Facade	Left Oblique	Left Rear Oblique	Right Rear Elevation	Left Rear Elevation
Cornerstone	Main Entrance	Granite Foundation	Cornice Detail	Box Lantern Detail
Main Entrance Detail	Bronze Name Plate	Bronze Main Entrance Door Detail	Brass Entrance Door Detail with Transom	Interior Lobby
Interior Mail Collection Box and Chute	Interior Lobby Light Fixture	Interior Bronze Seal Lobby Floor	Interior Men's Restroom Door in Basement originally labeled "Colored"	Interior Men's Restroom in Basement originally labeled "Colored"
Interior Women's Restroom Door in Basement originally labeled "Colored"

The Wade Hampton State Office Building, completed in 1940, is historically significant within the multiple property submission “Resources Associated with Segregation in Columbia, South Carolina, 1880-1960.” As the seat of government for numerous agencies since 1940, including the Attorney General and the Department of Education, it has been viewed as a symbol of the state's policy of racial segregation. In addition to the policy aspect of segregation that the building represents, it also has a tangible connection to segregation. The Wade Hampton State Office Building was originally designed with segregated spaces for African American patrons conducting business there. These spaces were restrooms located on the basement level and were labeled on the original 1938 blueprints as “Colored” restrooms. The building is also significant for its architectural significance and remarkable physical integrity. Generally unchanged since its completion, the large six-story building is an exquisite example of late depression era restrained classicism, the preferred style and appearance of government buildings at the federal, state and local levels at that time. The building also has the distinction of being designed by the prominent Columbia architectural firm of Lafaye, Lafaye and Fair, in association with Hopkins and Baker of Florence. The restrained classicism of the building, in accompaniment with Art Deco inspired details, reflects the moderated taste in architectural design prevalent during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Wade Hampton State Office Building is the most unaltered building in the South Carolina State House Complex; all others have undergone significant renovations in recent decades. Listed in the National Register March 7, 2007.

View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property. In addition, the Historic Resources of Segregation in Columbia, South Carolina, 1880-1960 includes historical background information for this and other related National Register properties.

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