Riverbanks Shares Rich History During “Columbia’s Longest Days: February 1865”

Join the Greater Columbia Civil War Alliance (GCCWA) on Saturday, February 13, as it traces General Sherman’s 1865 march to Columbia with a full day of activities including the re-enactment of Union cannons firing on the State House, Sherman’s March bus tours and a Civil War Expo.

Riverbanks Botanical Garden is one stop on the Congaree Creek bus tour that follows Sherman’s march through Lexington County and into Columbia. Those interested in participating in the bus tour that travels through the Botanical Garden should select the 9:30am Congaree Creek tour. The three-hour tour will recall first hand accounts of Union soldiers, newspaper reporters and Columbia residents.

“Many people are unaware that Riverbanks is home to some of South Carolina’s most significant historical landmarks, and we are proud to share that rich history with the people in our community,” said Satch Krantz, executive director of Riverbanks Zoo and Garden.

Riverbanks has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973. Structural remains dating back to the early 1800s can be found throughout the park. On Riverbanks’ grounds, bus tour participants will visit the Saluda Mill ruins and view the granite abutments of the burned State Road Bridge, which was destroyed during Sherman’s March in 1865.

The Saluda Mill, one of South Carolina’s oldest textile mills, was also set ablaze by Sherman and his troops. The ruins of the mill can be found along Riverbanks Botanical Garden’s River Trail.

In an effort to further educate the community about the historic significance of the Saluda Mills, an Interpretive Center was built adjacent to the mill site in 1999. Artifacts, descriptions and graphics are displayed in the center at Riverbanks.

Tickets for the bus tour are $20 and must be purchased in advance. To order tickets, contact Bri Jackson at 803.217.0071 or at ColumbiasLongestDays@gmail.com. For more information about “Columbia’s Longest Days: February 1865,” visit www.columbiaslongestdays.info.