South Carolina's State House (located in Columbia) has had a storied history, some of it less than illustrious. Construction of the original building (in the Greek Revival style) began in 1851, but was quickly halted when the architect was fired "... because of fraud and dereliction of duty." As a result, this original structure was mostly demolished due to its poor construction. Reconstruction resumed in 1855 but was once again slowed during the Civil War. When Union Troops, under General William Tecumseh Sherman, occupied Columbia, the State House was damaged during the burning of the city. Building work was eventually completed in 1907 after several different architects had a hand in its design process. Covering eleven acres, the State House is home to the General Assembly of South Carolina, as well as the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Until 1971, it also housed the State's Supreme Court. Several distinctive monuments decorate the grounds; one on the north side is the Confederate monument (South Carolina was the first state to cecede); on the east side is the African-American History monument; in addition, there are monuments to the Palmetto Regiment (formed during the Mexican-Anerican War),as well as for the Revoluntinary War generals (e.g. George Washington); and several memorializing important figures in South Carolina's history ( such as Strom Thurman). The State House was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976.
James Strom Thurmond served as United States Senator from South Carolina for 48 years. This monument was erected in 1999 to honor him.