06/01/2026
What was ππ’ππ π¨π§ πππ’π§ πππ«πππ like 50 years ago? The 70s brought some changes to downtown...some less dy-no-mite than others:
People were still enjoying downtown, like at Fiesta of '74, a massive Main Street arts festival, but slowly many multi-generational stores began to close. The 1500 block lost longtime mainstays such as Marilyn Shoes and Eckerd's; notice the 1530 building has boarded up second story windows.
Seeing the potential for modernization, the city began a large beautification project that held its "opening ceremonies" in 1977. Improved traffic lights and signage came alongside a Main Street median. (In case you were wonderingβyes, those are 150-foot-tall light poles. They were removed in the mid-80s, thank goodness.)
What on Main Street has stayed the same, and what has changed? Come explore downtown like you've never seen it before during Palladium Tour.
π Sunday, June 7 | Self-guided tours start from noon β 3:30
ποΈ Gain access to 8 exclusive properties, from a private residence with rooftop atrium to a commercial basement with its old coal chute
πΏ Food and drinks included during the tour
Get tickets now at historiccolumbia.org/palladiumtour!
Image 1, 3, and 4 courtesy The State Newspaper Photograph Archive, Richland Library, Columbia, SC. Image 2 courtesy Russell Maxey Photograph Collection, Richland Library, Columbia, SC.
