Columbia City Hall (South Carolina)

Columbia City Hall
City Hall building in 2016
LocationMain and Laurel Sts., Columbia, South Carolina
Coordinates34°0′32″N 81°2′15″W / 34.00889°N 81.03750°W / 34.00889; -81.03750
Arealess than one acre
Built1870
ArchitectAlfred B. Mullett; James Knox Taylor
Architectural styleRenaissance revival
NRHP reference No.73001725[1]
Added to NRHPJune 19, 1973

The Columbia City Hall, in Columbia, South Carolina, also known as Old United States Court House and Post Office, was built in 1870 at a cost of $400,000 (approximately $13,200,000 in 2025).[2][3] It served as a federal courthouse from 1874 to 1936 when it was re-purposed to serve as the city hall.[4]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It includes Renaissance architecture. It served historically as a courthouse and as a post office.[1]

It was designed by Alfred B. Mullett.

History

Construction

The Grant Administration appropriated funds for the building and construction began in 1870. The Supervising Architect of the Treasury, Alfred B. Mullett, designed the building.[5]

Courthouse and post office

Once opened, the building hosted both a United States federal court and a post office. The post office relocated in 1921.

City hall

In 1935, the city government engaged in a land-swap deal with the federal government to take ownership of the building.[4] It has used it as the city hall since.

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ Myers, Florence Bacher (May 5, 1973). "Columbia City Hall" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
  3. ^ "Columbia City Hall, Richland County (Main & Laurel Sts., Columbia)". National Register Properties in South Carolina. South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
  4. ^ a b "1737 Main Street | Historic Columbia". www.historiccolumbia.org. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  5. ^ "City Hall History" (PDF). One Columbia. Retrieved October 16, 2025.

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