National Register of Historic Places

Columbia Canal

Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina
Listed
January 15, 1979
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
79002392

About this property

The Columbia Canal is the surviving canal of a series of canals built by the State of South Carolina in 1824 using the labor of indentured Irishmen to provide direct water routes between the upstate settlements and the towns on the Fall Line. It is on the Congaree and Broad rivers in Columbia, South Carolina. It is the focal point of the Riverfront Park in Columbia. The canal is now used to generate hydroelectric power by the South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. The Columbia Canal is on the National Register of Historic Places, No. 79002392. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has additional pictures and information, and copies of the nomination forms. There are additional pictures, and information available from the Historic American Engineering Record at the Library of Congress.

Location

Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina
34.01167, -81.05943

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMERCEHISTORIC - NON-ABORIGINALENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATIONINVENTION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Columbia Canal

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Randolph Cemetery
Listed
0.3 mi
Elmwood Cemetery
Listed
0.4 mi
Logan School
Industrial
0.8 mi
Cornwell, Harriet M., Tourist House
Industrial
0.9 mi
South Carolina Memorial Garden
Industrial
0.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Columbia Canal listed on the National Register?

Columbia Canal was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 15, 1979.

What type of historic resource is Columbia Canal?

Columbia Canal is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Columbia Canal?

The period of significance for Columbia Canal is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Columbia Canal?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Columbia Canal will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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South Carolina history

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