Friday, Oct. 19, 2007

Timothy Apartments will become condos

Orangeburg developers the Shuler Group plan to turn an historic eight-unit apartment building on Devine Street in Columbia into luxury condominiums.

The building near the intersection of Devine and King streets is notable for its arts and craft architecture and the name “Timothy” above the doorways — the nickname of owner Jesse Reese when the building was erected in 1936.

“He left it as his namesake,” developer Hubert Shuler IV said. “That’s a feature we really liked.”

Because the building was on the old Devine Street trolley line, the firm is calling the project Timothy Station.

The renovation comes as City Council is debating a temporary moratorium on tear downs in historic, in-town neighborhoods.

The building is in a class of “named” apartment buildings that sprung up in Columbia during the 1920s and 1930s for single, young professional men or newly-liberated young professional women, said John Sherrer, director of collections and interpretation for Historic Columbia.

Notably, the Susanna apartments at the corner of Hampton and Sumter streets were razed several years ago. The Kirkland apartments on Pendleton Street were renovated and included as part of the Inn at USC in a compromise between the university and preservationists.

“It’s a great project,” said Historic Columbia executive director Robin Waites. “Devine Street will benefit from more residential activity and re-use of those great early 20th century apartments is a way to encourage that growth.”

Shuler didn’t reveal a price.

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