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Columbia history made here
The oldest standing building in Richland County was in Earlewood—a log home believed to have been built in 1756 once stood at what is now 3225 River Drive. In 1961, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Odom helped save the home by relocating it to Sesquicentennial State Park in northeast Columbia. The frontier-type cabin— older than the City of Columbia itself—has been restored and is now protected in the park's boundaries.
During the Civil War, General Sherman's troops entered the city, which was surrendered by Columbia's Mayor Goodwyn on February 17, 1865. A stone monument (see right) erected on the 50th anniversary of the event marks the site where the surrender took place at the intersection of River Drive and Beaufort Street.
In the late 1800s, attorney John Earle assisted Columbia in acquiring land for a park from the Geiger family. Columbia named it Earlewood Park in his honor.
During the Spanish-American War in 1898, a cavalry training camp known as Camp Fornance was located in what is now Earlewood.
The Earlewood neighborhood was established in 1910, but the bulk of the neighborhood you see today was built in the 1930s.The neighborhood expanded several times since its original core was established. Some areas of Earlewood reflect building trends of the 1950s and 1960s in street patterns, architectural style, and detailing. Earlewood has continued to grow and evolve throughout its history, which is reflected by its diversity today.
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