The South Caroliniana Library
1840
The central portion of this structure is the oldest freestanding college library in the United States and has served continuously as a library since its completion in 1840. It is based upon design elements by South Carolina native and nineteenth-century federal architect Robert Mills. Its reading room was inspired by Charles Bulfinch's 1818 design for the
US Capitol's Library of Congress room, which was destroyed by fire in 1851.
Known only as the College Library for its first 100 years, wings designed by architect J.Carroll Johnson were added in 1927. When a larger main library was erected in 1940, this building became a respository for published and unpublished materials relating to the history,
geography, literature, and culture of South Carolina. It was named South Caroliniana Library-- the term "Caroliniana" meaning "things pertaining to Carolina."
Marker can be reached from Sumter Street near College Street, on the right when traveling north.
Courtesy hmdb.org
