The Historic Columbia Foundation, an organization advocating the preservation of Columbia’s built environment, decks the halls in period ambiance and conducts tours at three of its stellar properties for the Christmas holidays.
Interpreters of public history lead hour long tours of each home and garden. Visitors may select one, two or all three tours that feature the Robert Mills Home, Hampton-Preston Mansion and Mann-Simons Cottage.
Robert Mills House and Gardens
The Robert Mills House, a national historic landmark at 1616 Blanding Street, was constructed in 1823. The classic Greek architecture style brick building with Ionic columns was designed by Charleston, South Carolina architect Robert Mills. Mills the first Federal architect is most well-known for the Washington Monument.
As visitors tour the three floors, they are introduced to rooms no longer found in contemporary homes such as the morning room, parlor, and warming kitchen.
Although the original house never had formal gardens as part of the plan, in the 1960s an English formal garden replicating those of 1820s was installed and continues to flourish today with something in bloom in every season.
Sasanqua camellias, narcissus, and Shasta daisies are in bloom in December. Heavily berried American holly hedges enclose the visitor parking area.
Hampton-Preston Mansion
The Hampton Preston Mansion at 1615 Blanding Street was built in 1818 as the home of Sarah and Ainsley Hall. Wade Hampton I, wealthy cotton and sugar plantation owner, purchased the property in 1823 and lived there until his death in 1845. Hampton’s daughter Carolina and her husband John Preston moved into the house after Hampton’s death.
The Mansion escaped General Sherman’s burning of Columbia in 1865 because it served as the Union Army Headquarters.
The ornamental gardens that existed from the 1840s to the late 1940s are no longer evident. A concept plan for restoration of the formal gardens has been made.
Mann-Simons Site
The Mann-Simons Cottage at 1403 Richland Street is the only remaining structure of one family’s collection of businesses and family-owned properties by successive generations of one African-American family from 1843-1970.
Delane Simons and Celia Mann, free slaves, moved from Charleston to Columbia where Simons either built or bought the home sometime between 1843 and 1850. Over time six generations of their descendants added clusters of buildings including a grocery, lunch counter, and residences.
Visitors can witness archeological excavations onsite led by Jakob D. Crockett, archaeology coordinator for the Historic Columbia Foundation. The excavation will present evidence of how an African-American family used place to establish a life for themselves within the larger social system of Columbia over four periods from antebellum south to reconstruction to post reconstruction to the Civil Rights era.
Holiday tours run through December 31, 2011 but group tours, historic house tours, and self-guided walking tours are offered throughout the year. Tours are described on the Historic Columbia Foundation website.
What better way to connect the present with the past than through historic home tours in Columbia, South Carolina?
Sources
- Historic Columbia Foundation website
- Docent led tour of Robert Mills House and Gardens December 17, 2011
- Self-guided tour of Hampton-Preston Mansion December 17, 2011
- Self-guided tour of Mann-Simons Cottage December 19, 2011
- Discussion with Jakob D. Crockett at Mann-Simons Cottage December 19, 2011
Arlene Marturano - Arlene Marturano, an educator, consultant, master gardener, and writer advocates gardens as a context and gardening as a tool for ...
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