Evans and Cogswell Company

National Register Listing

Street Address:

501 Gervais St., Columbia, SC (Richland County)

Alternate Name:

Confederate Printing Plant

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NRHP Nomination

Record Number:

S10817740056

Description and Narrative:

(Evans and Cogswell Company) The Confederate Printing Plant was originally constructed by the firm of Evans and Cogswell for the manufacture of Confederate bonds and other printing purposes. During the Civil War, the printing firm of Evans and Cogswell in Charleston became one of the producers of bonds, certificates of stock and currency for the Confederate government. In 1864, the firm constructed the large building on Gervais Street in Columbia and relocated its business there. In February of 1865, when General W. T. Sherman’s army occupied Columbia, the building’s contents were seized and the plant was burned. After the war, the building was eventually repaired. The structure was later used as a liquor warehouse for the South Carolina Dispensary System. During the 1930s, the building was used in conjunction with the U.S. Seed Loan Program. It is a large two-story, commercial Greek Revival brick structure which spans the length of an entire city block. Originally it was a one-story structure with a gable roof. The second story was added after the building was burned in 1865. The southern façade is divided into repetitive bays by molded brick pilasters on both levels. A wide molded brick frieze separates the two stories. Listed in the National Register March 28, 1979.

Period of Significance:

1864

Level of Significance:

National

Area of Significance:

Politics/Government;Architecture;Commerce;Industry

National Register Determination:

listed

Date of Certification:

March 28 1979

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