Columbia State House
I drove to Columbia and found parking on the street five blocks from the capital building. The meter gave the hours but not the days when they charged for parking. I went online and found a local government website that talked about parking in Columbia. Parking was free on Sundays. So, I wasn’t limited to two hours and I didn’t have to pay.
Edwards vs. South Carolina
Near the entrance the capital ground is an area dedicated to the Edwards vs. South Carolina case that went to the Supreme Court of the United States and resulted in a landmark decision that bolstered the first amendment saying states may not “…make criminal the peaceful expression of unpopular views.”
In the early 60’s, a group of African-American students protested segregation in front of the South Carolina State House. This resulted in 187 students being arrested. The South Carolina Supreme Court upheld the convictions before the case went to the US Supreme Court.
As I travel, I continue to learn more about the First Amendment. I’m still sorry that the First Amendment Museum in Augusta Maine was closed when I tried to visit.
The Capital and Holiday Decorations
As I approached the capital, I noticed a large Christmas tree near the entrance to the capital grounds and people were getting their pictures taken. It is unusual to see so many people walking around the capital grounds. The were families out with professional photographers getting pictures taken around the grounds.
The tree at the entrance to the grounds made for nice photos. The building was closed but I took a few photos looking through the front windows. On the South side of the building, are stars marking where Sherman’s cannon hit the capital with six rounds. I could only find four stars.
The original state house still stood when Sherman’s Army came through in 1865. It was destroyed by the Army and is marked by a plaque near the new capitol building.
Capital Grounds - Similar Themes
The themes are similar around all capitals. I saw a couple reading a plaque at a bell behind the capital. I said to them, “I bet that says that this is one of 53 liberty bells produced in France in 1950.” She smiled and said, “Yeah, How’d you know that?”. I’ve seen the bell in 5 capitals so far. I first saw the bell in New Hampshire and wondered where the other 52 where located.
Similarly, after seeing the the original statue of Washington in the Virginia State House, I’ve seen the bronze copy a few times. This statue was slightly different than the others. During Sherman’s march through the South his men laid to waste many areas of South Carolina. It was the first to secede from the Union, and Sherman meant to punish them. In addition, drunken soldiers in Sherman’s Army threw bricks at the Washington statue and broke off the bottom of the cane.
I took a photograph of the “Woman Of The Confederacy” monument, which looked like it had just been cleaned. There were still some green spots on the brass that had been missed. A couple had been reading the plaques on the monument and suggested I take a photo of them. They were just strolling the grounds, like many people, enjoying the weather and learning about the history of their state.
The African-American History Monument takes you through the history African-Americas; from slavery to the Supreme Court, Space, Civil-Rights, and Wars.
Palm Trees
I saw a lot of palm trees around South Carolina and I wondered where they came from. South Carolina is called the Palmetto State and the palm is seen on the flag and license plate. The tree is indigenous to the state, but many were imported and planted on new developments to make Northerners feel like they were in a warmer climate.
I know very little about South Carolina revolutionary history. A government site states, “The palmetto tree symbolized Colonel Moultrie's heroic defense of the palmetto-log fort on Sullivan's Island against the attack of the British fleet on June 28, 1776.” It seems the palm tree is deeply rooted in this state. :)
The sun was setting and this was probably a better time to be taking photos of the capitol building, but I wanted to drive west towards Greenville, SC. I had a two hour trip ahead of me and I wasn’t sure where I was staying.
Brixx Greenville, SC
I had been searching for a campground during stops and hadn’t found anything. I decided to go get something to eat and found Brixx Wood Fired Pizza near the Greenville Airport. I was told it would be 30 minutes before they could seat me. There were a lot of people around the bar area. So, I stood off to the side and read emails. About 10 minutes later, several groups left and there was space at the bar.
I haven’t had that much fun at a bar in a long time. There were a lot of regulars at the bar and everyone was just friendly and talkative. People were talking about Clemson’s loss and the woman behind the bar was a Michigan fan.
I stayed longer than I had planned and Alex, the guy beside me gave me a lot of feedback on parks and campgrounds to checkout. I called several of them when I left but they were all closed. Alex, is an account with a lot of insights on various things. It was fun chatting with everyone.
Cracker Barrel
I found my way to the Cracker Barrel about 15 minutes away. The parking lot was empty but there were a lot of lights from neighboring buildings. I put up all the privacy screens, rolled out the Hest Sleep System and drifted off.