DISCOVERING COLUMBIA SOUTH CAROLINA

THE OUTFIT OF  THE DAY IS: (ALL NEW)

BELK:  CROWN & IVY TANK AND ADIDAS SHOES (IN THE BOYS SECTION)

CATO: KIMONO & Hat

ZARA: JEANS SHORTS or as my co-worker calls them naked shorts....

******Information Courtesy of:

www.columbiasouthcarolina/memorialpark.html

www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/4453

www.wikipedia.org /wiki/South_Carolina_State_Hospital

www.state.su.us/dmh/history.htm

Hi Fashion Loves,

Sometimes an Adventure doesn’t turn out as planned and that would be my trip to Columbia South Carolina home of the State Capital and the South Carolina Gamecocks.  Everyone wants to take an Adventure with me but sometimes Adventures start out frustrating but you must press on to get the full experience. 

I woke up on a Thursday Morning on my way to the State Mental Hospital in Columbia South Carolina.  Fashion Loves this is an Adventure I have been waiting to go to for a year ever since I found out about the remodeling process instead of the demolition previously planned to this historic site. 

My bladder was not cooperating with my excitement for the Adventure to come.  I decided to wait it out.  I thought I was fine but with the Adventuring beginning I had to stop at a gas station within 30 minutes then a rest area.  Let me inform you my destination in Columbia South Carolina is only 2 hours and 2 minutes away.   

I get to Finlay Park which was my first stop on my Adventure and I have to go to the restroom again but the park is under construction and the man-made waterfall I came to see was under construction with no water flowing at all and there was some Sketchy Characters roaming around.  I went to use the public restroom in the park and it was surrounded by Sketchy Characters and my little voice says don’t you dare go in there.  

This is the downfall of Adventuring alone and when sometimes I want an Adventure Partner that can keep me felling a little more safe so I will not get upset easily when the Adventure doesn’t start out so great and I am a little afraid.   The heat was suffocating and I was getting frustrated at this point.  I was debating if I was going to just go home but I just said Sweet Jesus and pulled in a Parking Garage in Downtown Columbia. I was squirming and doing a dance at this moment and my lord answered my prayers low and behold the emergency door of the Hilton Hotel was open and I wondered on in the nice clean safe bathroom that was awaiting me just inside the door. My anxiety settled and I pulled out my Adventure book and set on my way. 

The scorching heat contributed to my attire for the day starting with my Cato Fashion Kimono which is the style at the moment.  I wore my Belk Crown & Ivy Tank which is Navy Blue that blends with the Kimono.  I was also excited to wear my new shorts from Zara which are so cute with the faux buttons and the zipper that zips all the way up. 

 Since I was going to do a lot of walking I chose my Adidas Tennis Shoes that I recently purchased at Belk in the Children’s section specifically the boys area they contributed to my comfort for the day…

MY FAVORITE WAR DOG MEMORIAL

Adorned with my stylish outfit my first stop was the Memorial Park and what do I behold Sketchy Characters but I was determined to see the War Dog Memorial I had seen on Facebook. 

The Memorial is bordered by Hampton, Gadsen, Washington and Wayne Street the Park was dedicated in November of  1986. The park was established to honor the fallen heroes  to Vietnam Memorial, China-Burma-India Veterans Memorial, USS Columbia Memorial, Pearl Harbor Memorial, Korean Memorial, Holocaust Memorial and World War 1 Memorial and the War Dogs. 

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL

KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL

KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL

******Sweat was streaming down my face my makeup is melting off except for my Estee Lauder Double Wear….NOT AN AD BUT COULD BE….My Adventurous Spirit couldn't be contained so I pressed on as new discoveries await. ****

 The next stop is the Butsted Plug Plaza which is the largest Fire Hydrant at 39ft tall.  This was the creation of Blue Sky (Warren Edward Johnson) which I became familiar with on my Adventure to Union South Carolina to see the Union Mural. 

Columbia with its multicultural background seems to be special to Blue Sky because he also added the Tunnel Vision Mural which is a nice optical illusion. The Tunnel Vision Mural is located on the Federal Land Bank Building at  1550 Marion St which is in the same area as the Busted Plug.   My Adventurous Spirit is picking up as you can tell with my smile and the excitement is looming for my final destination.  

BULL STREET….YES MAMA!!!!

In 1821 the first public mental hospital was established on 2100 Bull Street and was named The South Carolina Lunatic Asylum.  The need for the facility was realized by Colonel Samuel Farrow, a member of the House of Representatives from Spartanburg South Carolina.  Colonel Farrow noticed a mentally ill woman not being cared for this encounter prompted him to request the help of Major William Crafts. Crafts was a a member of the Senate from Charleston County.  On December 20, 1821 the two men along with their fellow lawmakers got $30,000 approved to build the Asylum. 

The first building to occupy the ground was the Mills Building which was designed by Robert Mills the building still functions as The Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The Asylum opened on December 12,1828 and its first occupant to arrive was a young lady from Barnwell County along with her Mom by her side for support.  The Hospital received patients that paid for their own care as well as the poor.  The people without financial means care was billed to their home community.

The Mills building is still functioning however, the rest of the campus was retired in December of 2015. 

 I was surprised walking around the campus to see a Chapel, library, small homes for the caregivers and other building that created a small city inside the gates for the misunderstood.  

Abandonded Library

Caregivers Residence

The South Carolina Lunatic Asylum was later named The South Carolina State Hospital to be politically correct and sensitive to the guests families. 

The Babcock Building was added later for the care of patients due to over crowding at the Mills Building.  The Babcock is an amazing structure created by George E. Walker in 1858 however he didn’t see his design come to completion due to his death so the Babcock Building was finished by Gustavus T. Berg.  

The Main Entrance was designed by Samuel Sloan with its overwhelming massive columns welcoming you to a place of understanding. The completion of this massive structure was in 1885 with its Romanesque and Gothic Revival Style with its Red Domed Roof is a symbol of history's past seen as far as the eye can see.

The Williams building was constructed in 1938 for the care of drug and alcohol patients.

 I wondered the Magnolia Covered site once a shameful place but to me a magnificent architectural design.  The Adventure that started out so bad became amazing because I pressed on and kept in my mind that my God protects me. If I just calm down and take a breath and do what it naturally put in my soul which is discovery and creativity then my peace will come. 

  ****One day my soul will be complete because as soon as I calm down,  

Ta-da!!! I will be blessed with an Adventure Partner, which will make the long drives, constant bathroom breaks a little less annoying because it is not the long drive it is the amazing destination....

Fashion Loves don’t give up an Adventure before it starts see what the future beholds in a few shorts hours, the breath-taking views and appreciation of history long gone but being restored for future appreciation awaits you. 

Love,

Dana