South Carolina State House

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The South Carolina State House is the state capitol building of the U.S. state of South Carolina. Housing the South Carolina General Assembly, it is located in the capital city of Columbia near the corner of Gervais and Assembly Streets. Construction on the building began in 1851, but the original architect was dismissed for fraud and dereliction of duty. The first structure was dismantled due to defective materials. Work on the new structure began in 1855 and was suspended in 1865 as Sherman's Union Army swept through Columbia on 17 February, burning much of the city. The old State House and the interior of the incomplete new State House were burned. The building was not completed until 1907. Today, the copper-domed granite building wears six bronze stars to mark hits from Sherman's cannons.

Example of one of the six bronze stars

The capital has undergone two major renovation projects. The first occurred from 1959 thru 1969. The planning phase for the second renovation occurred from 1991 to 1995. The second renovation addressed a number of problem areas that were not addressed during the first renovation and modernized the building. The renovation begain in 1995 and lasted until mid 1998. The total cost of the project was approximately $48,000,000. The State House was reopened on August 22, 1998.

There are many statues and monuments on the State House grounds, such as a Confederate battle flag, which flew over the dome of the State House until July 1, 2000. The flag was moved to the north side of the State House grounds. The South Carolina State House is the only state capitol in the nation to have a monument dedicated to the contributions and history of African-Americans on its grounds.

African-American Monument

[edit] External links

South Carolina State House virtual tour
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