While the heat of summer may demand a slower pace, the staff at Historic Columbia Foundation hasn’t gotten the message. In fact, a heightened pace of conducting fieldwork, collecting oral histories, and scanning historic images has defined the past several months in the institution’s Connecting Communities through History project.

Aimed at documenting the histories of the Arsenal Hill, Cottontown, Heathwood, Hollywood /Rose Hill, Lower Waverly, and Old Shandon neighborhoods, this multi–year initiative has been partially underwritten by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, as well as corporate and individual sponsors, including

The Columbia Star.

“Each of these neighborhoods has played an integral role in the shaping of our capital city,” says John Sherrer, director of Cultural Resources for the Foundation, who serves as project director. With each passing oral history interview, each shared historic photograph, each memory recalled, the story of Columbia becomes richer. Thus far the institution has connected most heavily with current and former members of Arsenal Hill, Hollywood/Rose Hill, and Lower Waverly, and Old Shandon neighborhoods. At present, Historic Columbia Foundation is working on documenting the history of Heathwood. Soon hereafter, it will reconnect with members of Cottontown. If you have information on those neighborhoods, please step forward!

For those staff involved in this exciting project, the process of conducting the research is as compelling as the final products, which include walking/driving tour brochures, interactive web pages found within the Foundation’s website (www.historiccolumbia.or g), wayside interpretive signage soon to be placed within each neighborhood, and public programs. To realize its goals the Foundation has marshaled the energies of permanent staff, part time project contractors, undergraduate and post–graduate college interns, and volunteers. “When retracing the paths their lives have taken, so many of the people we have worked with have provided amazing stories and snapshots figuratively and literally of their neighborhoods. We are thankful they have chosen to be part of this project,” emphasizes Sarah Scripps, a University of South Carolina public history student who is heading up the project’s historic image management.

You too can contribute to the history of these neighborhoods under study. Consider sharing your memories about Arsenal Hill, Cottontown, Heathwood, Hollywood/ Rose Hill, Lower Waverly, or Old Shandon by contacting Historic Columbia Foundation’s director of Cultural Resources, John Sherrer, at 803.252.1770 ext. 28 or jsherrer@ historiccolumbia.org.