The University of South Carolina's journey to becoming an international leader in higher education is quite a story.While any history cannot be praised in sum, what we have achieved is possible thanks to countless individuals, moments and accomplishments. Learn more about our past, present and future.Explore how South Carolina College grew from a post-Revolutionary War effort in 1801 into a 21st-century academic community.A visit to the University of South Carolina isn't complete without a glimpse of the historic Horseshoe. The U-shaped original campus — once called South Carolina College — has seen more than two centuries of history unfold, earning it a position on the National Register of Historic Places. It's also the place where the university took the necessary step of acknowledging that the picturesque grounds and the daily life inside its walls relied upon enslaved workers.Buildings and StructuresFrom the time the university was established in 1801, only 12 buildings have helped create the well-known U-shaped layout of the Horseshoe. Today, many more buildings reside within the brick Horseshoe Wall that surrounds the grounds of the original Old Campus. For a detailed history, check out On the Horseshoe: A Guide to the Historic Campus of the University of South Carolina.Currell College (1918)Old Campus buildingArchitect: Edwards and SaywardLocated behind Rutledge College, Currell College was built as a law school building, and was originally named Petigru College in honor of distinguished Charleston attorney James L. Petigru (1789-1863). In fact, names that commemorate noted South Carolina lawyers and judges remain under the windows as a reminder of the building’s original purpose.The name Petigru was transferred to the new law school constructed in 1950, and the original building was renamed for William Spenser Currell (1858-1943), who served as university president from 1914 to 1923. Currell guided the university through the upheaval caused by World War I.DeSaussure College (1809)Horseshoe buildingArchitect: Richard ClarkDeSaussure College was named for Henry William DeSaussure (1763-1839), who served in the Revolutionary War and later as a politician in both chambers of the South Carolina legislature. He advocated for the establishment of the college as a member of the General Assembly in 1801, and he served as one of its first trustees. A lawyer and later a judge, DeSaussure also served as the second director of the United States Mint.The structure, constructed as a twin of Rutledge College, served as a hospital during the Civil War, and was the site of the first medical school at Carolina from 1866-1873. During Reconstruction, one wing served as a federal military prison while the university and the city were occupied. During World War I, one wing served as the first women’s dormitory.During the 1970s Horseshoe Restoration Project, archaeologists discovered DeSaussure’s original foundation had been 100 feet closer to Rutledge.
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