Historic Columbia is excited for our friends at OneColumbia on their new, historic headquarters at 801 Wildwood Avenue! According to the property's 1979 National Register nomination, "Dr. Joshua Fulton Ensor came to Columbia following the Civil War and in 1870 became the second medical superintendent of the State Asylum (South Carolina State Hospital). He later served as postmaster of Columbia and was an active leader in the State’s Republican Party. He also farmed, his home being located on a large estate of which approximately 80 acres were purchased in the early 1900s. Part of this property became the new home of the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary which is still located there." At the time of the nomination, the house was located on 11.19 acres and was owned by William J Keenan, a prominent Columbia businessman, hence the name Ensor-Keenan House. Fun fact: This property won a Preservation Award in 1983! 📸 Images courtesy South Carolina Department of Archives and History. (fb)

Sharing stories about the past in a museum setting can be...challenging. 👀 Jennifer Whitmer Taylor's new book addresses that. "Rebirth: Creating the Museum of the Reconstruction Era and the Future of the House Museum" traces the history of Woodrow Wilson's childhood home, using it as a case study to offer best practices for interpreting issues of contested public memory, such as white supremacy and domestic political terrorism, for twenty-first-century audiences. 📆 HC is excited to host Dr. Taylor on Saturday, November 15, to discuss the book and her work with Historic Columbia. After the talk and signing, attendees have the option of joining Dr. Taylor and HC staff on a special tour of the Museum of the Reconstruction Era. Space is limited and registration is required! 📚 The talk is FREE and books are available for pre-order or on-site. HC members save 30% thanks to our partnership with The University of South Carolina Press! 📸 One of a set of souvenir cards depicting sites around Columbia. Date (1938) is approximate. Image courtesy Midlands Memories, Richland Library, Columbia, SC. (fb)