COLUMBIA, S.C. — The City of Columbia's Design and Development Review Commission is contemplating the addition of two properties to the city's historic landmarks list due to their architectural and cultural significance.
One of the buildings under consideration is the site of "Beauty Art by Roy," a beauty salon owned by Roger Brasley. Brasley, reflecting on the building's importance, said, "I'm honored to even have this building, to be honest with you. It's an honor for me to be sitting in this place where it all started for me, and being the owner of it is a blessing for me."
Brasley's journey with the building began three years ago when he purchased it to establish his salon. He recounted, "When I did the grand opening, a lot of people from the community told me, 'Yeah, we used to go there as a child,' and a lot of the people that lived in North Columbia, which is where I grew up. So a lot of those community members came here to be seen by the doctor as a child."
Unaware of the building's historical importance to his community upon purchase, Brasley now seeks historical landmark status for it. "It was a full circle moment. It was a beautiful moment, and I had no idea of any of this until once the purchasing and the buying was done," Brasley concluded.
Dating back to 1965, the building served as a doctor's office, where Brasley's mother frequently visited for appointments. "Dr. Allen used to use this building as his doctor's office, and he was a white doctor here in Columbia, and he was actually one of the only doctors that would see Blacks," Brasley explained, emphasizing the historical context.
Moreover, the building holds personal significance for Brasley's family. "This is the building where she found out she was pregnant with me," he shared.
Brasley preserved elements of segregation-era architecture within the building, including a colored entrance and waiting room. "The back entrance, it was a colored entrance in this building, and it was on this hallway here, the back hallway. And I literally left the colored waiting room as is," he noted.
The City of Columbia will hold a public meeting before the Design and Development Review Commission this Thursday, May 16th, at City Hall Council Chambers at 4 PM. The commission will discuss the proposed landmarks and their potential classification.