The State House in 1862. The bulk of the work on the building was done from 1857 through March of 1861. At that time, bonds to finance more work could not be sold, but slaves continued to quarry the granite in Granby and to shape and polish the finer stone. In 1865, when Sherman shelled Columbia from Lexington, ten balls struck the unfinished State House. The next day, the 1794 State House burned in the city-wide fire. The heat caused a portion of the new building to crumble and totally destroyed all the finished granite, marble, and wrought iron that were on the grounds. The architect's plans and construction machinery were also ruined. The great columns, then still on the ground, can be seen on the front. The war left no money in the state, so a flat roof was put on the building, and it remained in that condition until a new building program began in 1902. The interior was furnished during the days of Radical Reconstruction, a sum of $200,000 being spent on furniture later valued at only $17,715.00.
Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.
