Name/Title
MantelEntry/Object ID
1967.64.1Description
Black marble mantel with variegated green line fire surround. It has simple carved lines with applied gilt bronze mounts. The base of each side of the frame contains an applied bronze urn with a single feathered leaf and floral stem. The front of the mantel on the top left and right each have a wreath surrounding a woman's face. In the center is an octagonal plaque containing a cherub and woman in classical dress playing a board game.Context
This mantel, as well as three others purchased for the same purpose, replaced the standard wooden mantels that once surrounded the fireplaces on the main floor of the Robert Mills House. The home was intended for Sarah (1791–1867) and Ainsley Hall (1783–1823), yet they never lived in the house. Because the Halls did not make the final selections for certain interior aspects of the home, such as chandeliers and mantels, the house lacked grand adornments suitable for a wealthy merchant like Ainsley Hall. Instead, when the construction of the house was completed, simple mantels and light sources were installed. These nonetheless functioned well for the three religious schools that later operated in the building.
After Columbia Bible College—the final religious tenant—moved to Monticello Road in 1960, the Robert Mills House was abandoned and threatened with demolition until a group of concerned citizens formed the Historic Columbia Foundation. In 1964, Historic Columbia and the Richland County Historic Preservation Commission acquired the property, and Jennie Dreher (1916–2006)— Historic Columbia’s first president—quickly set to refurbish the house in the grander style of a wealthy antebellum merchant with architectural pieces like this. Today, the Robert Mills House operates as a historic house museum featuring period rooms and focus galleries highlighting late-18th- through mid-19th-century decorative arts.Dimensions
Height
55 inWidth
73 inDepth
11 in