Past Meets Present

A black and white photo of the old post office on Gervais Street, which is now the South Carolina Supreme Court.

An inquiry about the original doors to the Supreme Court of South Carolina building on Gervais Street turned into a treasure hunt, yielding images of Columbia that are pretty different than what we know today. The law librarian at the Court asked for anything we could find about the front doors to the building, which was a post office until the state bought it in 1966. Images like this one from the Digital Public Library of America show their appearance. Connecting with the National Archives, we learned that the building's architectural drawings and plans are on file in Maryland.

Upcoming Event

Photo of Tom Elmore in a kilt in a cemetary.

Speaker at the Center: Tom Elmore presents the "Swamp Fox" in Media

June 18, 2026, 2:30 PM

Historian Tom Elmore, who has over twenty years of experience as a book, TV, and film reviewer, takes a look at some of the major works about Francis Marion and examines what they got right and what they got wrong, with a particular emphasis placed on the 1950s Disney mini-series.  Prepare to be educated, entertained, and amused!