The Greyhound Bus Depot is a former Greyhound Lines intercity

bus station A bus station or a bus interchange is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. While the term bus depot can also be used to refer to a bus station, it generally refers to a bus garage. A bus station is ...

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-largest ...

. It is at 1200 Blanding Street in downtown Columbia. The depot was named to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on December 28, 1989. After the bus terminal was closed, the building became a bank. Currently, it is a physician's office.

History

The building was constructed in 1938 and 1939 for

Atlantic Greyhound Lines The Atlantic Greyhound Lines (called also Atlantic or AGL), a highway-coach carrier, was a Greyhound regional operating company, based in Charleston, West Virginia, USA, from 1931 until 1960, when it became merged with the Southeastern Greyhound Li ...

. The bus station was closed in 1987. In 1990, it was acquired by Lexington National Bank. They used the ticket windows as teller windows. After the bank left in 2000, the building was vacant. In 2005, the building was adapted for a

plastic surgeon Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniof ...

. Since 2014, the building has been a contributing property in the Columbia Commercial Historic District, which was listed on the NRHP on October 20, 2014.

Architecture

The depot is an island-type station designed by George D. Brown in the Art Moderne or Streamline Moderne style, which grew out of the industrial design work of

Norman Bel Geddes Norman Bel Geddes (born Norman Melancton Geddes; April 27, 1893 – May 8, 1958) was an American theatrical and industrial designer. Early life Bel Geddes was born Norman Melancton Geddes in Adrian, Michigan and was raised in New Philadelp ...

Henry Dreyfuss Henry Dreyfuss (March 2, 1904 – October 5, 1972) was an American industrial design pioneer. Dreyfuss is known for designing some of the most iconic devices found in American homes and offices throughout the twentieth century, including the We ...

, and Raymond Loewy. These designs emphasized a streamlined shape with minimal

ornamentation An ornament is something used for decoration. Ornament may also refer to: Decoration *Ornament (art), any purely decorative element in architecture and the decorative arts *Biological ornament, a characteristic of animals that appear to serve on ...

. The building has a reinforced concrete foundation and a structural steel frame. The east, west, and north elevations have three horizontal bands and rounded corners. The lower band is blue stucco. The middle band is

glass block Glass brick, also known as glass block, is an architectural element made from glass. The appearance of glass blocks can vary in color, size, texture and form. Glass bricks provide visual obscuration while admitting light. The modern glass block w ...

. The top band is blue and ivory

Vitrolite Pigmented structural glass, also known generically as structural glass and as vitreous marble, and marketed under the names Carrara glass, Sani Onyx, and Vitrolite, among others, is a high-strength, colored glass. Developed in the United States i ...

panels. The north elevation on Blanding Street has four ivory Vitrolite columns extending through the

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an ...

over the five entrance doors. The vertical sign above the entrance was constructed of aluminum with stainless-steel trim. The sign was capped with the iconic "running greyhound" logo of the bus company. The letters in the words "Greyhound Bus Depot" and the running greyhound were outlined with neon tubing. The original interior had a

terrazzo Terrazzo is a composite material, poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of chips of marble, quartz, granite, glass, or other suitable material, poured with a cementitious binder (for chemical bind ...

floors, plaster walls, and wainscoting. The waiting room had a skylight for additional, natural lighting. In its current use as a

's office, the exterior remains the same with the exception of the sign, which no longer has the Greyhound name or logo. The interior was redone with a patient waiting room, consultation room, a surgery suite, recovery rooms, and offices.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greyhound Bus Depot (Columbia, South Carolina) Transportation buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Transport infrastructure completed in 1939 Bus stations in South Carolina Buildings and structures in Columbia, South Carolina Streamline Moderne architecture in South Carolina Greyhound Lines National Register of Historic Places in Columbia, South Carolina Historic district contributing properties in South Carolina Bus stations on the National Register of Historic Places