The Reinvestment In Columbia Historic District Ii, Columbia, South Carolina

Rice, Kathleen

The Reinvestment In Columbia Historic District Ii, Columbia, South Carolina

Abstract

Columbia Historic District II is a locally designated and National Register listed historic district located in downtown Columbia, South Carolina. Similar to the residents of numerous cities in the United States, many Columbians moved from downtown to suburbs of the city after World War II. By the 1950s, several of the city's neighborhoods were viewed as "blighted" and in need of reinvestment and revitalization. Numerous residences in Columbia Historic District II were subdivided into apartments and boarding houses. By the 1960s, because it was difficult to sell the large homes in the neighborhood, some were slated for demolition. At this time, Historic Columbia Foundation (HCF) with the help of Richland County Historic Preservation Commission worked to help save the buildings and promoted the use of the federal historic preservation tax incentives. In addition, the City of Columbia rezoned the neighborhood commercial, and banks offered longer loan periods and lower interest rates. This thesis argues that while the preservation efforts in Columbia Historic District II saved the historic buildings, the commercial reuse displaced the residents that had lived in the neighborhood and, as a perhaps unintended consequence, actually devitalized the community.

Date Issued

2009-10-09T14:28:49Z

Types

dissertation or thesis