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

Douglas Day Flyer.

Douglass Day 2026

February 13, 2026, 11:00 AM

Douglass Day is an annual program that marks the birth of Frederick Douglass. Each year, thousands of people gather to help create new & freely available resources for learning about Black history. Join the South Carolina State Library at the South Carolina State Museum's fourth annual celebration.