Historic Columbia presents 2019 Preservation Awards

Listen to this article

The Ward One Neighborhood Association won the Preservation Leadership Award as part of Historic Columbia’s 2019 Preservation Awards announced May 1.

Historic Columbia presents the awards each May in conjunction with National Preservation Month to celebrate the accomplishments of local property owners, architecture, construction and design professionals, and community leaders who champion preservation in supporting the Midlands’ economic and culture.  

“The 2019 Preservation Award recipients are leading the way in ensuring that Columbia’s built history is retained and celebrated for future generations,” Robin Waites Historic Columbia’s executive director, said in a news release. “While we can use our research and experience to craft the case for preservation, it is the building owners, developers, architects and contractors who provide the financial, creative and sweat equity to make the advocacy pay off.”  

The Ward One Neighborhood Association, borne out of a neighborhood reunion in 1992, fosters awareness of the historic significance of Ward One and pursues ways to honor the legacies of community members, according to the release.

Other Historic Columbia awards included: 

Adaptive Use Award: 1206 Scott St.: The 1960s-era abandoned garage in Cottontown was transformed into an office building for Columbia architects The Landplan Group through renovations which included the removal of exterior sheet metal cladding, interior vinyl tiling, and a drop ceiling. Owner: Landplan Group. Architect: Jeff Lewis AIA. Contractor: Montgomery Construction.

Adaptive Use Award: 1001 Senate St.: The former fire station, which was constructed between 1949 and 1951 and closed in 1995, was restored and renovated into a mixed-use retail space featuring a new rooftop deck. Owner: Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust LLC. Architect: Lambert Architecture + Construction Services. Contractor: SouthCon Building Group LLC.

Adaptive Use Award: 1224 Taylor St./1519 Sumter St.: The buildings that once housed Powell Furniture, Western Auto and Rose-Talbert Paint store (built in 1920, 1914, and 1940 respectively) were transformed into boutique hotel Hotel Trundle, as well as the offices of architecture firm The Boudreaux Group. The project’s three facades were restored to their original appearance, while new signage was created to emulate the original marquee. Owner: Sumter LLC. Architect: The Boudreaux Group. Contractor: Mashburn Construction. Interior Design: Pond & Co. 

Adaptive Use Award: 1623-1625 Main St: The Marks Building, now home to first-floor retail space and second-floor residential space, was built in 1866 by Julian Selby to house the offices of The Phoenix newspaper. Its original doors, columns, windows, balcony and balcony rail were renovated. A 2016 rehabilitation connected the first story with the first story of the adjacent Robinson Building, which now houses The Grand on Main. Owner: Scott Middleton. Architect: Lambert Architecture + Construction Services. Contractor: Mashburn Construction.

Preservation/Restoration Award: 1643 Main St: Now home to Cyberwoven, the building built in the 1870s once housed JCPenney and Maxwell Furniture Building. Restorations begun in 2016 involved reclaiming bricked window openings and removing 1980s stucco additions, as well as repairing the interior’s wood floors, tin ceiling, terrazzo and plaster walls to reflect Main Street’s mercantile history. Owner: Belser Five. Architect: MCA Architecture. Contractor: Boyer Commercial Construction. 

Preservation/Restoration Award: Kensington Mansion: International Paper purchased the property at 4001 McCords Ferry Road in the early 1980s, and the site saw various levels of accessibility for the next 30 years. A comprehensive restoration began after an ice storm damaged the mansion’s roof in 2014. Ornamental plaster was also repaired and replaced, the front steps were recoated to their original brownstone color and the light fixtures were replaced with period-appropriate replicas. Owner: International Paper. Architect: Glenn Keyes Architects. Contractor: Huss Construction.  

Preservation/Restoration Award: Olympia Mill Museum: The Olympia-Granby Historical Foundation restored the home at 1170 Olympic Ave., built in 1901 to serve as Olympia Mill School, for use as the Olympia Mill Village Museum. New floors and wiring, beaded panel ceilings and period-appropriate wooden windows were installed. Owner: Olympia-Granby Historical Foundation. Contractor: Mark Ullman Construction. 

Preservation/Restoration Award: Wesley United Methodist Church: Home to the longest-worshipping African American Methodist Church congregation in Columbia, the church began renovations after a ceiling collapsed in 2015. The stained glass windows and wooden floors in the circa 1910 sanctuary were restored, a new roof was installed and old mortar was replaced with water-resistant mortar. Owner: Wesley United Methodist Church. Architect: The Boudreaux Group. Contractor: Weathers Contracting Co. Inc. 

New Construction in a Historic Context Award: Central Energy: Part of the redevelopment of the former state mental hospital in the BullStreet District, the former industrial building at 2030 Gregg St., abandoned since 2005, was reimagined as a 12,731-square-foot event space that is also home to Downtown Church. The structure’s three smoke stacks were preserved and now rest atop specially designed steel struts. Owner: Central Energy. Architect: Garvin Design Group. Contractor: Hammer Construction LLC.  

New Construction in a Historic Context Award: Columbia SC Visitors Center: Once shoehorned into the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, the visitors center got some breathing room across Lincoln Street in the Vista. Spanning two of the 20 former railroad depot bays, the building at the corner of Lincoln and Gervais features exposed structure on the interior that references the historic Lincoln Street canopy. Owner: Experience Columbia SC. Architect: Garvin Design Group. Contractor: Mashburn Construction.