Once the home of Columbia’s elite antebellum aristocracy, the blocks encompassed by the Governor’s Mansion Protection Area tell a polarizing story of loss and recovery. Resettled by the middle class in the wake of the Civil War, this neighborhood remained divided along class and race lines well into the 20th century, which ultimately caused its demise. Urban renewal in the late 1950s and 1960s targeted the decrepit homes in the predominately African American part of the neighborhood. What remains in this neighborhood is a precious remnant of what was once one of Columbia’s most exclusive neighborhoods.
