South Carolina Department of Archives and History |
National Register Properties in South Carolina Ladson Presbyterian Church, Richland County (1720 Sumter St., Columbia) |
Facade | Right Elevation | Right Rear Oblique |
Rear Elevation | Window Detail Facade |
Window Detail Right Elevation |
Built in 1896, Ladson Presbyterian Church continues to be inhabited by its original congregation. In 1838, First Presbyterian Church organized their African American members into a separate but affiliated congregation that met at the same site. The congregation is the oldest African American congregation in Columbia and the fifth oldest religious congregation in the city. In a cordial split, Ladson became independent of First Presbyterian in 1874. Its architecture remains today as an excellent example of Romanesque Revival design that was popular for non-residential buildings in the late 1800s. The church features the style’s hallmark round arches, tripartite entrances, canted towers, and brick or rough stone construction. It is a one-story-over-raised-basement red brick building with a rectangular plan, featuring a gable-front roof and two brick entrance towers set on the diagonal. According to WPA records and testimonials from older church members, a renovation occurred prior to World War II which replaced the building’s two wooden pyramidal-roofed steeples and belfry with the castellated towers that are present today. Listed in the National Register April 30, 1998.
View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property.
Most National Register properties are privately owned and are not open to the public. The privacy of owners should be respected. Not all properties retain the same integrity as when originally documented and listed in the National Register due to changes and modifications over time.
Images and texts on these pages are intended for research or educational use. Please read our statement on use and reproduction for further information on how to obtain a photocopy or how to cite an item.
Images provided by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.