Arsenal Hill

Arsenal Hill is a residential neighborhood in Columbia containing buildings from the 1800s situated on elevated terrain in the city center. The area includes approximately two dozen structures of varying sizes and styles spanning from around 1850 into the early 20th century.

The neighborhood took its name from a military academy founded in 1842 that later served as an important arsenal during the Civil War. Most of the homes were built in the decades following the war as the city rebuilt and expanded.

The homes and streets reflect how affluent families lived and built their houses from the mid-1800s onward. Walking through, you can observe which architectural styles were favored and how residents' tastes shifted over the decades.

The neighborhood is accessible from Assembly Street and Laurel Street with marked walking paths connecting the historic buildings. The gentlest times to explore are moderate daylight hours, as the sloped streets and limited shade can make it uncomfortable during hot afternoons.

Many homes display different building materials and construction methods that show how building traditions changed over time. These differences make it interesting to observe which techniques builders favored in different eras.