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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Barnard, George N., 1819-1902; The New Capital, Columbia, S.C.

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00554 Author/Creator: Barnard, George N., 1819-1902; Place Written: Columbia, South Carolina Type: Photograph Date: circa 1861-1865 Pagination: 1 albumen : b&w ; 40.7 x 50.3 cm. Order a Copy

One undated photograph entitled, "The New Capital, Columbia, S.C.," taken by George N. Barnard. Pictured here is the South Carolina State House. The building is surrounded by rubble.

The building was meant to replace the deteriorating old State House, deemed unfit to house official public records. Sherman's army destroyed the old State House by fire as it marched through Columbia and set the new State House on fire. The new building's exterior escaped much of the damage, but the significant damage done to the interior caused construction to halt. The building was eventually completed in 1903.

Barnard, George N., 1819-1902

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