Facade	Cornerstone	Ticket Office Detail	Left Elevation	Rear Elevation
Right Rear Oblique

The Columbia Township Auditorium, constructed in 1930, is significant for its association with the social and recreational history of Columbia, and by extension the state, and as an example of the partition of public spaces during the segregation era, a period in which the building was strictly segregated for its first forty years, and also as an excellent example of Georgian Revival architecture and as a notable design of the significant Columbia architectural firm of Lafaye and Lafaye. The three-story brick building features a Doric columned portico and rusticated arches and quoins. With a seating capacity of 2,500 to 3,500, the Township has hosted thousands of events-concerts, wrestling and boxing matches, comedy performances, political rallies, and other events such as high school graduations, reunions, and conventions. Through the 1960s, the policy of the Township was the same as most other public entertainment venues in the Jim Crow South. White and black patrons could attend the same events, but sat in separate areas. While white patrons entered through the front entrance and sat on the first floor, black patrons entered through a side entrance and sat in the balcony. If the performers were black, then black patrons could sit on the first floor, and white patrons sat in the balcony. In addition, there were separate ticket booths, coatrooms, and restrooms. Listed in the National Register September 28, 2005.

View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property. In addition, the Historic Resources of Segregation in Columbia, South Carolina, 1880-1960 includes historical background information for this and other related National Register properties.

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