COLUMBIA, S.C. — Hundreds gathered in Columbia's Melrose Heights neighborhood on Sunday to learn about centuries-old buildings while also raising money.
Preservation was the goal Saturday for Hardy Childers of Historic Columbia's Palladium group. He was one of the many volunteers giving home tours inside the neighborhood. It was part of an event that is held annually to raise funds to continue preserving the city's history. This year was the first time it was in Melrose where many homes were constructed in the 'Columbia craftsman' style.
"The Columbia craftsman came out of the arts and crafts movement of going back to pre-industrial, making it more of a home," Childers said.
Guests who purchased tickets had the chance to walk through six different houses which have been given historic markers.
However, Childers said the day was more than just walking through old homes. He said the money raised on Sunday will go towards Historic Columbia's preservation projects, like focusing on revamping the Museum of the Reconstruction Era on Hampton Street.
"It gives you a sense of community, it gives you a knowledge, it helps base you in it, be able to say, 'Hey, I know that style, I know that structure. I know who lived there and why it's important,'" he added.
He said it's an ongoing mission for Palladium and Historic Columbia - keeping historic buildings throughout Columbia. It's one of the reasons Kandie Wright volunteered her home, built in the early 1900s.
"There aren't a lot of photographs of these things. If you don't try to save these old things, then they're just gone and forgotten forever," she said. "You can see a lot of these houses we're going through today are really beautiful and it tells you a lot about what our city was like."
That uniqueness of Columbia's history is why Jamie Williams bought tickets to tour the houses on Saturday. Williams agrees that preservation, even in your own neighborhood, goes a long way.
"I absolutely love it, I wish more neighborhoods would take as much pride in it as Melrose Heights does," Williams said.