Columbia State Hospital

The South Carolina State Hospital Kirkbride sits abandoned within the state's capital, Columbia. The asylum started life in 1822, though the large Italian Renaissance Revival Kirkbride, with its characteristic dome, wasn't built till a few decades later. Construction of the Kirkbride—also known as the Babcock Building—was begun in 1857 and completed in 1885. George E. Walker and Samuel Sloan were the architects.

The asylum grounds were used as a prison camp for Union officers during the Civil War, from October 1864 to February 1865, and it was spared during Sherman's March. After the war, the asylum struggled. Overcrowding and funding problems affected the hospital badly over much of its lifetime.

A private developer has purchased the abandoned hospital property. The state's Budget and Control Board approved the sale in June 2011, but it will be several years before the place is redeveloped. How much of the Kirkbride will be preserved as part of that redevelopment plan remains to be seen.

Other names for this hospital:

  • South Carolina Lunatic Asylum
  • South Carolina State Hospital

Share

Forum Topics

Can't parse RSS data.