Confederate printing plant marker in historic Columbia, SC

Civil War history always in Columbia includes the Confederate printing plant marker. It may surprise you to know that during the Civil War both sides circulated their own currency. This is one of the traits of any country.

After declaring independence one of the first things that the Confederacy had to do was to mint their own currency. One of the places that they did that was at the priniting plant in Columbia, South Carolina.

 The Historic Marker Database tells us that the marker was placed by the Mary Boykin Chesnut Chapter No. 2517, United Daughters of the Confederacy. It is number 40-124.

There are at least eight other Civil War markers in the historic area of Columbia. The best way to see them all is to spend an hour or so and take the self-guided walking tour of historic Columbia.
For almost a year, the Confederate Printing Plant produced Confederate currency was printed here throughout the Civil War by the firm of Evans and Cogswell. Currency was printed here from April 1864 to February 1865 when it was burned during the General Sherman occupancy in Columbia.

The long brick building covers a city block. It was rebuilt after the Civil War and served several different purposes. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 to commemorate the role of the building as the Confederate printing plant.

Reading the marker and looking up at the building was a little surreal. In blending of past and present, this  Civil War era building now houses a Publix grocery store. Shopping here puts you in the footsteps of history. That alone makes shopping here the most unique experience that I know about.

Carolina fence garden at the SC welcome center