#TBT: Old Shandon neighborhood, then + now

This is part of our #TBT collaboration with Historic Columbia + their new “Getting to Know Your Neighborhood” series.

A couple of weeks back, we talked all about Cottontown. Next up on our tour through Columbia’s neighborhoods is Old Shandon.

Then ⬇

Now ⬇

❓ When was Old Shandon established?

Planning has always been Columbia’s thing. S.C.’s second capital was the first planned city in the U.S. Following the same gridded trend, Shandon, with its earliest lots laid out in 1893, is seen as Columbia’s first planned suburb.

But what exactly brought folks to Old Shandon? Why move out of your Main St. apartment and into the suburbs? Because 19th-century Soda Citizens wanted what all Americans (and the Dixie Chicks) wanted: wide open spaces. Shandon’s detached houses with sprawling floorplans and wooded lots meant that each of your children could have their own rooms, you didn’t have to share a bathroom with the neighbors, and your kitchen was larger than it was in your postage stamp city apartment.

But what was physically moving people to Shandon? Cars were few and far between (and very expensive) in the 19th century. (There’s actually no record of a car in Cola or its ‘burbs until the early 20th century.)

However, mass transit was just getting off the ground. When mule-drawn carts were superseded by their electric counterparts in the 1890s, people began a mass exodus to the city’s forming suburbs.

For five cents (~$2 in today’s money) folks could ride the rails up and down Divine St. There were six trolley cars stopping in Shandon each hour, making it a transport destination and local hotspot.

❓ Where did Shandon get its name?

Before you ask, there’s no benevolent Mr. Shandon who singlehandedly saved all of Columbia’s kittens from a pack of rampant weasels. No, the neighborhood of Shandon is named for — drumroll — another neighborhood called Shandon.

Originally, the land bounded by Harden, Kilbourne, Divine + Rosewood was part of a rolling, green landscape. So beautiful was this land that it reminded R.S. DesPortes, a prominent Columbia businessman, of the rolling hills of Ireland. Specifically, those of Shandon in County Cork. (Cue pennywhistle solo)

And while that’s all well and good and romantic, DesPortes was no fool. The president of the Columbia Land and Investment Company at the time was Mr. Robert W. Shand. Following DesPortes’s declaration of Shandon’s beauty, Robert W. Shand began to buy up acreage in the area in 1890. Pretty sure the Irish would call that a cheeky little maneuver.

❓ Did any notable Soda Citizens live in Shandon?

Shandon was home to many people over the years and some houses have stayed in the same family for generations. During the Great Depression, some single-family homes were split into du- or triplexes to accommodate more tenants. In the 1950s, college students began moving into these affordable apartments. So, you can thank the 1929 Stock Market crash for the fraternity brother's SUV parked on your front lawn.

📍 2726 Preston Street, known as the Davis House, was built by Braxton Bragg Davis in 1915. This house was converted into a triplex during the Great Depression and is still operated as apartments by one of Davis’ descendants.

📍 Back in the day, the Clark-Hubbard House at 2719 Preston Street was known for its lush gardens, installed by J. Rhett Clark in the 1920s. In 1977, recently former owners Judy and Pat Hubbard restored the gardens and added further plants, hardscapes, and unique features. The pole barn at the rear of the property has been refurbished into an artist’s studio.

❓ What’s changed over time?

Plenty. The original plan for Shandon involved the installation of fountains, a swimming tarn which doubled as a boating pond, a shooting range, a baseball field, and a bicycle track. These were never built. Instead, a railway pavilion was built at the intersection of Pavilion and Santee St. in Valley Park (now Martin Luther King Park). The building had a stage, electric lighting, dressing rooms + internal heating. Pretty posh for the day.

Valley Park itself was designed to give the neighborhood a “resort-like” feel. (The original staycation.) But both the park and the pavilion were for whites only, as was the case in other areas of the Jim Crow-era city.

The Whitest Town in the South

At the turn of the 20th century, Shandon found itself at the center of racial tensions in Columbia. The neighboring district, Waverly, was comprised of predominately working-class, African American families. In 1902, Waverly moved to incorporate with the City of Columbia. In the district’s original proposal, Shandon was included within the neighborhood boundaries.

Image courtesy Warner Montgomery, previously published in Shandon Memories

Shandon’s residents, who often boasted they lived in “the whitest town in the South,” were none too pleased. The town filed an injunction against Waverly and eventually bullied their own incorporation deal two years later in 1904.

Later that same year, the Shandon Pavilion was renamed Douglas Park and given to the Waverly community. This wasn’t a gesture of goodwill, however. White families had moved to recreational facilities in other, less-diverse parts of town.

Living history

Driving through Shandon is like being in the opening scenes of Lady and the Tramp. Its architecture ranges from Craftsman to Neo-classical to Prairie to downright Queen Anne. There’s even Folk Victorian — both a style of house and a genre of music enjoyed by preservationists. (Jk, jk.)

Since the late 1990s, homeowners in Shandon have worked to rehabilitate their architecturally diverse homes. On Maple Street, Leslie and Ed Skinner have restored their Queen Anne home back to its original configuration. Not only did the Skinners reunify their home, once converted into apartments, but also preserved the contractor’s house what is original to the property. (Seriously, though… Lady and the Tramp.)

In 2003, Old Shandon was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to read the nomination, so you know what your neighbors’ houses look like… and judge their holiday decorations.

As always, the best way to get to know your neighborhood is to get out and explore for yourself. The weather is perfect for a weekend stroll through any one of Cola’s neighborhoods. Here’s an online guide to the neighborhood (free + an excuse to snoop on the neighbors).

Do you have something to share? At Historic Columbia, we are invested in community stories – and we’re always on the lookout for family stories or photographs to help grow our community collections. Don’t be shy – get in touch. As you continue to make history in this city, it’s important to know what happened #OnThisSpot in the past.

– Lois from Historic Columbia + Beth

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