Banks and business blocks in Columbia
This tour visits the commercial core, with banks, business blocks, stores and exchange buildings. Most were built to hold shops at street level and offices above.
The stops that carry a construction date run from 1903 to 1924. 10 stops, 1.1 miles end to end. One stop is a historic district rather than a single building.
Distances are straight lines between the coordinates in the National Park Service Register data, so the walk on the street will be longer. Nobody has walked or checked this as a route, and a listing does not mean a place is open to visitors. Stops last changed Oct 16, 2026.
All walking tours in Columbia → · Every listing in Columbia →
Map
Coordinates come from the National Park Service National Register spatial data, or from Wikidata where the spatial data has no point. The solid line joins the stops in walking order and is not a street route. Listings with a restricted address in the Register are never mapped and never become stops. Data refreshed November 02, 2026.
Walking order
- 1Veterans Administration Regional Office1801 Assembly St.Building · listed 2020start
- 2Efird's Department Store1601 Main St.Building · listed 20120.2 mi from stop 1
- 3Canal Dime Savings Bank1530 Main St.Building · listed 1980346 ft from stop 2
- 4Columbia Commercial Historic District (Boundary Increase)1222-1224 Taylor St.Historic district · listed 2017353 ft from stop 3
- 5Columbia Commercial Historic District (Additional Documentation)Portions of Main, Blanding, Taylor & Sumter Sts.Structure · listed 2014424 ft from stop 4
- 6Federal Land Bank Building1401 Hampton St.Building · built 1924 · listed 20150.1 mi from stop 5
- 7First National Bank1208 Washington St.Building · listed 19800.2 mi from stop 6
- 8National Loan and Exchange Bank Building1338 Main St.Building · built 1903 · listed 197996 ft from stop 7
- 9Union National Bank Building1200 Main St.Building · built 1913 · listed 20190.2 mi from stop 8
- 10Wade Hampton State Office Building1015 Sumter St.Building · listed 2007399 ft from stop 9
1.1 straight-line miles over 9 legs.
Taking it along
- Download the route as GPXFor a handheld GPS or a phone app
- Open all 10 stops in Google MapsSet the mode to walking once it opens
- Open the first stop in Apple MapsThe Apple Maps web link carries one destination, so this is stop 1 only
Other walks in Columbia
- Churches and temples in Columbia10 stops · 1.5 milesThe route links churches built between 1854 and 1906. Congregations still use many of them and access depends on the hours they keep.
- Houses and mansions in Columbia13 stops · 1.8 milesThe route links houses built between 1900 and 1911. Many are private homes and the stops are meant to be seen from the sidewalk.
Local history books for Columbia
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Guidebooks to historic places in South Carolina
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.