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What’s in a (street) name?

15 Historic street names in Columbia

The corner of Pickens Street + Gervais Street | Photo by COLAtoday

The city of Columbia was created by the General Assembly in 1786, and many of our street names are original to that founding.

The city was designed as 400 Blocks in a two-mile square on the Congaree River with perimeter streets and two through streets that were 150-ft wide, some of which we still enjoy today. Now that 230+ years have passed, the city and its streets are chock-full of vibrant history.

In this guide, we’re delving into the history of Columbia’s streets — specifically how they were named.

Columbia’s Boundary Streets

Bull Street —Named for Brigadier General Stephen Bull, who was a member of the Commons House of Assembly, fought in the Battle of Beaufort, and served in the SC Senate and House of Representatives.

Assembly Street — Named for the General Assembly, which first met in Columbia in 1790.

Columbia, SC Main Street ca. 1910 — A postcard showing Main Street in 1910. | Photo from Historic Columbia

North-South Streets

Main Street — Originally named Richardson Street, it was given the name “Main Street” in the 1890s as it became the main commercial street in Columbia. Also, in 1908, it was the first street to get paved in Cola.

Park Street — Originally named Gates Street after Horatio Gates, a Revolutionary War commander, it was renamed in 1941 to Park Street because it led to Sidney Park, now known as Finley Park. It was also known as a red-light district in the 1930s.

East-West Streets

Whaley Street — Originally named Indigo Street, it was renamed in 1907 to honor W. B. Smith Whaley who built the Richland, Granby, Olympia, and Capital City textile mills in Columbia.

10 more street names this way

Asked

What was the original name of Elmwood Avenue?

A. Cemetery Drive
B. Saluda Avenue
C. Upper Street
D. Bellevue Boulevard

Keep scrolling for the answer.

Events

Tuesday, April 11

South Carolina Gamecocks Baseball vs. USC Upstate Spartans Baseball | Tuesday, Apr. 11 | 7 p.m. | Founders Park, 431 Williams St., Columbia | $12-$15 | Root root root for the home team as they take on this in-state opponent.
Storytime in the Garden | Tuesday, Apr. 11 | 3-4:30 p.m. | Hampton-Preston Garden, 1615 Blanding St., Columbia | Free | Celebrate Richland Library’s Mini Learn Freely Fest, where kids can choose from fun and informative activities.

Wednesday, April 12

Outreach Event for Finlay Revitalization Project | Wednesday, Apr. 12 | 6-7 p.m. | Earlewood Community Center, 1111 Recreation Dr., Columbia | Free | The Office of Business Opportunities hosts an event focusing on the future of Finlay Park and its upcoming renovation.

Thursday, April 13

Midlands Plant and Flower Sale | Thursday, April 13-Sunday, April 16 | Times vary | SC State Farmers Market, 3483 Charleston Hwy., West Columbia | Price of purchase | Shop spring plants and flowers, gardening equipment, décor, and seasonal produce.
Loading Dock Live! | Thursday, Apr. 13 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | The Township Auditorium, 1703 Taylor St., Columbia | Free | Don’t miss The Tams performing a free concert at the loading dock area directly behind the Township Auditorium.
Meeting Street Artisan Market: Night Edition | Thursday, Apr. 13, Thursday, May. 11 | 4-8 p.m. | Interactive Art Park, 425 Meeting St., West Columbia | Free | Enjoy a boutique shopping experience, park, play, eat + explore at the Meeting Street Artisan Market every second Thursday, from 4-8 p.m.*

Saturday, April 22

SC Philharmonic: Titans & Outlaws | Saturday, Apr. 22 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Koger Center for the Arts, 1051 Greene St., Columbia | $20-$55 | Don’t miss the thrilling conclusion to the 2022-23 Masterworks Series: State of Mind — Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 and Copland’s Billy the Kid explode into the Koger Center during this performance.*

Friday, May 12

Artisphere presented by TD Bank | Friday, May. 12 - Sunday, May. 14 | 12-8 p.m. | Downtown Greenville, Main Street from Wardlaw and Main to Broad and Main, Greenville | Free | Artisphere presented by TD Bank is back during Mother’s Day Weekend in downtown Greenville — enjoy a free, family-friendly celebration of the arts.*

100+ more events

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Eat

👀 There’s a new chef in town

Jason Bruner smiling and standing in front of Hampton Street Vineyard.

Jason Bruner brings a wealth of experience from his studies in top kitchens across the globe, including in Italy, China, and New York City including his formal training at the Culinary Institute of America. | Photo by Mattison Heatherly

New chef, same great atmosphere. Join Hampton Street Vineyard in welcoming its new Executive Chef, Jason Bruner.

