• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SC Picture Project

The purpose of the South Carolina Picture Project is to celebrate the beauty of the Palmetto State while preserving some of its vanishing landscapes.

  • FIND A LANDMARK
    • BY CITY
    • BY COUNTY
    • BY CATEGORY
    • BYGONE LANDMARKS
  • ADD IMAGES
  • VOLUNTEER
  • SPONSORS
  • DONATE

Solomon Blatt Building

SC PICTURE PROJECT Leave a Comment

SC Picture Project / Richland County / Solomon Blatt Building

South Carolina’s General Assembly has offices in two buildings withinin the South Carolina State House complex in downtown Columbia: The senate is housed in the Gressette Building, and the House of Representatives and its staff have offices in the neighboring Blatt Building.

Solomon Blatt Building

Benton Henry of Latta, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The modern buildings surrounding the state house were built in the 1970s and 1980s when Senate Street was removed from this area to create pedestrian grounds around the capitol. The Blatt Building was named for Barnwell County representative Solomon Blatt, Sr. Blatt began his service in the state legislature in 1933. He was elected Speaker Pro Tempore in 1935 and served in that role until 1937. He became Speaker of the House from 1937 until 1945 and again from 1951 through 1973, the year he was elected Speaker Emeritus. He remained in this role until his death in 1986.

Blatt was one of four members of the alleged “Barnwell Ring.” According to political lore, the Barnwell Ring was comprised of four politically powerful men from Barnwell County who silently worked together to wield influence in the state from the late 1930s throughout most of their careers into the 1970s. The other members of the ring were Representative Winchester Smith, Junior, Senator Edgar Brown, and Joseph Emile Harley, governor from 1941 through 1942. Among the Barnwell Ring’s political victories was the election of Blatt as House Speaker in 1937. The group also tried to defeat Strom Thurmond in his 1946 bid for governor, but was unsuccessful. Thurmond himself was an outspoken opponent of the so-called Barnwell Ring and frequently tried to discredit it during campaign speeches. The existence of the Barnwell Ring has yet to be confirmed.

Plan Your Trip: Solomon Blatt Building

Where is Solomon Blatt Building located?
Address: 1105 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC 29201
GPS Coordinates: 33.998483,-81.033313
What else should I see?
Rembert Dennis Building 0.1 mile
The Nickelodeon 0.1 mile
Gressette Building 0.1 mile
Edgar A. Brown Building 0.2 mile
Show me more like this!
  • Columbia Historic Sites
    Solomon Blatt Building Map

    Please Help Us Stay Online

    We’d like thank everyone who generously supports the South Carolina Picture Project. You provide us with the inspiration and financial support we need to keep doing what we do. Every reader’s contribution, larger or small, is valuable. If you have enjoyed this website or found it helpful, please pitch in. Each donation helps – and it only takes a minute. Thank you!

    Support the SC Picture Project!

    $ 50.00
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $50.00

    You may also like

    You may also like

    SC State House Blue GraniteSC State House Columbia Union StationColumbia Union Station Default ThumbnailFirst Responders Remembrance Memorial Default ThumbnailHistoric Bethel AME Church Default ThumbnailJ. Bratton Davis Courthouse

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    FIND A LANDMARK

    Why This Site Matters

    Help Keep This Site Online

    We depend on the support of today’s readers to document South Carolina’s landmarks for future readers. Please help us continue this important work by making a donation below.

    $ 50.00
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $50.00

    Recent Posts

    • H.L. Hunley
    • Strand Theater
    • Camden Depot
    • Charleston City Marina
    • Secession Hill

    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

    Footer

    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

    CONTACT US

    We’d love to hear from you! Send us a quick email at share@scpictureproject.org.

    If you are looking for permission to use a photo, please reach out directly to the photographer listed in the image’s credit.

    JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

    The South Carolina Picture Project has two Facebook groups. One is dedicated to SC Historic Landmarks and Iconic Landscapes, and the other is dedicated to SC Nature and Wildlife.

    South Carolina Picture Project © 2022 · All Rights Reserved