The cold didn’t deter a crowd from gathering in front of the Columbia Museum of Art for the ceremony on Tuesday commemorating the burning of Columbia.
It's been 150 years since the city of Columbia, South Carolina was nearly burned to the ground during Gen. William T. Sherman’s March. The ceremony was held to remember the burning of Columbia, a turning point and a “rebirth of both Columbia, SC and the nation,” according to the event’s website.
Joined by the Sandlapper Singers and the Benedict College Concert Choir, elected officials, historians and the bystanders alike gathered at Boyd Plaza for a celebration of rebirth and a remembrance of the past.
“It was a day not unlike today,” documentarian Beryl Dakers said.
More than 5,000 people have engaged in the online and physical events that have been offered surrounding the burning's 150th anniversary, according to Dakers.
Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin and Cayce Mayor Elise Partin both detailed effects the burning of Columbia had on the city’s residents and the impact that it has had on regional history. Although it was an event that destroyed the city, Benjamin felt that it helped Columbia grow in the long-run.
“The fact that we can stand here together hand in hand, as one Columbia, speaks louder than anything that I can possibly say,” Benjamin said. “I want to encourage us all to come together, not just as history’s descendants, but history’s inheritors and rise higher than any phoenix before us to build a brighter and better tomorrow.”
Carrie Phillips, the director of marketing and communications for Historic Columbia — one of the sponsors of the events — was pleased with the turnout.
“A lot of people braved the cold to commemorate this historic event," she said.
Phillips thought the “traumatic event” was an imperative lesson in remembrance of the past.
“This particular event has very much informed our social consciousness here in Columbia. It’s part of the mythology of our city,” she said. “It’s a chance for people to explore more about what this event means for our city and what it means for us in the 21st century.”
Burning of Columbia events will continue through the next few weeks and some events will even carry over through the year, giving Columbia residents and visitors a chance to explore the exhibits even after the culmination of 150th anniversary events have concluded.