Richland County lies in the South Carolina midlands. Its county seat, Columbia, also serves as the state capital.
The county was founded in 1785 within the Camden District, and its name most likely refers to the “rich land” of the county. In 1791, Richland County became smaller when land previously belonging to this county was added to Kershaw County.
During the Civil War, Sherman entered Richland County and occupied Columbia before setting it on fire.
Since its founding, Columbia has served as an economic hub for the state, especially in terms of trade and manufacturing. The county is home to Fort Jackson, Congaree National Park, and multiple lakes and rivers. Notable county residents include Senator Wade Hampton and President Woodrow Wilson.
SOURCES: About Richland County.
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The interior décor of the Victorian era reflected the consumer society that America had become by the late 19th century. Filled with elaborately designed "things" - objects of art as well as of use...
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The gardens of the Hampton-Preston Mansion in Columbia, sketched here by the artists for "Harper's Weekly," April 15, 1865, when the mansion briefly served as Sherman's headquarters. The maze was...
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This four-square bungalow type house, built in the suburbs of Columbia as it began to expand beyond its boundaries into the surrounding countryside in the early 20th century, is probably one of...
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Work began in 1852 on the magnificent Classical Revival auditorium and chapel building on the campus of South Carolina College, originally called College Hall, but now known as the Longstreet Theater...
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This video produced and provided by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism.
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South Carolinians also send Senators and Representatives to sit in the national Congress. From left to right are portrayed some of South Carolina's most influential state and national elected...
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South Carolina state government is carried out by the Governor and state legislature, and the laws they create are adjudicated by the state court system. Here, James F. Byrnes, Governor from 1951-1955...
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The Columbia City Waterworks were completed in January of 1907 to pump water from the Columbia Canal and treat it before pumping it to serve the city's residents. Before the construction of this...
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The South Carolina Penitentiary, the Central Correctional Institute, was founded in 1865. This 1910 postcard view shows the prison building and hospital. Courtesy of the Howard G. Woody Postcard...
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Museums as institutions help citizens identify with their past. This "Relic Room" was maintained in the State House until the completion in November 1935 of the War Memorial building on Sumter Street...
