History

The origins of the Forest Hills Neighborhood date back to 1859 when Wade Hampton III purchased 100 acres outside the City of Columbia and built a country home on the west side of present day Westminster Drive.  A stone pillar commemorates the home site, then known as Diamond Hill, on the island at the intersection of Westminster and Stratford Roads.  The home was destroyed by Union troops in 1865.

Benjamin L. Abney purchased the property from the Hampton estate and built the home still standing at 1400 Westminster Drive, renaming the area Abney Park.  That home is the oldest in the neighborhood.  Read move>>