COLUMBIA, S.C., Monday, Aug. 27, 2016 — September is full of exciting events at Historic Columbia – from the 38th annual Jubilee: Festival of Black History and Culture and the reopening of the Mann-Simons Site to Moonlight Cemetery Tours and a Historic Happy Hour Tour in Five Points. The September calendar of events is below.
EVENTS
Homeschool Friday |The Vista Tour
Friday, Sept. 2 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. | Corner of Pulaski and Gervais Streets
Homeschool Fridays are back at Historic Columbia! Historically a residential and light industrial district, the Congaree Vista was once the transportation hub of the city, dating back to before the Civil War. On this Homeschool Friday: The Vista Tour, students will learn how the railroads played an influential role in the Vista’s development. The tour will visit the locations that were wayside hospitals during the Civil War, cotton warehouses, passenger depots, early automobile dealerships and more. In addition, the groups will see how the revitalization of the Vista, beginning in the 1970s, has sparked redevelopment featuring lofts, apartments, townhouses, restaurants, specialty shops and offices. The tour will take place from 10 – 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 2 and will begin at the corner of Pulaski and Gervais Streets. The cost is per student, with an accompanying adult for free. Homeschool Friday is $5 for members, $6 for non-members and $8 for both members and non-members at the door. Visit historiccolumbia.org to purchase tickets.
The Palladium Society’s Renovation Rodeo |Wales Garden
Thursday, Sept. 8 | 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Presented by Modern Exterminating, The Palladium Society’s Renovation Rodeo takes guests on a tour of old homes and buildings in the Columbia area that have been refurbished and renovated while staying true to the roots and history of the house. Explore recent home renovations in Wales Garden from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8. Enjoy light hors d’oeuvres as well as beer and wine during the event. Tickets are free for Palladium members and are $15 for non-Palladium members. Space is limited and reservations are required. Visithistoriccolumbia.org to purchase tickets.
Moonlight Cemetery & Secrets from the Grave Tours
Thursday, Sept. 8 | 7:30, 8 & 8:30 p.m. | Elmwood Cemetery
One hundred and sixty years of history will come to life during Historic Columbia’s popular Cemetery Tours. Grab your flashlight and tour one of Columbia’s oldest cemeteries. Guests will discover centuries of stories etched in stone on the markers and headstones found within Elmwood Cemetery’s acres of carefully planned grounds. The perfect after-work activity, the cemetery tours are an event the whole family will enjoy. Tickets for members are $8 for adults and $4 for youth, and tickets for non-members are $12 for adults and $6 for youth. Space is limited. Visit historiccolumbia.org to purchase tickets.
Choose from two tour options every month through September:
- Secrets from the Grave Tours, 7:30 p.m. – Join Historic Columbia before dark to study the symbols found on many of the markers and headstones in this historic cemetery.
- Moonlight Cemetery Tours, 8 & 8:30 p.m. – Tour Elmwood Cemetery and discuss the lives, burials, cemetery plots and tombstones of families and prominent citizens from Columbia’s 19th and 20th centuries.
Second Sunday Strolls | Robert Mills West
Sunday, Sept. 11| 2 p.m. | Mann-Simons Site
Join Historic Columbia for their Second Sunday Stroll through the Robert Mills District West at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11. This guided walking tour will highlight the architecture and history of this historic neighborhood. Named after the first federal architect who designed the circa- 1823 Robert Mills House and the circa- 1828 Asylum, today’s Robert Mills District was listed in 1971 within the National Register of Historic Places as “Columbia Historic District II.” Bound to the west by Sumter, the north by Calhoun, the east by Barnwell, and the south by Taylor, this district contains approximately 113 historic structures embodying more than three centuries of diverse residential and institutional architecture. The tour is 60-minutes in length and walk-ins are welcome! Tickets are free for members and are $8/adults and $5/youth for non-members. Visit historiccolumbia.org to purchase tickets.
