South Carolina Department of Archives and History
National Register Properties in South Carolina

South Carolina Penitentiary, Richland County (1511 Williams St., Columbia)
S1081774010701 S1081774010702 S1081774010703 S1081774010704 S1081774010705
Boundary Wall Boudnary Wall Cell Block 1 Cell Block 1 Cell Block 1
Interior
S1081774010706 S1081774010707 S1081774010708 S1081774010709 S1081774010710
Cell Block 1
Interior
Cell Door
Cell Block 1
Interior
Iron Brackets
Electric Chair
Building
Facade
Electric Chair
Building
Left Elevation
Richards Building
Main Entrance
S1081774010711 S1081774010712 S1081774010713 S1081774010714 S1081774010715
Richards Building
Left Oblique
Richards Building
Left Elevation
Chair Factory
Facade
Chair Factory
Facade
Chair Factory
Left Elevation
S1081774010716 S1081774010717 S1081774010718 S1081774010719 S1081774010720
Chair Factory
Right Elevation
Shop Building
Facade
Shop Building
Left Elevation
Shop Building
Rear Elevation
Griffith Hospital
Facade
S1081774010721 S1081774010722 S1081774010723    
Griffith Hospital
Entrance
Griffith Hospital
Left Elevation
Griffith Hospital
Rear Elevation

The South Carolina Penitentiary is significant to the social history of the state from the late 1860s to 1944. Established in 1866, the penitentiary has followed many of the national trends in prison reform to improve the treatment of convicts in South Carolina. In addition, the penitentiary was the beginning of a state penal system that would eventually evolve into the current South Carolina Department of Corrections. The penitentiary’s architecture is reflective of prison design ideas that were popular in the United States during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The penitentiary complex contains twenty-six buildings and structures, including seven contributing buildings and one contributing structure. They are the Cell Block One (1860s-1886), the Electric Chair Building (1912), the Richards Building (1927-28), the Chair Factory Building (1932), the Mess Hall Addition (1932), the Shop Building (1934-35), Griffith Hospital (1937-38), and the Boundary Wall (1860s-1886). The buildings are between one and five stories tall and built of granite or brick. In general, they have a massive appearance and few decorative elements. Listed in the National Register January 4, 1996. It has since been demolished. Removed from the National Register December 8, 2005.

View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property.

Most National Register properties are privately owned and are not open to the public. The privacy of owners should be respected. Not all properties retain the same integrity as when originally documented and listed in the National Register due to changes and modifications over time.

Images and texts on these pages are intended for research or educational use. Please read our statement on use and reproduction for further information on how to obtain a photocopy or how to cite an item.


Images provided by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.