Did you know that the oldest standing building in Richland County is an Earlewood Native? Believed to be built in 1756, a log home once stood at what is now 3225 River Drive. In 1961, Mr. & Mrs. Jack Odom helped save the home by relocating it to Sesquicentennial State Park in northeast Columbia. The frontier type cabin (which is older than the City of Columbia itself) has been restored and is now protected in the boundaries of the state park.
During the Civil War, General Sherman's troops entered the city and marched to the point where Columbia's Mayor Goodwyn surrendered the city on February 17, 1865. A stone monument erected on the 50th anniversary of the event marks this historic site. The monument is located at the intersection of River Drive and Beaufort Street.
During the Spanish-American War, a cavalry training camp known as Camp Fornance was located in what is now Earlewood.
In the late 1800s, a lawyer named John Earle assisted Columbia in acquiring land for a park from the Geiger family. Columbia named it Earlewood Park in his honor.
A New Neighborhood
Earlewood Neighborhood was established in 1910, but the bulk of the neighborhood you see today was built in the 1930s. Many of the streets with county names were numbered avenues originally, then differently numbered streets, before finally taking their current county names. For instance, Beaufort Street was originally named 1st Ave. (c.1919) then 5th St. (c.1933), Union was 2nd Ave., then 6th St., and so on.
Houses once stood in the green space between the CSX railroad tracks and Elmwood Park neighborhood. Those homes were lost decades ago when their historic significance was not recognized and both neighborhoods were in disrepair. 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.
In 2005, Earlewood joined other historically significant neighborhoods of the city to become a design protection area. This important designation will help to ensure that our neighborhood maintains its current charm, and it will continue to prosper as a successful residential community. We hope that the history you are now making in Earlewood celebrates the rich history of this wonderful neighborhood.