The Taylor plantation home
Founded largely upon land comprising The Plains, the plantation home of the Taylor family, Columbia became South Carolina’s second capital city in 1786. Though no longer standing, the circa-1793 home of John Taylor remains an icon of early Columbia life – albeit in a two-dimensional form. From its location atop Arsenal Hill overlooking what would later become Sidney Park (present day Finlay Park), this 2½-story symmetrical house featured a two-story porch that afforded commanding views of the city and points south.
The Taylor house’s prominence was captured in 1859 when local artist Augustus Grinevald depicted the property from the vantage point of the park. (Grinevald’s original artwork hangs in South Caroliniana Library today.) Sadly, fire destroyed the family’s once-fine Columbia residence in 1893. Later the site was redeveloped by Edwin Wales Robertson, who erected a sprawling Beaus-Art style mansion that ultimately was replaced in 1949 by today’s Veterans Administration Building.
The Seibels House
Blocks to the east at the corner of Richland and Pickens streets, the Seibels House remains as another link to Columbia’s first years. Said to have been completed by 1796, this local landmark is credited with being the city’s oldest remaining structure.
Though reflecting a 1910s-1920s Colonial Revival feel thanks to renovations made at that time under the guidance of prominent local architect J. Carroll Johnson, this venerable property retains evidence of its original self. Within its basement rests a long-abandoned fireplace whose chipped mortar still bears streaks of green paint. Floor joists fashioned by the blade of a broad axe give way to later timbers with vertical saw marks and still others with circular scars, signs of changes over time reflecting advances in technology. Other areas of the building reveal further tantalizing clues.
Immediately north of the Seibels House stands the property’s 1830s-era masonry kitchen house, the last remaining in the city. Owned by Historic Columbia Foundation today, this important historic site can be viewed by visitors throughout the week as they stroll through its gardens free of charge. Seibels House serves as both a popular rental venue and as the administrative space for Historic Columbia Foundation.
The Historic Columbia Foundation
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