USC failed to protect historic Women's Club of Columbia building before sale

Historic Columbia is calling for the Catholic Diocese of Charleston to halt demolition of the historic Women's Club of Columbia building near Five Points until diocese officials meet with the city and neighbors.

Historic Columbia said a 2003 agreement signed by the University of South Carolina, through its development foundation, required the school to consult with the University Hill Neighborhood Association and the city's development office before selling or demolishing the 77-year-old building on Blossom Street. The consultation did not happen prior to the foundation's sale last month of the building to the diocese for $1.5 million, according to city and neighborhood officials.

The building is approved for both the National Register of Historic Places and city landmark status, although those designations were blocked by the development foundation. The diocese wants to raze the buildings on Blossom Street to build a church and parish life center.

"We are just asking for a conversation at this point, to slow down any plans to demolish the building," said Historic Columbia Executive Director Robin Waites. "It would make sense to review any plans they have to see if they work before we lose this irreplaceable resource."

The 2003 agreement was signed after a bitter fight to prevent USC from tearing down the historic Black House and Kirkland Apartments on Pendleton Street to make way for an on-campus hotel. The dispute resulted in the historic structures being incorporated into what is now a unique and award-winning hotel called the Inn at USC.

Included in the agreement to protect the Black House and Kirkland Apartments were additional protections for other historic structures in the area, including the Women's Club of Columbia, which was approved by the National Park Service for inclusion on the Historic Register in 2009.

It was cited for its distinctive colonial revival architecture and hosting "events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history."

Specifically, the 21-page report noted "the clubhouse is associated with the Southern woman's emergence into the previously male-dominated political and social spheres of the Columbia community during the Second World War. The importance of the clubhouse as a meeting place for defense-related activities, community improvement projects and political campaigns created a tangible display of the increasingly predominate status of The Women's Club in Columbia's community development."

The 2003 agreement, signed by former USC President Andrew Sorensen, requires the university, its development foundation, the University Hill Neighborhood and the city to "evaluate options for the use of the former Women's Club property as a community resource or its sale to private owners."

Why that did not happen is unclear. The State has repeatedly asked for comment from the foundation without success.

Lindsey Fisher, the foundation's assistant to the executive director and administrative manager, directed questions to the diocese.

At-large City Council member Howard Duvall said the new administration of the foundation might not have known about the agreement. The former executive director of USC Foundations, Russ Meekins, passed away in December.

​No new executive director is listed on the foundation's website.

"I don't know who knew the agreement was out there. I didn't," Duvall said. "But now that it's out there, we need to make sure the agreement is complied with."

The diocese on Tuesday had offered only to help raise a historical marker on the clubhouse grounds. On Thursday, after the emergence of the agreement, its tone softened.

"We continue to evaluate the situation and are listening to all opinions," spokeswoman Maria Aselage said.

University Hill Neighborhood Association President Tom Gottshall, an attorney, said he doesn't plan to seek an injunction against the diocese to block demolition, but "we look forward to speaking with the diocese with respect to a mutually beneficial development."

This story was originally published May 10, 2018 at 3:20 PM with the headline "USC failed to protect historic Women's Club of Columbia building before sale."