Have you ever looked at what is around you and wondered what it looked like 10, 20, or maybe even 100 years ago? Even I have found myself saying, “This didn’t look like this when I was little. When I was little this was a huge field…” or there may have been a building other than what was there at the time. The point is: Things change so fast or in some cases so slow that you don’t realize it until someone points it out to you. Here are 10 things that have changed over time in South Carolina. You may be quite amazed to be sure!

  1. Five Points, Columbia

Hunter Desportes/Flickr This is around 1968.

sayednairb/Flickr And this is today! Wow, this is what I was talking about when I said things change before you eyes!

  1. Amtrak, Florence

Hunter Desportes/Flickr This is the year of 1977.

David Wilson/Flickr And, this is what Amtrak in Florence looks like today. There’s not a HUGE difference, but it’s there.

  1. City of Charleston,

Charleston’s TheDigitel/Flickr This is a plan of the city of Charleston that was drawn by C. Drie in 1872.

Henry de Saussure Copeland/Flickr This is the the city of Charleston as it was in 1949. The difference here? There is absolutely no space!

  1. Old Market House, Charleston

Jasperdo/Flickr The “Then” photograph was taken in 1865 and you then have the “Now” photograph. As you can see time didn’t change this place too much.

  1. North on Meeting St., Charleston

Jasperdo/Flickr Again, the top photograph was taken in 1865 and you have what it looks like today. Isn’t it amazing?

  1. The East Battery, Charleston

Jasperdo/Flickr The top photograph is the East Battery taken at the southern end in 1865 and the same place photographed as it is today. There’s a little more, but not too much. Some things just can’t be improved upon.

  1. City skyline, Columbia

Richland Library/Flickr This is circa 1935 as the courthouse is in the foreground.

Nathan Harper/Flickr And, wow, look at it now!

  1. Castle Pinckney, Charleston

Henry de Saussure Copeland/Flickr Circa 1865. Notice that it’s in working order, swept, and relatively maintained.

Henry de Saussure Copeland/Flickr While today nature is not letting it just stand there. Nature is taking over. As you can see, it looks as if Castle Pinckney has sort of a “brush cut”….

  1. Swan Lake- Iris Gardens, Sumter

Boston Public Library/Flickr This is what it looked like between 1930-1945. Is that beautiful or what?

Chris/Flickr Today, this is what Swan Lake-Iris Gardens looks like. It’s a bit more updated of course and there are fewer trees, but nonetheless it’s still beautiful.

  1. Library, Clemson University, Clemson

clemsonunivlibrary/Flickr This is what the “computer lab” looked like in the mid-1980’s. How many of us remember those computers?

clemsonunivlibrary/Flickr And…now this is what being in the library looks like today.

I think Bob Dylan said it best when he said…”times…they are a changin’”. And, really nothing says that more than the photographs above! I find it absolutely disconcerting at times when I find myself some place and it is nothing like it was when I last saw it. Talk about not liking change so much, huh? But, nothing stays that same forever and nothing is constant except for change. Do you have some really cool photographs of a “Then and Now”? If so, please post them so we can see them as well.

Hunter Desportes/Flickr

This is around 1968.

sayednairb/Flickr

And this is today! Wow, this is what I was talking about when I said things change before you eyes!

This is the year of 1977.

David Wilson/Flickr

And, this is what Amtrak in Florence looks like today. There’s not a HUGE difference, but it’s there.

Charleston’s TheDigitel/Flickr

This is a plan of the city of Charleston that was drawn by C. Drie in 1872.

Henry de Saussure Copeland/Flickr

This is the the city of Charleston as it was in 1949. The difference here? There is absolutely no space!

Jasperdo/Flickr

The “Then” photograph was taken in 1865 and you then have the “Now” photograph. As you can see time didn’t change this place too much.

Again, the top photograph was taken in 1865 and you have what it looks like today. Isn’t it amazing?

The top photograph is the East Battery taken at the southern end in 1865 and the same place photographed as it is today. There’s a little more, but not too much. Some things just can’t be improved upon.

Richland Library/Flickr

This is circa 1935 as the courthouse is in the foreground.

Nathan Harper/Flickr

And, wow, look at it now!

Circa 1865. Notice that it’s in working order, swept, and relatively maintained.

While today nature is not letting it just stand there. Nature is taking over. As you can see, it looks as if Castle Pinckney has sort of a “brush cut”….

Boston Public Library/Flickr

This is what it looked like between 1930-1945. Is that beautiful or what?

Chris/Flickr

Today, this is what Swan Lake-Iris Gardens looks like. It’s a bit more updated of course and there are fewer trees, but nonetheless it’s still beautiful.

clemsonunivlibrary/Flickr

This is what the “computer lab” looked like in the mid-1980’s. How many of us remember those computers?

And…now this is what being in the library looks like today.

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