Gumbo was at the South Carolina State House in Columbia. Congratulations goes to Port Moresby for solving the puzzle by e-mail!
The South Carolina State House houses the South Carolina General Assembly and the Governor’s and Lieutenant Governor’s offices. And as I learned, it’s very accessible to the public. While I was touring the place, they invited me to see Governor Nikki Haley’s press conference.
The South Carolina State House is in the Greek Revival style and it’s huge, with over 130,000 square feet of space. It’s simply amazing and the interior is one of the most beautiful that I’ve seen. It’s free to enter, so make sure you stop by if you are in the area.
History
Construction on the State House began in 1851, but the original architect, P. H. Hammarskold, was dismissed for fraud. The building was mostly taken apart because of defective materials and workmanship. John Niernsee redesigned the structure and construction began again in 1855. Work was suspended on Feb 17, 1865 as General Sherman’s Union Army entered Columbia. The building was damaged by artillery shells and set afire by Sherman’s troops. The State House’s main structure was finally completed in 1875. Eventually, after a few more architects, the building was completed in 1907.
Controversy over the Confederate Battle Flag
The Confederate battle flag was originally placed over the dome of the State House in 1962. In 2000, after a controversy during the Presidential primaries of the flag flying over the State House, it was moved near the Confederate Monument in front. That’s where the flag was at when I visited in November of 2014. It remained there until July 10, 2015 when it was taken down. The flag is now at the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum.
Hi Rob, thanks for sharing this post. We were at the State House a few years ago and it was quite interesting. So much history to learn about and recall. Thanks again for sharing.