Visit Columbia - Mast General Store

Columbia has seen a lot - from the earliest days of the United States to the present day. It's been on the cutting edge and just behind the leaders in a number of instances.

Take a look at Columbia's wide thoroughfares. Contrary to what you might think, they are not a recent development but were actually planned for in the 1700s. That's right! Columbia is the nation's second planned city, right behind New Haven, CT, and was established as the state's new capital in 1786. In a vote of 11-7, the name Columbia, the United States' female personage, was chosen over Washington.

The grid for the city was set up with 400 blocks in a two-mile square near the river. The perimeter streets were 150 feet wide and the remaining streets were 100 feet wide. Those are not arbitrary numbers, but were based upon the belief that mosquitos could not travel more than 60 feet without having a little snack.

Columbia is the site of the world's first fully-electrified textile mill. Cotton made the South the natural location for textile mills, and the Columbia Mills Building, which opened in 1894 and now houses the South Carolina State Museum, was fully powered by electricity from day one. That makes the building itself the Museum's largest artifact.

Few of the city's buildings date back before 1865. Much of the city was burned by General Sherman during the Civil War, except, ironically, the First Baptist Church where the State's Order of Secession was drafted and approved.

The building that now houses the Mast Store was constructed in the 1870s during the Reconstruction Era. It's housed many different businesses over the course of time – including an undertaker's parlor, a bar, and two City of Columbia retail destinations – Efird's and Lourie's. Each served the people of the Midlands for over 40 years each.

Enjoy a Snow Day!

Cold winter days don't mean you have to stay inside. There’s a whole new world dressed in glistening white to discover. There are winter activities for you to enjoy no matter your activity level or expertise. If you can walk, there’s something for you. So, head over to your closet and pull out those layers; we’re going to make a plan to make snow days the best days! But, you better hurry, there’s only about four or five more weeks to enjoy a good “snow day.” Read on for ways to enjoy a winter wonderland.

Sweet Hearts for Sweethearts Day: Mast Store's 2019 Hunger Campaign Enjoys 16th Year

This year’s Be a Sweetheart campaign runs February 9^th & 10^th. All Mast Store locations will ask guests to open up their sweet hearts and help us make a sizeable donation to our food security partners. For each pound of candy purchased, Mast Store will donate a $1. Thus, we are encouraging guests to scoop up a traditional, sweet gift of candy for the sweethearts in their lives this Valentine’s Day and help us give back to our communities in heartwarming and meaningful ways.

Leaving After 32 Years, But With Us Forever

Looking back at 1986, it was a year filled with notable events including the return of Halley’s Comet on its second 20th-century tour through the solar system, the national debut of the Oprah Winfrey Show, and the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger just 73 seconds after liftoff. On a much more local level, an employee came to the Mast Store whose work can be seen in EVERY store today and whose influence will be around for a long time to come. Years of sanding, staining, designing, and building are drawing to a close for Ronnie with retirement on the horizon, but as we look around, we’ll see him every day!