Township nears 96 years | Richland Library

From Andrés Segovia to 2 Live Crew, the Township stage has seen a wide range of entertainment since it first opened its doors in 1930.

Columbia’s Township Auditorium has been hosting events large, small, and in-between for almost a century. How did this versatile venue at 1703 Taylor Street come to be?

Beginnings

In 1928, Columbia sold its city hall and theater/opera house at the corner of Main and Gervais Street for development. Its location across from the State House had become too valuable for a municipal building. Columbia's city hall moved up the street to a then vacant federal building. But the city would need a new meeting place to hold conventions, host entertainment, and more.

That same year, state senator John H. Hammond proposed a bond referendum to fund the construction of a modern “township” auditorium in Columbia. The auditorium would serve the city and county, along with the state, by providing a central place where large meetings could be held and where entertainment could draw in a large crowd. Hammond suggested that such an auditorium would be good for business and for the quality of life of people in Columbia. Hammond’s proposed referendum was passed on May 22 of that year and the selection of a site and a design for the building began almost immediately.

The bond referendum provided $300,000 to construct the new auditorium. The winning design for the Township was prepared by Columbia architects George and Robert LaFaye, and the contract for the construction went to local builder J. C. Heslep. The final design would be a modernist Classical revival structure with seating capacity of about 3,200, a semicircular balcony, an orchestra pit, a 77-foot curtained stage, and a removable center section of seats that could provide space for a wrestling mat, exhibit space, or a dance floor.

Representative Work LaFaye and Lafaye 1935 — The Township appears in *Representative Work of LaFaye and LaFaye, Architects, Columbia, S.C.* Image in the Local History Digital Collections, Richland Library.

The first proposed location was to be on Hampton Street at the site of the boyhood home of Woodrow Wilson. However, residents of Hampton Street protested the auditorium’s planned placement in their leafy neighborhood. Other citizens were concerned that the auditorium would be too far away from downtown to allow for drinks at intermission. Also, the plan to demolish the Wilson’s former home for the construction of the Township made some pause to consider the historic significance of the structure. This actually spurred on the first historic preservation movement in Columbia.

Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Home 1918 — The first proposed location for the auditorium was on the site of the Woodrow Wilson boyhood home. Image from the Local History Digital Collections, Richland Library.

After hearing these concerns, the Township board began looking for a new site, and in 1929, Richland County purchased 3 lots near the corner of Henderson and Taylor Streets from Mamie Renault, Eugene and Sarah Plumer, and Ruth Johnson for the construction of the new auditorium.

Steel Beams Point Skyward The State March 10, 1930 — Frame for the Township appears in The State on March 10, 1930.

Cornerstone to Santa Claus

The cornerstone was laid, with ceremonies, on April 7, 1930, and by October of that year the Township began to host political and civic meetings, a flower show, and choral groups. The official dedication of the auditorium was held on December 1, 1930, with the assistance of Governor Richards, Columbia Mayor L. B. Owens, Township Auditorium Board Chairman M. S. Whaley, and Santa Claus. A “pageant of the months” was then presented by local performers.

Rear view of Ainsley Hall with Township 1930 — Early view of the Township Auditorium beside the Columbia Bible College campus, today the Robert Mills House. Image from the Local History Digital Collections, Richland Library.

Camelia Show at the Township 1948.jpg — Flowers on display in the Township Auditorium, 1948. Photograph by Russell Maxey. Image from the Local History Digital Collections, Richland Library.

Seating Arrangements

An upper balcony provided the racially segregated seating that was enforced at the time, with the lower floor later alternating between white and Black seating depending on the nature of the performances. Though this architecture reinforced segregation, the Township Auditorium notably held many Black-centered performances during the Jim Crow era, including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ray Charles, James Brown, and many others. It also hosted W.E.B. DuBois, Martin Luther King, Jr., Paul Robeson, and other civil rights leaders who convened there during progressive public meetings.

Brook Benton at Township 1959 — Entertainer Brook Benton, a South Carolina native, crooned to audiences at the Township in 1959. Image from The State Newspaper Photograph Archive at Richland Library.

Still Going Strong

Upgrades and improvements occurred a few times over the years, the largest in 2010 when the Township reopened after $12 million renovation to the facility, expanding comforts for spectators and performers alike. The cramped lobby was expanded by disassembling the façade and rebuilding it brick by brick, matching the original concept for the building. A much-needed elevator was added to provide access to the upper floors, and bathrooms and lobby spaces were expanded and improved.

Greetings from Columbia postcard.jpg — The Township forms the “A” of Columbia in this historic postcard in the Walker Local & Family History Center collections.

Today, at almost 96 years old, the Township Auditorium is still going strong. Because, like Columbia, there is something for everyone. It’s not too small, or too big, or too fussy. We like it that way.