House of Peace Synagogue

National Register Listing

Street Address:

Hampton and Park Sts., Columbia, SC (Richland County)

Alternate Name:

Big Apple Club

---

NRHP Nomination

Record Number:

S10817740058

Description and Narrative:

(The Big Apple) The structure located at 1318 Park Street was constructed between 1907 and 1910 as a Jewish Synagogue. Its interior architecture, including a notable recessed dome and a balcony, reflect its original function. However, the structure gained its greatest notoriety when used in the 1930s as a black nightclub. During that time, students from the nearby University of South Carolina came to observe dancers at “The Big Apple Club.” The dance, known as the Big Apple, became extremely popular and in 1937 a group of twenty-three from the Big Apple Club appeared in New York before touring the United States. After the nightclub closed, the building became a place of business and was then left vacant until its recent restoration. It is a two-story wooden edifice set upon a raised brick basement. Its gable roof is covered by tin. The structure features a projecting central entrance bay, flanked by wooden pilasters and sidelights, and surmounted by a large arch. On each side of the entrance are tall narrow windows with horseshoe arches. The side facades feature pedimented gables with a roundel. Listed in the National Register August 28, 1979.

Period of Significance:

1937;1907 – 1910

Level of Significance:

Local

Area of Significance:

Social History

National Register Determination:

listed

Date of Certification:

August 28 1979

---