Lace House

The Lace House at Arsenal Hill is a historic French-style mansion in downtown Columbia, South Carolina, built in 1854-1855 as a wedding gift from railroad executive John Caldwell to his daughter Mary and her husband, Thomas Robertson. A French architect known for his work in New Orleans designed the home, and it retains original details including intricate ironwork, ornamental cornices, parquet floors, figured glass doors, and brass chandeliers. The State of South Carolina acquired the property in 1968, and it later served as the Governor's official guest house before a 2004 interior refurbishment adapted the home for weddings, rehearsal dinners, corporate events, and other celebrations. The gardens received landscape improvements in 2008 under the direction of First Lady Jenny Sanford. Notable interior rooms include the Camellia Room, home to a Revolutionary War-era field bed once belonging to Declaration of Independence signer Arthur Middleton, and the Cedar Room, decorated with prints of native South Carolina birds and waterfowl. The property sits within the Arsenal Hill complex alongside the Caldwell-Boylston House and the Carriage House, offering both indoor rooms and ivy-covered, garden settings for ceremonies and receptions.