38th Annual Jubilee | Festival of Black History & Culture
Saturday, Sept. 17 | 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. | Mann-Simons Site
Join Historic Columbia at Jubilee: Festival of Black History & Culture from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17. Now in its 38th year, this FREE outdoor festival brings artisans, dancers and musicians together to celebrate South Carolina’s black history and culture on the grounds of the Mann-Simons Site. This year’s Jubilee will feature live entertainment from Katera, Collette, The Benedict College Concert Choir, Reverend Matthew Mickens and The Highway Travelers, Akintunde and more. Guests can also enjoy demonstration artists, family-friendly activities, food, art and outdoor vendors. Plus, guests will get to explore the newly renovated Mann-Simons Site for the first time.Jubilee is made possible by the festival’s generous sponsors and is a free community event that will be held along the streets outside of the Mann-Simons Site at 1403 Richland Street in downtown Columbia. Visit JubileeSC.org for more information on the festival and the full line-up of entertainment and artists.
Dollar Sunday | Woodrow Wilson Family Home
Sunday, Sept. 18 | 1 – 4 p.m.
Residents of Richland and Lexington Counties are invited to take a guided tour of one of Historic Columbia’s historic house museums for just $1! This month, visit the Woodrow Wilson Family Home for Dollar Sunday. General admission prices apply for any house tours after the first. Walk-ins welcome. Purchase admission and meet for tours at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills House, located at 1616 Blanding St. in Columbia. Tickets are $1 for all Richland and Lexington County residents with a valid ID. Visit historiccolumbia.org to purchase tickets.
New Volunteer Training
Monday, Sept. 26 | 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Looking for a way to meet new people, visit historic sites and discover the culture and lifestyles of South Carolina’s capital city and Richland County? Then volunteer for Historic Columbia! New Volunteer Training kicks off from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 26, with an orientation session introducing Historic Columbia’s sites, programs and events. Additional training will be provided as new volunteers choose their role within the organization. Historic Columbia is looking for volunteers willing to donate six or more hours per month to nurturing, supporting and protecting the historical and cultural heritage of Columbia and Richland County. Volunteer training is free for all those interested. For more information, please call 803.252.1770 x24, email [email protected] or visithistoriccolumbia.org.
Historic Happy Hour: Five Points Tour
Friday, Sept. 30| Five Points Fountain
Enjoy a Capital City cocktail with a twist as Historic Columbia’s Historic Happy Hour series returns to Five Points! Meet at the Five Points Fountain (at the corner of Greene and Harden Streets) at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, for a guided tour to explore the history and architecture of this shopping and commercial district. What began as a trolley hub for Columbia’s first planned suburban neighborhood, has evolved into one of the city’s most popular entertainment districts. This guided tour highlights the history and architecture of this historic district and how Five Points played a role in transforming Columbia into the “famously hot” spot it is today. Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Admission includes cocktails and appetizers along the way. Participants must be 21 or older to enjoy adult beverages. Reservations are recommended as these tours tend to sell out, and walk-up registrations will only be accepted if space permits. For more information or to reserve a spot, please call 803.252.1770 x23, email [email protected] or visithistoriccolumbia.org.
TOURS
Historic House Museum Tours
Tuesday – Saturday | 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday | 1 – 4 p.m.
Historic Columbia’s historic house museum tours offer a peek into the past! Tour the Robert Mills House, Hampton-Preston Mansion orWoodrow Wilson Family Home to learn more about Columbia’s history. For a more detailed tour schedule, visit historiccolumbia.org.
Mann-Simons Site Reopens
Saturday, Sept 17
On Saturday, Sept. 17, the Mann-Simons Site will officially reopen to the public for tours after more than a decade of research, a series of archeological digs that uncovered thousands of artifacts and months of renovations. Through modern research and archaeological evidence, the new permanent exhibit at the Mann-Simons Site tells a richer and more complex story of the African American families who lived, worked and worship on the site for generations. The new exhibit and renovations at the Mann-Simons Site were made possible in part by the following sponsors: City of Columbia, NBSC a division of Synovus Bank, Member FDIC, Columbia Chapter of the Links, McDonald’s of Columbia, Gloria and Marshall James, Richland County Conservation Commission and the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. The Mann-Simons Site will reopen in conjunction with the 38th annual Jubilee: Festival of Black History & Culture. Visit historiccolumbia.org for more information.
Group Tours
Historic Columbia is happy to arrange a private guided tour for your group of 10 or more with advance registration. Bus tours are available. Contact our tour and program coordinator at 803.252.1770 ext. 23 or [email protected].
About Historic Columbia:
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 orYouTube for more details.
