p.m.
Join Historic Columbia’s Palladium for the second annual Palladium Fall Tour presented by Jaguar Land Rover Columbia, an in-depth look at Columbia’s unique Mid-Century Modern architectural history.

This year’s theme, Columbia Modern, will kick off with a tour to showcase the best of Columbia’s Mid-Century Modern architecture and design on Sunday, Nov. 3 from 12 – 4 p.m. Ticket holders will check in at the Robert Mills House (1616 Blanding St.) on the day of from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. before setting out on the tour route. Stops this year include private homes staged with contemporary and original mid-century furniture and art and the iconic Seibels Insurance Building on Bull Street.

In addition to the home tours throughout Columbia’s neighborhoods, Palladium’s Fall Tour is also offering a first class afterparty set to take flight from the Hunter-Gatherer Brewery at the Curtiss-Wright Hangar from 4 – 6 p.m. on Nov 3. The afterparty, sponsored by Columbia Metropolitan Airport, is included with a ticket. Show your wristband at the bar and get your first beer on the house!

Advance tickets are $25 for Palladium members, $30 for Historic Columbia members and $40 for the general public. Advance ticket sales end Friday, Nov. 1. Any remaining tickets will be available day of at the Historic Columbia Gift Shop for $40. Tickets include a map of available tour locations and access to the afterparty at Hunter-Gatherer at the Hangar. For tickets visit historiccolumbia.org/falltour contact [email protected] or call 803-252-1770 x23.

Second Sunday Stroll | Melrose Heights
Sunday, Nov. 10 | 2 – 3:30 p.m. | Tour begins at Melrose Park
Explore the Melrose Heights neighborhood with Historic Columbia from 2-3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 10 during the monthly Second Sunday Stroll. The guided walking tour will travel through the historic neighborhood, which was recently listed as an historic site on the National Historic Register of Historic Places. Stops will include highlights of various architectural styles, kit homes popular in the 1910s and historic locations in one of Columbia’s earliest suburbs. The tour begins at Melrose Park located at 1500 Fairview Drive. Second Sunday Stroll is $5 for Historic Columbia members and $10/adult non-members and free for youth. Space is limited. To purchase tickets, visit historiccolumbia.org, email [email protected] or call (803) 252-1770 x 23.

Closed for Veteran’s Day
Monday, Nov. 11
Historic Columbia offices will be closed on Nov. 11 in honor of Veteran’s day.

“The Art of the American War Memorial”
Monday, Nov. 11 | Columbia Museum of Art
The monument to the Palmetto Regiment on the grounds of the South Carolina State House was one of the few war memorials in the United States before the Civil War. In contrast, many communities installed monuments in the aftermath of the Civil War. The monument to the Confederate dead in front of the State House is an example of a generic statue, but these works varied considerably in artistic ambition.

The talk will survey the rise of an American vocabulary of war memorials by focusing on Daniel Chester French, whose work shows how Civil War monuments became the center of an American memorial tradition that reinterpreted the Revolution and also shaped commemoration of later wars. French’s Minute Man in Concord, Massachusetts (1871-75), the most famous sculptural depiction of the Revolution, applied recent Civil War precedents and typified a trend toward celebration of the citizen-soldier. French’s subsequent work on Civil War monuments influenced his contemplative World War I monuments, which pointed toward works such as Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial. French’s development illuminates a tension between ideals of martial vigor and reflective mourning that continue to shape American war memorials.

“The Art of the American War Memorial,” is part of the Faculty Spotlight Series presented by the History Center. The lecture is cosponsored by Historic Columbia and free to the public.

Dollar Sunday | Mann-Simons Site
Sunday, Nov. 17 | 1 – 4 p.m. | Mann-Simons Site
Every third Sunday of the month, residents of Richland and Lexington counties are invited to tour of one of Historic Columbia’s house museums for just $1 on Dollar Sunday! On Sunday, Nov. 17, visit the exhibits at the Mann-Simons Site, the home to the same African-American family for nearly 130 years. The house will be open for guests to tour at their own pace, and guides will be available to answer any questions. General admission prices apply for any house tours after the first. Walk-ins welcome!

Tickets are $1 for Richland and Lexington County residents with a valid I.D. Purchase tickets at the Mann-Simons Site or the Gift Shop at Robert Mills between 1 and 4 p.m. For more information, visit historiccolumbia.org, call (803) 252-1770 ext. 23 or email [email protected].

Holiday House Tours Begin
Nov. 22 – Dec. 31 | Gift Shop at Robert Mills
Guests are invited to see a variety of holiday decorations and experience past traditions at the Robert Mills House and the Hampton-Preston Mansion between Friday, Nov. 22 and Tuesday, Dec. 31. Tour guides will provide stories of holidays past in Columbia and discuss how families decorated and entertained during the 19th and early 20th centuries. At the Robert Mills House, guests will see how a home of its size might have been decorated in the 1820s during the time before Christmas trees were popular. Across the street at the Hampton-Preston Mansion, Christmas of the 1860s was very different from today in many ways but some of the traditions we carry on today have their roots from this time. Eggnog, poinsettias and Christmas trees were all part of the Victorian era holidays.

Admission includes a guided tour of both the Robert Mills House and the Hampton-Preston Mansion. Tours will be offered Tuesday – Saturday at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.,1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Visit The Gift Shop at Robert Mills, located at 1616 Blanding Street, to purchase admission and begin your tour. To schedule a group tour, call 803.252.1770 x 23 or email [email protected].

Closed for Thanksgiving
Thursday, Nov. 28 | All day
Historic Columbia and all our properties will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 28, for Thanksgiving. The last tour will be given at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27. Tours will resume at regular hours on Friday, Nov. 29.

Take some time during your Thanksgiving holiday to plan a trip with your family to one of our historic house museums or to bring some leftovers for a picnic in our gardens! Historic Columbia’s properties include more than 14 acres of landscapes, featuring gardens that range from an expansive park-like setting with an elaborate formal garden to a 19th-century informal yard. Happy Thanksgiving!

HOUSE TOURS:

Historic House Museum Tours
Tuesday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Historic Columbia’s historic house museum tours offer a peek into the past! Tour the Robert Mills House & Gardens, Hampton-Preston Mansion & Gardens, Mann-Simons Site or the Woodrow Wilson Family Home to learn more about Columbia’s history. Tours are free for members, $10 for adults, $7 youth (ages 6-17) and free for children under 5. Visit historiccolumbia.org for more information.

Group Tours Historic Columbia is happy to arrange a private guided tour for groups of 10 or more with advance registration. Bus tours are available. To schedule a group tour, call (803) 252-1770 x 23 or email [email protected].

About Palladium
Palladium is a dynamic group of diverse professionals who support the mission of Historic Columbia through educational, social and fundraising initiatives. Funds raised through Palladium support Historic Columbia’s important preservation and advocacy work, which in turn helps preserve the charm and vitality of Columbia and Richland County. Visit HistoricColumbia.org/Palladium to learn more and become a member.

 

About Historic Columbia

Historic Columbia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Columbia and Richland County’s historic and cultural heritage. In November 1961, a small group of individuals intent on saving the Ainsley Hall House from demolition officially incorporated as the Historic Columbia Foundation. Over the next five decades, the organization, which was founded on the premise of preservation and education, would take on the stewardship of seven historic properties in Richland County. Today, the organization serves as a model for local preservation efforts and interpretation of local history. Visit historiccolumbia.org or find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube for more details.