Our Chapter History

Our Beginnings

"Mrs. Rebecca Pickens Bacon, the first state regent for South Carolina, and a member of this chapter, appointed Mrs. Clark Waring as organizing chapter regent and on May 10, 1893, at the home of Mrs. Waring, 1428 Laurel Street, the chapter was organized and the name “Columbia” adopted. Columbia Chapter was given the national number of 179, and the charter members on May 10, 1893, were: Regent, Malvina S. Waring; Vice Regent, Sarah A. Richardson; Secretary, Mary P. Screven; Treasurer, Margaret C. Clarkson; Registrar, Ellen E. McQueen; Historian, Ellen E. Elmore; Louise Berrien Kendall, Rebecca Calhoun Bacon, Isabel D. Martin, Louise A. Lynch, Mary Videau Satterlee, Antionette W. Trainer, Mary Isabella Stringfellow, Caroline Walker Ravenel, Susan Dixon, Anna G. Legare, Harriet J. Clarkson, Belle Bratton Alston, Susan Richardson Guignard, Annie E. Bonham, Annie T. Badham, Mary Belle Wilson Gregory, Isabelle H. Bell. 

(Signed) MALVINA S. WARING.

Mrs. Waring served the DAR as State Regent and as Vice-President General of the National Society. Mrs. Sara Aldrich Richardson (1898-1900) the second regent of Columbia Chapter; was also state regent for six years.

Columbia Chapter did outstanding work during the Spanish-American War; instituted the movement for the erection of the monument on the State House grounds to the Partisan Generals, Marion, Pickens and Sumter, and made large contribution thereto; offered and awarded annually a medal for the best essay by a High School student on some phase of the Revolutionary War.

The unusual distinction of having six Real Daughters enrolled belongs to Columbia Chapter. They were Mrs. Louisa C. Gaillard; Mrs. Annie Morehead Hobson; Mrs. Maria L. A. Spann Cathcart; Mrs. Anna W. Verner Stribling; Mrs. Charlotte Boykin Taylor, and Mrs. Margaret Jeff coat, each of these, it is said, having received a gold spoon from the National Society.

Mrs. Annie I. Robertson, Vice State Regent (1900-1902) represented South Carolina at the unveiling of the Lafayette monument in Paris. The tablet to the memory of Emily Geiger in the State House was accomplished during her regency.

Isabel D. Martin (1902-1904) ; Mrs. Bessie Springs Childs (1904-1906 and again 1914-1917); Mrs. W. B. Burney, (1906-1908 and again 1918-1919) ; Mrs. Lydia McNulty Galloway, (1908-1909); Mrs. Claude Girardeau, 1909; Mrs. Sallie LeConte Davis, (1909-1911); Miss Alice M. Earle, (1911-1913); Mrs. Daisy Wells McGregor, (1913-1914); Mrs. Mary Keller Boyd (1917-1918); Mrs. S. T. Carter, (1919-1921); Mrs. Elizabeth Bostedo Wauchope, (1921-1923); Mrs. Sophie Swearingen Swindell, (1923-1925); Mrs. Carrie Flenniken Brice, (1925-1926); Mrs. Carolina C. Sylvan, (1926-1927); Mrs. Minnie Me. Bramlett, (1927-1928); Mrs. Fannie M. Lillard, (1928-1931); Mrs. Annie B. Owings, (1931-1932); Mrs.Grace Marchant Parker, (1932-1934); and Mrs. Marion Reynolds King, (1934-1936) having served as regents of the chapter, doing work for the Willard Mountain School; Georgetown Industrial School; making large contributions to Memorial Continental Hall and Constitution Hall in Washington; paid for three rooms and one bathroom at Tamassee; bought thirteen Tamassee Bonds, the rooms at Tamassee honoring Mrs. Waring, Mrs. W. B. Burney and Columbia Chapter; Mrs. Burney furnished one, and the chapter through efforts of Mrs. Sophie Swindell furnished another. Bonds were bought by Mrs. Waring; Dr. Robert W. Gibbes; Mrs. Julian Hennig; Gen. Washington Clark; Mrs. Isabel A. Boyne; Mrs. Henry Warren Richardson; Miss Harriet Clarkson; Dr. and Mrs. W. J. Murray; Miss Sophia Carroll; Columbia Chapter two bonds. Memorial acres by Mrs. J. C. Coulter honoring her sons John and Richard Coulter. Chairs and bonds for Constitution Hall were given for Mrs. H. W. Richardson, Mrs. Rebecca Pickens Bacon, Mrs. Clark Waring, Mrs. W. B. Burney, Mrs. Sarah Owens Tobin, Miss Alice Earle, Mrs. Caroline B. Reynolds, Mrs. John C. Coulter, Mrs. W. J. Murray, and two additional chairs; and other contributions for special purposes. Mrs. Grace Parker designed an official DAR flag holder.

Columbia chapter has furnished five of the twelve State Regents, Mrs. Rebecca Pickens Bacon, Mrs. Clark Waring, Mrs. Sara A. Richardson, Mrs. Minnie M. Burney and Mrs. John C. Coulter; and three of the seven Vice-President generals from this State, Mrs. Waring, Mrs. Burney and Mrs. Coulter. Scholarships to Tamassee have been given; also hundreds of books to the National DAR library and Tamassee. Historical papers of unusual value have been written by members of the chapter. Members have also contributed largely to the civic welfare and improvement, as well as the social life of Columbia."

-Excerpt from History of the South Carolina Daughters of the American Revolution, 1892- 1936, by Virginia Mason Bratton; Published in 1937.

DAR- Now and For the Future

Since our founding, the Columbia Chapter, NSDAR, has been involved in many of the activities in Columbia and the Midlands area to support the work of the National Society through committed volunteerism.

Today, our chapter boasts a vibrant and active membership with Daughters from ages 18 to 99 years old. Our members give of their time, talents and treasure to improve their communities through meaningful community service. Columbia Daughters serve the NSDAR in leadership roles at the local, state and national level and are active supporters of Children of the American Revolution (C.A.R.) activities.