COLUMBIA, S.C., Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018 – Historic Columbia’s February calendar of events is full of exciting programs and events, including a Lunch & Learn roundtable series, a Mann-Simons Site volunteer training, President’s Day tours at the Woodrow Wilson Family House and the 20th annual Chili Cook-Off at the Music Farm. The full February calendar of events is highlighted below.
CALENDAR OF PROGRAMS & EVENTS:
Homeschool Friday: Columbia Civil Rights History
Friday, Feb. 2 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. | The Gift Shop at Robert Mills
In honor of Black History Month, students will learn about African Americans who have made lasting impressions on the lives of Columbians and the legacies they made on both the physical and cultural landscape. By learning specifics of the Civil Rights pioneers who called Columbia home, students will glean new knowledge of the origins and events of the movement. Homeschool Friday is $5 for members, $6 for non-members and $8 for both members and non-members the day of. The group will meet at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills, located at 1616 Blanding Street. To make reservations, visit historiccolumbia.org, call (803) 252-1770 x. 26 or email education@historiccolumbia.org.
Lunch & Learn | Research Roundtable
February 6, 13 and 20 | 12 – 1 p.m. | The Carriage House at Robert Mills
Feed your mind during lunch at Historic Columbia’s upcoming Lunch & Learn | Research Roundtable series from noon – 1 p.m. on Feb. 6, 13 and 20. Join Katharine Allen, research and archives manager at Historic Columbia, as she explains how the organization uncovers new information about people, places and events in Columbia and Richland County. These roundtable sessions will explore local resources and methods that can be freely accessed by the public. The series will also cover preservation techniques and a Q&A for researchers interested in specific topics. Round table sessions include:
Feb. 6: Finding History at Work and Home: Research Avenues for Downtown Properties and Columbia’s Early Suburbs
Feb. 13: Different Voices in the Old South: Marginalized Figures at the Hampton-Preston Mansion
Feb. 20: Letting Primary Sources Speak: Memory and Perspective in Columbia
Series or individual session tickets may be purchased. Series tickets are $25/HC members and USC faculty and students; $30/general public. Single lecture tickets are $10/HC members and USC faculty/students; $12/general public. To purchase tickets, visit HistoricColumbia.org, email reservations@historiccolumbia.org or call (803) 252-1770 x 23.
Mann-Simons Site Volunteer Training
Monday, Feb. 12 | 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Mann-Simons Site
Historic Columbia invites the public to help share the history of the Mann-Simons family and become a volunteer tour guide of the newly interpreted site. This training session will cover a variety of aspects, including an overview of the family, history of the site, broad topics related to the site such as Slavery, Jim Crow, Civil Rights and Urban Renewal. The session will also cover “a day in the life of a volunteer,” which will cover logistics of giving tours and other opportunities at the site. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided. Volunteer training is free. To register, visit HistoricColumbia.org, call (803) 252-1770 x 24 or email bkleinfelder@historiccolumbia.org.
Preservation Award Submission Deadline
Deadline Thursday, Feb. 15
Historic Columbia will accept nominations for its 2018 Preservation Awards through Thursday, Feb. 15. Help Historic Columbia recognize the commendable efforts of citizens of Columbia and Richland County by nominating projects that fall into the following categories: Adaptive Use, Preservation/Restoration, New Construction in an Historic Context, and Preservation Leadership. Nominations should be limited to projects completed within the last five years and located in Columbia and Richland County. Only completed projects will be considered. Nominations are due by Thursday, Feb. 15. Recipients will be recognized at an awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 2. Nomination forms are available at historiccolumbia.org or by emailing LCarlisle@historiccolumbia.org.
Dollar Sunday | Mann-Simons Site
Sunday, Feb. 18 | 1 - 4 p.m. | 1616 Blanding Street
Every third Sunday of the month, residents of Richland and Lexington counties are invited to tour of one of Historic Columbia’s house museums for just $1 on Dollar Sunday! On Sunday, Febr. 18, visit the exhibits at the Mann-Simons Site, the home to the same African American family for nearly 130 years. The house will be open for guests to tour at their own pace, and guides will be available to answer any questions. Tickets can be purchased at the site, located at 1403 Richland Street. General admission prices apply for any house tours after the first.
President’s Day Tours | Woodrow Wilson Family Home
Monday, Feb. 19 | 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Woodrow Wilson Family Home
Join Historic Columbia on Monday, Feb. 19 for tours of the Woodrow Wilson Family Home: A Museum of Reconstruction to see how his time in Columbia may have influenced his decisions as President. Normally closed to the public on Mondays, there is no better way to mark President’s Day than by taking a tour of the only Presidential site in South Carolina. Tickets are free for HC members, $8 for adults, and $5 for youth. Tickets can be purchased at the site, located at 1705 Hampton Street.
20th Annual Chill Cook-Off
Saturday, Feb. 24 | 5:30 – 8 p.m. | Music Farm Columbia
Bring your appetite to the Palladium Society’s 20th annual Chili Cook-Off from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24 at the Music Farm Columbia. Hosted by Historic Columbia’s Palladium Society, the Chili Cook-Off is an annual fundraiser that brings local cookers together under one roof to compete for the best chili in town. The Cook-Off will feature all you can eat chili cooked by local cookers, cash prizes for the winners, live music and an open bar with beer and wine. All proceeds support Historic Columbia. Advance tickets are $20/Palladium members, $25/HC members and $35/general public. All tickets sold at the door will be $40. Limited VIP tickets are available at $40/Palladium members, $45/HC members and $55/general public. Become a Palladium member today to save! Visit HistoricColumbia.org/Chili to purchase tickets.
HOUSE TOURS:
Historic House Museum Tours
Tuesday - Saturday: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Sunday: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Historic Columbia’s historic house museum tours offer a peek into the past! Tour the Robert Mills House & Gardens, Hampton-Preston Mansion & Gardens, Mann-Simons Site or the Woodrow Wilson Family Home to learn more about Columbia's history. Tours are free for members, $8 for adults, $5 youth (ages 6-17) and free for children under 5. For a more detailed tour schedule, visit historiccolumbia.org.
Group Tours
Historic Columbia is happy to arrange a private guided tour groups of 10 or more with advance registration. Bus tours are available. To schedule a group tour, call 803.252.1770 x 23 or email reservations@historiccolumbia.org.
About Historic Columbia:
In November 1961, a small group of individuals intent on saving the Ainsley Hall House from demolition officially incorporated as the Historic Columbia Foundation. Over the next five decades the organization, which was founded on the premise of preservation and education, would take on the stewardship of seven historic properties in Richland County. Today, the organization serves as a model for local preservation efforts and interpretation of local history. Visit historiccolumbia.org or find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.
SCBIZtv is part of the SC Biz News family, serving 100,000 high-level business execs throughout South Carolina.
Click for more from SCBIZtv.
