How well do you know Columbia, SC?

sunset-downtown-columbia-sc

Sunset Columbia, SC | Photo via @taylorjule_

Table of Contents

Hey, Columbia.

Whether you have been with us for a while or you’re new to the Soda City, if you read COLAtoday, you may know a thing or two about the capital city. Take this quiz to see just how well you do know our favorite city in SC. This 15 question quiz covers everything from the State House to the dam, historic and current.

Good luck, Cola.

Quiz

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Answers:

  1. What year was Columbia founded? - 1786
  2. True or False - The bronze stars at the State House are for decoration since we are the state capital.

False. Those stars mark the places where cannonballs hit the building, caused by Union troops firing at it for target practice during the Civil War.

3.Riverbanks Zoo is one of the 10 zoos in the US that has which animal exhibit? - Koalas

4. What is the mascot of the Minor League Baseball team that plays at Segra Park? - Fireflies

5.What was Columbia’s first brewery? - Conquest

6. True or False - The first textile mill run completely by electricity in the world opened in Columbia in 1894.

True. The red brick building that housed the mill is now home to the South Carolina State Museum. Small remnants of the mill’s spinning machinery are still visible that became embedded in the original wooden floors.

7. What was the first paved street in Columbia? -

Main Street was paved in 1908. Cola didn’t have any paved streets until 1908 when Main St. was paved. The city even tried wooden blocks before considering paving on Washington St., only to find that the wooden blocks would float away in heavy rain. It took the city almost a decade to replace the blocks with asphalt on Washington St. in 1925.

8. What is the track on Hootie + the Blowfish’s album Cracked Rear View that shares a name with one of Cola’s previous prominent restaurants? - Hannah Jane

9. What is the oldest surviving church in Columbia? - Trinity Espiscopal Cathedral

While the church was built in 1847, it was actually founded in 1812. In 1865, Trinity was spared of burning by General Sherman (a Roman Catholic) because they removed all their “Episcopal” signs + placed papier-mâché crosses on the church’s roof. The sanctuary was modeled after the York Minster Cathedral in England. Six former S.C. governors are buried in its churchyard.

10. True or False - The largest man-made dam in South Carolina is called the Lake Murray Dam?

False. The dam is actually named the Dreher Shoals Dam.

11. What year was the Gervais Street Bridge built? - 1926

The Gervais Street Bridge is an arch bridge that is made from reinforced concrete. Construction of the historic bridge began in 1926.

12. Who is the largest employer in Columbia? - State of SC

With Cola being the capital of South Carolina, the city’s largest employer is the state – which helps drive tourism, the economy, biz + local government agencies. Find careers in the state here.

13. South Carolina wasn’t always known as the Palmetto State. What was it previously known for?

Before SC was known as the Palmetto State, it was known as the Iodine State. Even the license plates said so in the 1930s..

14. What is South Carolina’s oldest dance company? The Columbia City Ballet

The Columbia City Ballet has developed into one of the most broadly supported performing arts organizations in the state.

15. True or False. The largest tires in the world are made in Lexington, South Carolina.

True. Michelin Earthmover tires are made in Lexington and measure 14 feet across. You might see them peeking out of the top of trailers on their way to Charleston.