Welcome to the blog of Columbia’s newest nonprofit historic preservation organization. Started in May 2022, CoMo Preservation is dedicated to a simple idea: How can we prevent individuals and institutions from tearing down historic places?

We realized from the start that saving Columbia’s historic places and spaces comes down to another simple idea: We need to help people see the value of our historic places and preservation. That’s why on Jan. 1, 2023, we began posting about Columbia’s architectural history. The blog includes coverage of seminal events such as the burning of Academic Hall in 1892.

Getting involved is easy.

At its core, CoMo Preservation is dedicated to helping individuals and institutions find alternatives to demolishing historic buildings. We meet monthly in the Columbia Public Library and all meetings are open to the public, check our upcoming meeting dates on our calendar.

You’re always welcome at a CoMo Preservation meeting and we’re always looking for more people to help. CoMo Preservation is an all-volunteer, grassroots nonprofit group so anyone can get involved.

Between meetings, three teams meet to get the work done: Education, Advocacy, and Restoration. Education creates content for our website, and social media, and develops walking tours of our city. Advocacy is creating content about how property owners can protect their buildings by obtaining local Landmark status, creating a historic district, or being named to the National Register of Historic Places. The Restoration Team is making a list of craftspeople/artisans like carpenters, masons, plasterers and others and plans to organize classes so people can learn these hands-on rehab skills so they can preserve their historic property. 

Interested in getting involved? Want to learn more? Drop us a note at CoMoPreservation@gmail.com or check out our Facebook page, our Instagram feed, or Twitter. We’re listening.