South Carolina State House in Columbia – The Palmetto State

One our desire to see all US State Capitols we marked off the South Carolina State Capitol while in the Columbia area in June of 2012. We had just done a tour earlier of the Georgia State Capitol and I was looking forward to comparing the two. This capitol, most commonly known as The South Carolina State House, is located in the center of Columbia and lies at the confluence of the Saluda River and Broad River which merge at Columbia to form the Congaree River. It was there that in 1860, the South Carolina Secession Convention took place and their delegates voted for secession, making South Carolina the first state to leave the Union in the events leading up to the Civil War. I was looking forward to exploring this historic capitol building.

The South Carolina State House is approximately 180 tall, 300 feet long, 100 feet wide, weighs more than 70,000 tons, and has about 130,673 square feet of space. However, it was not the only state house in Columbia. The original state house or capitol was constructed between 1786 and 1790 but was destroyed during the burning of Columbia in 1865. While the General Assembly set at the nearby University of South Carolina, a new state house was being constructed.

However, when General W.T. Sherman’s U.S. Army entered Columbia on February 17, several public buildings were “put to the torch” and destroyed, including building material, construction equipment, and architectural plans for the new State House. Sadly the Columbia State House, which only had its exterior walls and foundation completed, sat for decades after the Civil War and was not officially completed until 1907, then renovated in 1959 and 1998. Happily, on May 11, 1976, it was designated a National Historic Landmark for its significance in the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era.

After parking, we made our way into the capitol and got our first glances. I always tend to look around for the rotunda and the dome. I wasn’t disappointed that day, as they have a wonderful view of the dome from the inside. However, we learned that it is not the same dome as the one you see outside. This one was just for decoration. Either way, it was beautiful.

We learned that the pink floors were Tennessee and white Georgia marble. The columns are of blue granite, the state stone. One other interesting thing to note, ascending the wrought-iron staircase, the decoration on the banister incorporates the yellow jessamine, the state flower.

The State of South Carolina has a bicameral General Assembly comprised of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate consists of 46 members who are elected from single-member districts of approximately 87,200 citizens. To be eligible to be a Senator, you must be a citizen of the United States and the State of South Carolina, be at least 25 years old at the time of their election, and a resident of the district in which they are elected. Senators serve four-year terms. As of the date of this post, they are currently 30 Republicans and 16 Democrats.

There are 124 members in the House of Representatives, and they consist of part-time citizen legislators. They are elected every two years to represent the state’s 124 separate single-member districts. While it changes through the years, as of this post the House membership currently is made up of 80 Republicans and 43 Democrats with 1 vacancy. The General Assembly’s annual session begins on the second Tuesday in January and runs through the second Thursday in May.

On the lower level, you will find the Lt. governor’s and Governor’s offices. For an informational note, as of 2018, the lieutenant governor is elected jointly with the governor for a four-year term and aids the governor in the performance of their duties. The lieutenant governor is next in line in the order of succession.

We had a great time exploring the South Carolina State House and highly suggest it to anyone wanting to learn more about the history of this state. I also suggest taking some time to check out the beautiful grounds before you leave. We didn’t have a lot of time after the tour but did check out a few statues. They do have tours as well as self-guided tours if you prefer to just look around on your own. Here is a link to their website with more information.

South Carolina State House Visitor Information

Address:

1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, South Carolina

Phone:

803-734-2430

Hours:

Daily 10 am – 4 pm

Price:

Free

Tours:

While the legislature is in session (January – May), tours are offered every half hour beginning at 9:30 a.m. and ending at 3:30 p.m. Tours are not offered at 12 p.m. or 12:30 p.m. during these months.

Following session (June – December), tours are available every hour on the half-hour beginning at 9:30 a.m. and ending at 3:30 p.m. Tours are not offered at 12:30 p.m. during these months.

The State House is also open for tours each Saturday (beginning July 12, 2014) except on the Saturdays after Thanksgiving and Christmas. Tours are given at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. Visitors can also tour at their own pace using brochures available in the State House. The State House will be open between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Walk-in tours are welcomed and encouraged.

Please call ahead if you plan on bringing a group larger than 10. If you have more than the maximum of 50 tour attendees, multiple times must be reserved for the groups.

Directions:

From Greenville SC: Follow I-385 S for approximately 42.0 miles as it becomes I-26 E. Continue on I-26 E for approximately 55.9 miles. Take I-126 E / LESTER BATES FWY / US-76 E toward Columbia for 3.3 miles. Merge onto HUGER ST / US-176 E / US-21 S / US-321 S and continue for 1.0 mile. Turn LEFT onto GERVAIS ST / US-378 E / US-1 N and continue for 0.5 miles to ASSEMBLY and GERVAIS STREETS. Continue on Gervais Street to Main Street. The State House is located at the intersection of Gervais and Main Streets.

From Charleston, SC: Follow I-26 W for approximately 104.6 miles. Merge onto US-176 W / US-21 N / US-321 N via EXIT 115 toward CAYCE / COLUMBIA and continue for 6.0 miles. Turn LEFT onto US-176 / US-21 / US-321 / HUGER ST and continue for 0.5 miles. Turn RIGHT onto GERVAIS ST / US-378 E / US-1 N and continue for 0.5 miles to ASSEMBLY and GERVAIS STREETS. Continue on Gervais Street to Main Street. The State House is located at the intersection of Gervais and Main Streets.

From Myrtle Beach, SC: Follow N KINGS HWY / US-17 BR to MAIN ST / US-501. Continue to follow US-501 N for 43.6 miles. Stay STRAIGHT to go onto US-501 BR N and follow for 0.4 miles. US-501 BR N becomes SC-576 W. Continue for 3.2 miles as SC-576 W becomes US-76 W. Continue for 22.5 miles. Turn RIGHT onto I-20 SPUR W / DAVID H MCLEOD BLVD. Continue to follow I-20 SPUR W for 2.1 miles. Take I-20 W and continue for 68.1 miles. Merge onto SC-277 S via EXIT 73A toward Columbia for 6.6 miles and turn RIGHT onto ELMWOOD AVE / US-76. Continue for 0.3 miles and turn LEFT onto ASSEMBLY ST / SC-48 S. Follow for 0.8 miles and turn LEFT onto US-378 E / US-1 N / GERVAIS ST. Continue on Gervais Street to Main Street. The State House is located at the intersection of Gervais and Main Streets.

From Aiken, SC: Follow SC-19 N to I-20 E. Merge onto I-20 E and continue for 46.0 miles. Merge onto US-76 E via EXIT 64A toward Columbia and continue 4.1 miles. Merge onto HUGER ST / US-176 E / US-21 S / US-321 S and continue for 1.0 mile. Turn LEFT onto GERVAIS ST / US-378 E / US-1 N and continue for 0.5 miles to ASSEMBLY and GERVAIS STREETS. Continue on Gervais Street to Main Street. The State House is located at the intersection of Gervais and Main Streets.