S.C. State House, Part 1 | Project Discovery Revisited

In the 1990s, the South Carolina legislature voted to set aside funding for some much-needed renovations to the state’s capitol building. To bring the building up to today’s standards, and to protect the building and its occupants, the areas addressed included lighting safety, air quality, and fire and earthquake protection. Provisions were also made to bring the building into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

At the end of the 1995 legislative session, the process began of moving the State House’s important contents to the Carolina Plaza Hotel. Construction crews then moved in. Through the combined efforts of the architectural firm, historians, state archivists, archaeologists, paint investigators, legislators, and contractors, many obstacles to restoring the building to its state at the turn of the century were overcome.

Many renovations were made during the three-year construction period, including a new slate roof and copper dome, restoration of glass skylights, new chandeliers, new paint and custom-made carpets, addition of an audio and video system, addition of an auditorium, and removal of walls to open an original corridor.

Some of the most important changes made to the State House are not visible. Seismic isolators were installed underneath the building to protect it from earth movements. Computers monitor any shifts in the ground through these isolators. Other improvements include the replacement of the heating and air conditioning systems and the plumbing and electrical systems. Modern conveniences and technological advancements have made this historical treasure a state-of-the-art, and safe, structure.

Standards

• 3-4 The student will demonstrate an understanding of life in the antebellum period, the causes and effects of the Civil War, and the impact of Reconstruction in South Carolina.
  • South Carolina played a key role in events that occurred before, during, and after the Civil War; and those events, in turn, greatly affected the state. To understand South Carolina’s experiences during this tumultuous time, the student will uti...
    • 3-4.4 Summarize the course of the Civil War in South Carolina, including the Secession Convention, the firing on Fort Sumter, the Union blockade of Charleston, the significance of the Hunley submarine; the exploits of Robert Smalls; and General William...
• 8-3 The student will demonstrate an understanding of South Carolina’s role in the development of the new national government.
  • Independence from Great Britain made the creation of a new national government and individual state governments imperative. To understand how and why these governments were created, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the fo...
    • 8-3.1 Explain the tensions between the Upcountry and the Lowcountry of South Carolina, including their economic struggles after the Revolutionary War, their disagreement over representation in the General Assembly, the location of the new capital, and ...
• 8-4 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the multiple events that led to the Civil War.
  • The outbreak of the Civil War was the culminating event in a decades-long series of regional issues that threatened American unity and South Carolina’s identity as one of the United States. To understand how South Carolina came to be at the cent...
    • 8-4.5 Compare the military strategies of the North and the South during the Civil War and the fulfillment of these strategies in South Carolina and in the South as a whole, including the attack on Fort Sumter, the Union blockade of Charleston and other...