Columbia is the capital of South Carolina and the seat of Richland County. The city lies in the middle of South Carolina on the east bank of the Congaree River, where the Broad and Saluda rivers meet. Places of interest - Robert Mills Historic House, Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
Columbia is the seat of the University of South Carolina and is home to several colleges and universities. The Columbia Museum of Art has a collection of Italian Renaissance paintings. The city's Town Theatre has been staging plays since 1919. President Woodrow Wilson's boyhood home, now a museum, is another noteworthy site. American architect Robert Mills designed the Ainsley Hall Mansion, which is part of the Robert Mills Historic House and Park in Columbia. Mills also designed the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. Fort Jackson was established in Columbia during World War I and now serves as an infantry training post. EconomyColumbia's manufacturing industry produces synthetic fibers, textiles, structural steel, electrical equipment, and aerospace products. Tobacco, cotton, and peaches are grown in the surrounding areas. The city's central location has made it an important wholesale and distribution center. HistoryIn 1786 the South Carolina state legislature decided to move the capital from Charleston to a more central location. A site on the Congaree River was selected as a compromise between the small farmers of the western hills and the plantation owners who lived near the coast. The legislators named the town Columbia. The city was a transportation center and the seat of many Confederate agencies during the American Civil War. Union troops occupied the city in 1865, almost destroying it by fire. Today, bronze stars mark the walls of the State House where Union artillery struck. After the war, Columbia was rebuilt and developed. Columbia is the headquarters for most state departments and for many of the federal agencies acting within the state. Population (1990 census), 98,052. |