Page 9 - Volume 15 Number 1

quick access to downtown Columbia, with a minimum of fuss upon arrival or departure. While rental cars are not available on the field, it’s close proximity to Columbia’s business district would make using various car services (Uber, Lyft, private limos, etc.) a simple affair.
A unique feature of the South Carolina State House is its double domes, covered in copper that has aged to patina. South Carolina’s state stone of blue granite, in addition to marble, make up the majority of the stone used throughout the structure.
Once downtown, Columbia is a
walkable city. Within a one-mile radius
of the capital building you’ll find a wide
variety of restaurants, cafes, and coffee
shops. Additionally, the South Carolina
State Museum, visitor center, multiple
riverfront parks, the Columbia Museum
of Art, and much more, are equally close.
The capitol building itself, is a bit of a
sleeper among the 50 we can each tour
in the U.S. Nonetheless, it is both unique
and steeped in complicated history. Its
construction period was much longer
than most state houses. The original
architect, who began construction in 1851, was fired. Most of the initial groundwork had to be completely dismantled and work began anew in 1855. Progress slowed as civil unrest in the South leading into and throughout the Civil War began to affect available funds, materials and labor. In 1865, United States Union Army
General Sherman entered Columbia while leading his infamous “March to the Sea,” halting all progress on the structure. Union gunnery crews used the large target to sight and range their artillery. Today, six bronze stars mark the exterior, noting locations where artillery shells impacted the unfinished building. While the war
JANUARY 2021
KING AIR MAGAZINE • 7