Gonzales Gardens, 1505 Garden Plaza: 4 October 2017 8 comments
Gonzales Gardens was a public housing project comprising the tract bordered by Lyon Street on the West, Forest Drive on the North, McDuffie Avenue on the East and Washington Street on the South.
According to The State, demolition of Gonzales Gardens started on 4 October 2017. I took these pictures on 1 October when the place was fenced off, but still standing. I have not driven by lately, but imagine it is all down by now.
I never knew much about the place, except that it had something of a shady reputation by the time I became aware of it in the late 1960s. Apparently it was not always that way, and in fact another State story recounts some happy memories of the place from the early years.
The Columbia Housing Authority has the most extensive writeup with a lot of interesting facts. For instance, the place was originally built largely for Fort Jackson NCOs, and was, in those Jim Crow times, initially restricted to white families only. Another thing I did not know was where the name came from: The project was named for the three Gonzales brothers long associated with The State newspaper, one of whom was murdered in 1903 by the nephew of then Governor Tillman.
8 Responses to 'Gonzales Gardens, 1505 Garden Plaza: 4 October 2017'
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John
9 Nov 17 at 8:01 am
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This land is undergoing the same thing that Hendley homes underwent in 2000...
Andrew
10 Nov 17 at 12:48 am
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Crime will shoot up (pun intended) all over Columbia again.
Sidney
10 Nov 17 at 10:06 am
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I watched Live PD a few weeks ago where a home was "shot uo" in the "old" hendley homes "neighborhood" .
John
10 Nov 17 at 5:38 pm
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what does it mean to have something 'shot uo'??
Andrew
10 Nov 17 at 7:45 pm
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Glad to see that place finally go. Nothing but trouble makers there in that area anymore. Things are not even close to what they were in the 50's to early or mid 60's. My Mom and Dad lived at the old Hendley Homes Apts. in the late 1950's when I was born, but it too went downhill by the late 60's. I hope Columbia is smart and puts something much better in the old Gonzales Gardens area.
Del Bazemore
13 Nov 17 at 2:23 am
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Good riddance, I'm sure most would agree
Jerry
13 Nov 17 at 8:21 pm
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I think they should have left one building standing and restored it back to what it looked like in the beginning for historic value. No matter what mix of dwellings they build here it will eventually become another slum. I mean, just look at the area around Two Notch and Millwood. Who in their right mind would want to live around there??
Homer
19 Nov 17 at 10:11 pm
I knew an elderly woman that told me that living there as a child were some of her best memories.