Waverly Historic District

The Waverly Historic District is significant as Columbia’s first suburb. The historic core of the Waverly neighborhood was originally an early subdivision of an antebellum plantation by the same name located on the outskirts of Columbia. By the early twentieth century, it had evolved into a community of African American artisans, professionals and social reformers, many of whom made significant contributions to the social and political advancement of African Americans in Columbia and South Carolina. Originally a predominantly white neighborhood, Waverly’s development illustrates important patterns in the shift from biracial coexistence in the late nineteenth century to the practice of strict racial segregation common to early twentieth century urban centers. Waverly’s public institutions and other historic resources are also significant for their associations with individuals who played an active role in the Civil Rights Movement. The Waverly Historic District has a high concentration of vernacular residential, academic, and religious buildings reflecting a range of architectural characteristics of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Representative styles and forms include Queen Anne, Four-Square, Craftsman, Bungalow, Shotgun, Colonial Revival, and Neo-Classical. The majority of the 192 properties in the neighborhood, 137 of which are contributing, were built between ca. 1898 and ca. 1925. Listed in the National Register December 21, 1989.

Waverly Historic District

The Waverly Historic District is significant as Columbia’s first suburb. The historic core of the Waverly neighborhood was originally an early subdivision of an antebellum plantation by the same name located on the outskirts of Columbia. By the early twentieth century, it had evolved into a community of African American artisans, professionals and social reformers, many of whom made significant contributions to the social and political advancement of African Americans in Columbia and South Carolina. Originally a predominantly white neighborhood, Waverly’s development illustrates important patterns in the shift from biracial coexistence in the late nineteenth century to the practice of strict racial segregation common to early twentieth century urban centers. Waverly’s public institutions and other historic resources are also significant for their associations with individuals who played an active role in the Civil Rights Movement. The Waverly Historic District has a high concentration of vernacular residential, academic, and religious buildings reflecting a range of architectural characteristics of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Representative styles and forms include Queen Anne, Four-Square, Craftsman, Bungalow, Shotgun, Colonial Revival, and Neo-Classical. The majority of the 192 properties in the neighborhood, 137 of which are contributing, were built between ca. 1898 and ca. 1925. Listed in the National Register December 21, 1989.