05/27/2026
So many Columbia histories have ties to the iconic Pacific Community Association Building at 701 Whaley.
Originally known as the Mills Avenue Store serving the workers of nearby Olympia and Granby Mills, the building has been an integral part of the local community since its construction in 1903. Part of the second floor was remodeled in 1907 to provide meeting space for various community groups. In 1909, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) converted the second floor to a gymnasium for intramural basketball teams, and a portion of the first floor for locker rooms, offices, billiard tables, and (later) a bowling alley. The YMCA also hosted clubs formed around arts and crafts, cooking, health, home planning, and sewing. A pool was constructed at the rear of the building around 1918, and a full-size gymnasium with room for 1,100 spectators was added in 1923. So many mill village children grew up and were socialized into the greater community through the clubs and organizations that met inside this building.
The mill sold the Pacific Community Association Building in 1940, and it was occupied by the Textile Workers Union #253 and 254 and Dixie Stores Bakery until the end of World War II. The building hosted myriad textile manufacturers, warehouses, and specialty stores in the latter half of the 20th century. The building was vacated in 2001 and deteriorated over the next six years.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 for its social and cultural impact on the mill villages and for its association with designer W.B. Smith Whaley. The building was rehabilitated in 2007 using federal, state, and local historic tax credits. Today, it houses an art gallery, loft studios, and one of Columbia’s most popular wedding and event venues.
One of this building’s midcentury tenants connects it directly to the next building in our series…check back here later this week!
