The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-12-25
THE STATE CAPITOL.
Facts sb:u: the Building New
N*aying CemplsEion.
OF INTEREST TO MANY.
When end Htw tha Mo!k WAs
ssgun. The War Period.
The Resumption Of
Operation.

INe spISpIl3 SEsAilS sG4uH nHAof1 Ac
The eG7isl domicile Of the State Of
South Caro!ina, after having beer 50
years in building, is st last Dea.ing
completion. Designed Originally to
cost IS, 900 900 and intended, as s2ue Of
the political pairisrShs cf the Stats
aver, to servs IS the capitol Of the
southern C9nfsderscy, it il tocsy but q
sem molancs OF tho conception of john
r. Nlerneee, Who designed it. As ls
sssnGs, il has cost aae State Of Sou.h
Carolina 81 sou. 0n0. LIS intim mssals So
so6iased wish m@D7 trasic ino!4sntS II
the Ssaze's ti5tory, and nss beeome al
ready one Of the historic stCucsarea Ct
she country.
Al tire session Of the general aEsem-
bly, OF 1850, While the Soa5s mss IN Gae
sbroes OF the first sreas ssitsiion Of
the secession question, winch ended IL
the xfirmsllon Of the righs Of g State
to secede, the legislative committee on
tae Safe heuse rsporsed thsa ths Sssse
records Hcrs in Gsngar o. dessrueEion
By fire, and recommended shas frs
procf building be erecsed for tnsir
safe-keeping. In ooaseqIaDcs OF this
report, the appropriation ai:i SHAT year
contained a clause authorls;ns the use
Of shs proceeds Of tas SHE Of lots IN
the city CT Coiunbis for this purpose.
No bi,i sa5horising the erection Of E
new Stass house ass pssssd, although
it is clear that it was she intention Of
she leadsrs at that tims to provide for
the ereo:ion OF q o1editAble public
building. Judge O'Neai save the cred
IL to Hon. Bsrj2min Hunt Ct ''lesdias
the Legislature lmperoepeibiy into the
scheme Of building new i5sase bouse.
The cornerlt:ao CT sso-saory builc-
ing wss laid December 10, 1851. This
building vas eEscsed OF the square
thea occupied BY The Old Siato, aousa,
fronting on Glai1 street., the old build
lrs then saznding at tbs corner Of Ssa-
ate snd Assembly streets. l. VaS o
modest ss1Gssure, iasendaa to serve as
wing Of tie protected ca pitol. Il Tas
ebous completed ss q cost oil $3.50, 900
aad SONS Of tie records had bosD re-
moved 20 it, in ths summer OK 1854,
1asn the commissioners in charge no
siced cracks II the door sad WiaG0H
arcass. TlsEe defects, becoming moTs
pronounced, the comnJssloners en-
p:oyed JOIN 8. Nisrlses, then residing
IN Baltimore, as consulting a,ckiaoot.
Nlernsee had designed tbs Snishsonian
inatituse and many othar Famous build
iags, ant was one Of the forsmoSt aTohi,
teoss o: his sins. Acchisec5 Nisrnsee
absolutely condemned the structure,
and uador his ADVICE, it vas razsd to
the ground, only portion Of the foun-
dations beisg left, which noT remain
under the weGt wall G.: the present
csplsol. It was then thai Nisgnsee de-
signed the structure which now stands,
the general ASSEMBLY giving sanction to
81 issue Of bonds for the 'contiaus-
rion" of the construction of a new SGase
capitol. The aoj,iaing sqaare was
purchased, and the building locate
Upon It's pcsselt site.
Ia anticipation Of the approaching
great conhlss the work Was fevesishiy
pushed until the va: pcscsically
; ppso it. A trsmEsy Was cols:raoE-
Gu - ahe granite qaarrses oo the rivar,
and hunQreds Of la5oleIs were en-
ployed oasrgying and dressing che
nuge p,sces q graaise required. When
the wvck CT Su.ld:ns .as thus rulsiy
stopped, tho Gsleets3 srohisesC ex-
changed his draslag inss1rnsnrs 10:
.ae ssord, and die vs;lsn5 service II
the army Of 5ne southern Contedar:cy.
On yaaS momensous dsy to sha $50
pie Of this S.ase, February Is. 1855,
when Sns army oou.msnGeo oy Gaa.
W. 7. Snelman reache1 the Ia;glss
socoss Tie Cvusacee rlVar overlooking
Co.u 4bis-at Oasss s-llayo or Gcac sla
she cay, ai Is sas aoao-
!uas!y deIeuhal=ss. N3tw4tGatsnaloS
sAls Ceferse:ess c4rdlIlou tee oi;y Eas
sp5ll,d aat sle ne:s capitol, E.ta lSa
WIile walls c.mriceed TO the sieiza
line, Was sho MARX OF avery suaser.
S-veIal shell sn>arsc tbs bars mlHdo#
0 opzulEas, Az i7z s:Ilcil Tie 6u,.dtaz,
bot neao IlSelo I4ipie.sioD rpol It's
maiis.
lle OH SiS:o arlse rFaa ono OF tno
i 4JU oullalegs deEs:ogel By Gen. 5bor
msn army, aid rns l:iar4se aS the
Eup; hea>G corGer G.: sl, new capi:oi
Hss faxed cf by tie lire whioh ce
g.roYs1 the old building. A. shs slme
tncre Was large qaantity o. dressed
marble ald orner ma!criai 70: ths
oui!c:Gs ca the ground. Tic s,caiseos
es,iloa,ed the Value % shst destroyed
b. Gen. Slsrnan a. 81, co. 600, 5eslaes
li.e mas,;asion Of tie be&usAfu! marble
in the placs On the fIon5 sid rear poy-
tioos wnion is still! apparent. a nine
Eas pi:pa-od under sae building 50
completely destroy il, Whsn 9 report
rcashed cao clsy that 8 wing Of the
amy above Co.uInbis had aee1 a5
taakad b. Hsmpson's cavslCy. Gen.
Saermsn ordaT<d tie pawder removed,
wlsn tha remark that it would bs ?
u1eless Essse Of ammunition, snd that
hs would leave the pas,ple SO - poor
that they woaid never conpiess it,"
hasssailg MS departure from the city,
than in smoking ruiss.
Work continued II 6 deaElsor5 nan-
nes 1a,il 1880, ahea it was cssiEo!y
discontinued, until the session Of the
general assembly Of 1860, which sporo
pria;sd s175yOO0 fer tie sddisions ses
5siss nato, andos plans of Arckitsss
ErsakP. Milbarn. A dome wa adept
ed a iisu Of the grsrSre tower orig:n-
silg intended TO ncrmount the ssruo-
Iuce.
Tas granite wcrz upon the old kpild-
ing is p-orouaceG. By c-psrss to be
eishcut ezsaption sts hsass in the
Unissd Ssases, noS excepting splso-
did buildings Of inc lslional govs1n-
nept 81 Washington. The massive