COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Black history is getting new life in the Five Points area. A new housing project was just approved by the city and will transform one of Columbia’s first black hospitals.

The building is at the intersection of Gervais and Harden Street.

Around 1914, the people’s infirmary was built to serve the black community when they were denied admission to predominantly white hospitals. It was run by W.D. Chapelle, Jr., one of the first black doctors in the state. By 1927, the building was listed as vacant.

Over the years, businesses came and went. Now, a developer plans to transform it into a two-unit housing facility.

The project was approved under the Bailey Bill Tax incentive—a program that offsets preservation costs while requiring historic guidelines.

Rev. Michael Buc

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