The 18th & 19th Century continued

Arguably Earlewood’s most famous former resident is an 18th century log cabin, dating back to 1756 and the days of farming and ferries in this area of Columbia. It is believed to be the oldest standing building in Richland County. “The log house is a two-story historic building that was originally located at 3325 River Drive, Columbia, in the northwest section of Richland County not far from the Broad River,” said Park Manager Daniel Gambrell. The State Park Service moved the building to Sesquicentennial State Park in 1961. Before the move, the logs of the house had been hidden behind wooden weatherboard siding, added at an unknown date. Gambrell said that the presence of this siding most likely allowed the building to survive into the 20th century.”

To date, the earliest known owner of the house was Nathaniel Pope, a Columbia- area butcher who appears to have owned the property as early as 1866, or possibly even earlier. During the Spanish American War the neighborhood was part of Camp Fornance, an army installation used in 1898 and 1899. It is not known whether the house was used by the army or if it continued to be a private residence. The cabin is being renovated by the park.