A Louisiana native with a New Orleans-bred appreciation for food, Bruner recently unveiled new brunch and lunch menus for the upscale French bistro. His culinary background and commitment to using local, seasonal ingredients have inspired a fresh take on HSV’s farm-to-table fare.

Even with the new menus, HSV will continue its series of wine dinners with the addition of wine tastings once a month, and a delightful L’apero (happy hour) featuring $7 cocktails and wines + a new selection of small plates.*

Reserve a table

News Notes

Number

$100,000. That’s how much Prosperity professional angler Anthony Gagliardi won after catching 16 scorable bass — with his best five weighing 26 lbs, 13 oz — at the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour at Lake Murray last week.

Concert

Multi-Platinum selling country artist Jordan Davis will stop by the Township Auditorium on Thursday, Sept. 21 on his upcoming tour. Jordan was recently on the cover of American Songwriter magazine and performed his new music on Jimmy Kimmel Live and the TODAY show.
Upcountry Fiber’s charity concert, Southern Fried Circuit, is happening on Friday, July 28 at the Anderson Civic Center featuring headliner Darius Rucker and opening act Lindsay Ell. Profits will go to the Upcountry Fiber Foundation to support local charities in Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, and Spartanburg counties. Purchase tickets.*

Outdoors

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks April 19-April 22, where sky watchers can see as many as 100 meteors per hour. Celebrate Dark Sky Week beginning April 15, an initiative to combat light pollution in cities worldwide.

Community

Homeowners and businesses can drop off unwanted pesticides at an event today from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. hosted by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) at EcoFlow Environmental Services. This includes outdated, unusable, or unwanted pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and similar products used around the home.
Looking to get more involved in our community? Richland County Council is accepting applications for dozens of openings on various volunteer boards until 5 p.m. Friday, April 21. Interviews are set to begin on May 2.

Try This

Looking to flex your creative muscles? There’s still time to submit to our poetry contest. Using our Wednesday, April 5 newsletter as your word bank, craft a 75-word or less poem. Finalists will be selected based on criteria including originality + creativity — show us what you’ve got by Sunday, April 16.

Cause

Make a PAWS-itive impact. Help save a life + help animals in need by donating blood with The Blood Connection. In honor of National Pet Day, all donors receive $30 in rewards. After you’ve saved three lives with your donation, consider donating your rewards to local humane society groups. Find a donation location.*

Today Is

Today is National Pet Day. Celebrate your fur babies with our brand partner, Hannah Chloe Co. From bandanas to bows, your adorable pet will appreciate these gifts. Shop now.

Fun Fact

We’re asking our readers to take our brief survey to help us ensure the content we deliver is relevant to you. Your feedback is important to us, and we’re all ears. Bonus: you’ll be entered into a drawing to win $500. Take the survey.

Travel

Itching to take a vacation? We’re always in support of time off + self care — so we’ve rounded up five drool-worthy vacation spots to help you plan. This oceanfront suite in Bermuda is one of our favorites on the list. See the rest.

Plan Ahead

🗓 Here are your weekend plans

Plan Ahead for these spring events in Columbia, SC

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The Kinetic Derby parade rolls down Meeting Street. | Photo via Kinetic Derby Day

Spring calendars are filling up quickly, so make sure to add these fun events before you’re all booked up.

Kinetic Derby Day | Saturday, April 22 | Meeting and State Streets, West Columbia | Free | Arrive early for the kinetic sculpture parade followed by soapbox racing, and the obstacle course.

Bark to the Park 2023 | Saturday, April 22 | Saluda Shoals Park, 6071 St. Andrews Rd. | $40 | Bark to the Park is Pawmetto Lifeline’s spring fundraiser to help homeless pets.

8th Annual SC Cornbread Festival | Saturday, April 30 | NOMA Community Garden, 2714 River Dr. | $10 | A festival celebrating all things cornbread, including tastings, vendors, and live music.

BirdFest | Friday, May 5-Saturday, May 6 | 8444 Old River Rd., Pinewood, SC | $100 Weekend Pass; $55 Friday or Saturday Pass | This year’s Birdfest is in association with the South Carolina Waterfowl Association and offers a weekend of family fun and live music from Steep Canyon Rangers, Town Mountain, Cosmic Possum, Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, Amanda Anne Platt and the Honeycutters, Seth Walker, and Henhouse Prowlers.

Answered

What was the original name of Elmwood Avenue?

C. Upper Street

Originally named Upper Street, Elmwood Avenue was the original northern boundary of the city. It was renamed after 1872 for the adjacent Elmwood Cemetery.

The Wrap

David Stringer wearing a dark button-down shirt

Today’s edition by:
David

From the editor

We have some beautiful weather in store for the next few weeks, so if you’re looking to get outdoors, check out this video we posted of Sesquicentennial State Park. Grab a friend, rent a pedal boat, and enjoy a sunny afternoon on the water.

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