West Columbia was first chartered as a town in 1894 under the name Brookland. The town was called Brookland because of the vast number of clear water brooks throughout the area. The United States Postal Service designated the area "New Brookland" since there already existed a town with the name Brookland. In 1936, the charter was changed to West Columbia. Brookland's first major concentration appeared in the area bordering the west side of the Congaree River known

as "the village". It sprung up mainly as a source of housing for mill employees. Original plans had designated the western shore of the Congaree River for construction of the Columbia Mills. However, great discussions arose over the capabilities of transporting electricity over a body of water as large as the Congaree and the costs of canal construction.........

For more information on the history of West Columbia, South Carolina, please visit our links page.