The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-01-01


years in buildiag, lis at last nearing
completion. Designed originally to
cost s5, 100000 and intended, as some
Of the political patriarchs OF the State
aver, to serve as the capitol of the
Southern Confederacy, it is to-day
but semblance Of the conception OF
John r. Niernsee, who designed it.
AS it stands, it has cost the State Of
South Carolina $4,000, 900. It is in
timstely associated with many tragic
incidents in the States history, and
has 1ecome already one of the historic
structures of the country.
At the session OF the General AS.
sembly Of 1850, while the State was in
the throes of the first great agitation
Of the secession question, which end
ed in the affirmation Of the right Of a
State to seoede, the legislative COM
mittee on the State house rep0l ted
that the Stete records were in dsnger
of destruction by fire, and, recon-
mended that a fre-proof building be
erected for their safe-keeping. In
consequence Of this report, the appro-
priation bill that year contained a
clause authorizing the use of the pro.
ceeds of the sale of lots in the city of
Columbia for this purpose. No bill
authorizing the erection OF a pew
State house was passed, although it
is clear that it was the intention of
the leaders at that time to provide for
the erection of creditable public
building. Judge O'Neal gave the
credit to Hon. Benjamin Hunt Of
leading the legislature imperceptioly
into the scheme of building new
State house"
The corncrstone of two-story
building wa, laid December Is, 1851.
This building was erected on the
square hen occupied by the old State
house, fronting on Main street, the
old building then standing at the COR
ner of Senate and Assembly streets.
It was m{dest structure, intended to
serve as Aing of the projected capt.
toll. It was|a about completed at cost
of $250,0 hnd some of the records
had been rehoved to it, in the sum-
mer of 1854, Evhen the commissioners
in charge ndtced cracks in the door
and,>window Erches., These defects,
becoming moE pronounced, the COM
missioners eboloyed. John R. Niernr
see, then r$ ding SIN Baltimore, as
consulting aA1itects sNiernsee had
designed theSmRksonian Institute
and many otheE amous buildings, and
was one Of thebremost. architeots Of
his time. Aratect Niernsee absos
lutely condemnN the structure, ard
under his advicait was razed to the
ground, only q p@tion Of the fonnde-
tions being left,Swhich now remain
!. under the west VAll Of the present
capitol. It was Gen that Niernsse
designed the strdkure which now
stands, the Genera Assembly giving
sanction to an issuRf bonds forg the
"continaation" oftA cons nstruotion Of
q new State capitoA The adjoining
square was purchased and the build.
ing located upon its pAsent site.
In anticipation Of Ne approaching
great conflict the work Aas feverishly
pushed until the war politically stop
ped it. A tramway va constructed
to the granite quarries the river,
and hundreds Of laborVs were en-
ployed quarrying and essing the
huge pieces Of granite req Sed. Whea
the work Of building was Aus rudely
stopped, the talented an Ai,ect ex-
changed his drawing insttpeuts for
the sword, and did valiant ervioe in
the army Of the Southern COY ederacy.
On that momentons day &he peo-
Z pie Of this State, February R, 1865,
when the army commandedHy Gen.
w. T. Sherman reached th$ eights
across the Congaree River ovq qSoking
Columbia-at ey's-Mayd Good.
yin surrendered the city, was
absolutely dgaenseless. NotwitNtand-
ing this defenseless condition o city
was shelled and the new capitdRwitb
its whitelwalls completed to thdeize
line, was the mark Of everyIgv ier,
Several shells entered the bard i'm.
dow openings, and Eve strucF ht
building, but made little impre pr
upon its massive walls VI
The old State house was one ofa,
1,4GO buildings destroyed by ca
Sherman's s army, gand the granite
the southeast ccrner Of the pewscs
col was faxed of BY the FIRE which /
atroved the old building At Il