South Caroliniana Library

South Caroliniana Library

1840 –

Images

South Caroliniana Library

Dedication of the Kendall Memorial Room in the South Caroliniana Library. The room is named for industrialist Henry Plimpton Kendall, who gave the Library one of the nation’s finest collections of early maps of Carolina and the adjoining regions. The most architecturally distinctive building on the Horseshoe, the South Caroliniana Library was the first separate college library building in the United States. Elements of the design are attributed to famous nineteenth-century architect Robert Mills. Two fireproofs wings designed by J. Carroll Johnson were added in 1927. After serving as the University library for 100 years, the building became a repository for published and unpublished materials relating to the history, literature, and culture of South Carolina. The Caroliniana, whose name means “things pertaining to Carolina” has developed one of the most significant collections on Southern history in the United States. J. Rion McKissick, beloved president of the University from 1936-1944 and a devoted student of South Carolina history, is buried in front of the building.

South Caroliniana Library (2)

The most architecturally distinctive building on the Horseshoe, the South Caroliniana Library was the first separate college library building in the United States. Elements of the design are attributed to famous nineteenth-century architect Robert Mills. Two fireproofs wings designed by J. Carroll Johnson were added in 1927. After serving as the University library for 100 years, the building became a repository for published and unpublished materials relating to the history, literature, and culture of South Carolina. The Caroliniana, whose name means “things pertaining to Carolina” has developed one of the most significant collections on Southern history in the United States. J. Rion McKissick, beloved president of the University from 1936-1944 and a devoted student of South Carolina history, is buried in front of the building.

South Caroliniana Library (3)

An alcove in the main reading rooom of the South Caroliniana Library, looking down from the balcony. The most architecturally distinctive building on the Horseshoe, the South Caroliniana Library was the first separate college library building in the United States. Elements of the design are attributed to famous nineteenth-century architect Robert Mills. Two fireproofs wings designed by J. Carroll Johnson were added in 1927. After serving as the University library for 100 years, the building became a repository for published and unpublished materials relating to the history, literature, and culture of South Carolina. The Caroliniana, whose name means “things pertaining to Carolina” has developed one of the most significant collections on Southern history in the United States. J. Rion McKissick, beloved president of the University from 1936-1944 and a devoted student of South Carolina history, is buried in front of the building.

South Caroliniana Library (4)

View of the main reading room from the balcony in the South Caroliniana Library. The most architecturally distinctive building on the Horseshoe, the South Caroliniana Library was the first separate college library building in the United States. Elements of the design are attributed to famous nineteenth-century architect Robert Mills. Two fireproofs wings designed by J. Carroll Johnson were added in 1927. After serving as the University library for 100 years, the building became a repository for published and unpublished materials relating to the history, literature, and culture of South Carolina. The Caroliniana, whose name means “things pertaining to Carolina” has developed one of the most significant collections on Southern history in the United States. J. Rion McKissick, beloved president of the University from 1936-1944 and a devoted student of South Carolina history, is buried in front of the building.

Citation Information

The following information is provided for citations.

  • Title South Caroliniana Library
  • Coverage 1840 –
  • Author
  • Keywords completed in 1840 as the central library building for South Carolina College (later the University of South Carolina), first freestanding college library building in the United States, predating those of Harvard (1841), Yale (1846), and Princeton (1873), “Caroliniana” means “things pertaining to Carolina.”, repository for published and unpublished materials relating to the history, literature, and culture of South Carolina.
  • Website Name South Carolina Encyclopedia
  • Publisher University of South Carolina, Institute for Southern Studies
  • URL
  • Access Date March 28, 2024
  • Original Published Date
  • Date of Last Update August 24, 2022
Go to Top