Columbia Archives Opening New Exhibit: “Creating Columbia: Going Public, Getting Started”

A new exhibit at the Columbia Archives is opening on Oct. 30 — 50 years to the day in 1963 that James Rouse announced that his company, Howard Research and Development, had acquired 14,100 acres of land in Howard County, land that would become the planned community of Columbia.

The exhibit, “Creating Columbia: Going Public, Getting Started,” is the second exhibit in the ongoing “Creating Columbia — 50 Years Ago Today” series. The series of exhibits traces the milestones of Columbia’s development and will continue through June 2017, which will be the 50th anniversary of the first residents moving to the new community of Columbia.

A free opening reception is being held on Oct. 30, at 7 p.m., at the Archives, which is located in the American City Building at 10227 Wincopin Circle in Downtown Columbia. The exhibit includes the press release that announced the acquisition of the 14,100 acres and the plan for a new community; Rouse’s ideas for what a community should try to accomplish; and the documents and photographs that tell the story of the initial construction and social planning process.

The exhibit will run through March 2014 and is open during the Archives’ regular hours, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Columbia Archives, a service of Columbia Association (CA), collects and preserves the history of Columbia. The public is welcome to visit the exhibit and spend additional time researching to get a deeper understanding of the history of Columbia. For more information, go to ColumbiaArchives.org or contact Archives staff at Columbia.Archives@ColumbiaAssociation.org or 410-715-3103.

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