Little-known tales of the Vista
Every town has its historical secrets and rarely told tales. Columbia – and particularly the Vista – is no exception.
There were at least four brothelsThe warehouse building that houses Jillian’s and Wet Willie’s
The depot building that’s home to the Blue Marlin restaurant
Two large drainage tunnels
The Confederate Printing Plant (now the Publix grocery store) was burned during the Civil War. A second story was built on the original walls, and it became the state liquor dispensary.
An overhead railroad trestleColumbia’s first burial ground
The foundations of the Civil War-era bridge, burned
The basement of the building where Starbucks
The second floor of the Whit-Ash building
The city’s first fire headquarters,
The corner of Washington and Park streets
This story was originally published April 25, 2013 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Little-known tales of the Vista."