The Seibels House has evolved over several centuries under many different owners. Today it is a combination of architectural styles. Greek Revival columns supporting a piazza stretching the entire length of the building dominate its front façade. Colonial Revival woodwork accentuates its interior. A sun porch added in the 1920s, offers grand views of the garden. Plaster molding and medallions enhance the building's rooms and foyer.

The house dates from approximately 1796. Some sources suggest that it may be older, possibly dating from the founding of Columbia in 1786. Whatever the case may be, the Seibels House, built by A.M. Hale for his wife, survived the burning of Columbia in 1865.

Bought by Claiborn Clifton in 1795, the mayor of Columbia and a member of the General Assembly, the house and the four-acre block surrounding it later fell into the hands of Captain Benjamin F. Elmore prior to the 1850s. He built the piazza on the front of the house.

In 1858, John Jacob Seibels purchased the property. For the next one hundred and thirty years, the Seibels family occupied and remodeled the house. Significant alterations were made to the structure during the 1920s. Dormers and brick veneer accented its front façade. The sunporch was added and the garden was laid around the house.

The George R.P. Walker family, descendents of the Seibels, donated the property to Historic Columbia in 1984. Following a series of renovations, the building now houses the administrative offices of Historic Columbia and rental space for offices and functions.

Located at the corner of Richland and Pickens streets, the Seibels House evokes hospitality and elegance. The charming garden surrounding the house is perfect for outdoor weddings or receptions. Let the ambiance of old Columbia grace your next event!

History developed by the Historic Columbia Foundation

The Kitchen

From oral descriptions and written texts, the majority of workers in the kitchen were African Americans. From the archaeological investigation conducted in 2003, archaeologists were able to estimate the date of construction.  From the artifacts collected the archaeologists have dated the kitchen to the 1830s. 

The kitchen was used for more than cooking, it was a way of life.                                               

Other activities may include; laundry, sewing, playing, sleeping and eating.  It is important to think of the kitchen more than a place with a single activity; for the people who worked there, it was their life.  And in some cases it was their home.