19th century Columbia, South Carolina

ruins, seen state house, 1865



monument marking site of original south carolina state house, designed , built 1786 1790 james hoban , burned union army in 1865



robert mills house built 1823

in 1801, south carolina college (now university of south carolina) founded in columbia. original building survives. city chosen site of institution in part unite citizens of upcountry , lowcountry , discourage youth migrating england higher education. @ time, south carolina sent more young men england did other state. leaders of south carolina wished monitor progress , development of school; many years after founding of university, commencement exercises held in december while state legislature in session.

columbia received first charter town in 1805. intendant , 6 wardens govern town. john taylor, first elected intendant, later served in both houses of general assembly, both houses of congress, , governor. 1816, there 250 homes in town , population of more 1 thousand. columbia became chartered city in 1854, elected mayor , 6 aldermen. 2 years later, columbia had police force consisting of full-time chief , 9 patrolmen. city continued grow @ rapid pace, , throughout 1850s , 1860s columbia largest inland city in carolinas. railroad transportation served significant cause of population expansion in columbia during time. rail lines reached city in 1840s transported cotton bales, not passengers. cotton lifeblood of columbia community; in 1850 virtually of city s commercial , economic activity related cotton.

in 1830, approximately 1,500 slaves lived , worked in columbia; population grew 3,300 1860. members of large enslaved population worked in masters households. masters hired out slaves columbia residents , institutions, including south carolina college. hired-out slaves returned owner s home daily; others boarded temporary masters. during period, legislators developed state , local statutes restrict movement of urban slaves in hopes of preventing rebellion. although various decrees established curfews , prohibited slaves meeting , learning read , write, such rulings difficult enforce. indeed, several prewar accounts note many columbia slaves literate; slaves conducted classes teach others read , write. well, many slaves attended services @ local baptist, presbyterian, , methodist churches, yet struggled obtain membership in these institutions.

columbia s first baptist church hosted south carolina secession convention on december 17, 1860. delegates drafted resolution in favor of secession, 159–0. columbia s location made ideal location other conventions , meetings within confederacy.

the burning of columbia during sherman s occupation, harper s weekly

on february 17, 1865, in last months of civil war, of columbia destroyed fire while being occupied union troops under command of general william tecumseh sherman. jeff goodwyn, mayor of columbia, sent william b. stanley , thomas w. radcliffe surrender city sherman s troops. according legend, columbia s first baptist church barely missed being torched sherman s troops. soldiers marched church , asked sexton if direct them first baptist church. sexton directed men nearby washington street methodist church; thus, historic landmark saved destruction union soldiers, , sexton preserved employment @ cost of another.

equestrian statue in columbia of general , later governor wade hampton, iii, known opposition reconstruction

controversy surrounding burning of city started after war ended. general sherman blamed high winds , retreating confederate soldiers firing bales of cotton, had been stacked in streets. general sherman denied ordering burning, though did order militarily significant structures, such confederate printing plant, destroyed. firsthand accounts local residents, union soldiers, , newspaper reporter offer tale of revenge union troops columbia s , south carolina s pivotal role in leading southern states secede union. today, tourists can follow path general sherman s army took enter city , see structures or remnants of structures survived fire.

during reconstruction, columbia became focus of considerable attention. reporters, journalists, travelers, , tourists flocked south carolina s capital city witness southern state legislature members included former slaves. city made of rebound following devastating fire of 1865; mild construction boom took place within first few years of reconstruction, , repair of railroad tracks in outlying areas created jobs area citizens.

following reconstruction, columbia music festival association (cmfa) established in 1897, mayor william mcb. sloan , aldermen of city of columbia. headquartered in opera house on main street, city hall. role book , manage concerts , events in opera house city.