Woodrow Wilson Family House Re-Opening in South Carolina
Following eight years of renovations, the Woodrow Wilson Family Home in Columbia, South Carolina will re-open to the public on February 15.
Following eight years of renovations, one of Woodrow Wilson's childhood homes will re-open to the public on February 15. The Woodrow Wilson Family Home is located in Columbia, South Carolina and is the state's only presidential site. Wilson lived in the house for two years as a teenager during Reconstruction, when the US sought to recover from the aftermath of the Civil War.
The home was constructed in late 1871 and sold in 1876, two years after the Wilsons moved to North Carolina. In 1928, the house was slated for demolition but was saved by local activists and placed under the auspices of the the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary, which managed the building as a memorial to Wilson from 1933 to 1966, when the Historic Columbia organization, the home's current owners, took over the property.
In addition to the Woodrow Wilson Family Home, there are several other landmarks that memorialize Woodrow Wilson:
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum, Staunton, VirginiaWilson was born the third child of Reverend Joseph Ruggles Wilson and Jessie Woodrow Wilson in this Presbyterian Church minister's residence on December 28, 1856. Not long after Wilson's birth, the family moved to Georgia although they periodically returned to Staunton to visit relatives.
Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson, Augusta, Georgia
The future president spent most of his childhood in this house built in 1859. Wilson lived here from from 1860 to 1870 and saw the divisive period of American history encompassing the Civil War and Reconstruction before the family relocated to South Carolina.
Woodrow Wilson House, Washington, DC
Wilson and his second wife Edith retired to this house on Embassy Row after the presidency. Wilson passed away on February 3, 1924 and his wife continued to live in the home until she died in 1961 and left the property to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Washington National Cathedral, Washington, DC
Although many presidential funerals and memorial services have been held at the National Cathedral, Wilson is the only president buried in the National Cathedral.
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Memorial Exhibit and Learning Center, Washington, DC
Located next to the Wilson Center's Memorial Hallway, this permanent exhibit contains information on international affairs from Wilson's time to today and educates visitors on the life of the 28th President of the United States.
