The community is invited to attend the unveiling of a historical marker honoring the Columbia Female Institute, an institution that played a significant role in the educational history of women in Columbia. The unveiling ceremony will take place at Columbia Plaza on the corner of W 7th Street and Beckett Street at 4:30 PM March 13, 2025.
Founded in the mid-1800s, the Columbia Female Institute was established at a time when most girls’ schools focused on teaching domestic skills. Unlike other institutions, the Columbia Female Institute offered a broader curriculum that included subjects such as geology, chemistry, and physics—subjects typically reserved for men’s education during that era.
The school thrived in its early years, attracting students from across the region. Its educational offerings were seen as progressive, preparing its students not only in the arts and humanities but in the sciences and other fields that were uncommon for women at the time.
However, the Great Depression brought financial challenges, and the Institute closed its doors in 1932.
The Columbia Female Institute was tragically lost to a fire on Friday, March 13, 1959. This ceremony will honor the Institute’s place in local history and commemorate its lasting impact on the community.
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