90th Anniversary - The 1950s

Columbia Housing 90th Anniversary, 1934-2024

Yvonda A. Bean
Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director

Columbia Housing Celebrates 90 Years of Rich History

This year - in 2024 - Columbia Housing celebrates its 90th anniversary and its rich history as one of the country's first established Public Housing Authorities.

Over the next few weeks, we are excited to share that rich history with you in a 9-part series that takes you on a journey through the decades. This is our 3rd installment.

The 1950s: Hendley Homes, Saxon Homes & Jaggers Terrace

The 50's brought with it a housing boom for public housing development.

Hendley Homes Built exclusively for White families, Hendley Homes was opened in 1952 providing 300 units on a 22-acre site off Rosewood Drive. The $2,500,000 facility was named after the Chairman of the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, W. Smedes Hendley. The new modern facility replaced blighted, substandard structures making up a host of slum neighborhoods on the site.

Saxon Homes Shortly after the opening of Hendley Homes in July of 1952, Saxon Homes soon followed. The 400-unit Saxon Homes development was built for Black families at a project cost of $2,487,347; the apartments ranged in size from one to five bedrooms. The location of Saxon Homes was in two sections: Harden, Elmwood, Seegars Park, and the Southern Railroad bound the first portion of the project; the Southern Railroad, Slighs Avenue, Seegars Park, and Oak Streets bound the other portion. The new development was named after Celia Dial Saxon, a well-known and dedicated educator in the State of South Carolina.

The Dedication of Saxon Homes took place on May 16, 1954, and with completion of this project, the Columbia Housing Authority increased its total unit number to 1,403.

Jaggers Terrace In April 1956, the Columbia Housing Authority secured approval for Jaggers Terrace - a 74-unit development on Barhamville Road. Construction took just over two years, and the community was officially opened on September 2, 1958. The community was named after Rev. Charles Jaggers, a missionary to the poor, from Chester County, South Carolina.

In September of 1999, the CHA received a HOPE VI grant to tear down Hendley Homes and Saxon Homes.

Be on the lookout for the 4th installment of our 9-part series:
Columbia Housing: The 1960s

Columbia Housing and Cayce Housing provide housing to more than 6,500 families in its Housing Choice Voucher Program, Public Housing Program, and Tax Credit Properties encompassing more than 16,000 individuals across 24 properties in Columbia and Richland County. Columbia Housing is governed by a 7-member board with day-to-day operations under the leadership of the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Leadership Team.

Board of Commissioners:

Ernest W. Cromartie, III, Esq., Chairman
Kara Simmons, Vice-Chair
James Chatfield, Commissioner
George Green, Commissioner
Selena Pickens, Commissioner
Kevin Werner, Commissioner

1917 Harden Street • Columbia, SC 29204
CHCares@ColumbiaHousingSC.org
ColumbiaHousingSC.org

Equal Housing Opportunity Provider & ADA Accessible