Blanding Street

Front inscription

Originally named Walnut Street, Blanding Street was by 1869 renamed for Abram Blanding, a Massachusetts native who came to Columbia in 1797 to take charge of Columbia Male Academy. Blanding was admitted to the bar in 1802 and served two terms in the legislature. He built the city's first water works, was a Trustee of South Carolina College, and S. C. Superintendent of Public Works. His house was located on the NW corner of Blanding and Marion streets. Blanding died in 1839.