Columbia's first skyscraper, the National Loan and Exchange Bank Building — also known as the Barringer Building — climbs 12 stories above you at 1338 Main Street. Built in 1903, this historic bank and office building rises as a 12-story, steel frame tower faced in brick and stone. It measures 184 feet high and is considered Columbia’s first skyscraper — a bold claim you can confirm simply by looking up the stretch of masonry and metal above you.
From the street, note the rhythm of the brick and the weight of the stone at the base; those materials wrap a modern steel skeleton that allowed builders to reach 12 stories in 1903. For two decades the Barringer Corporation owned the building, from 1953 until 1974, a chapter in its long life. Its significance was recognized when the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Stand here a moment and let the scale register: the 184 feet of height, the 12 floors stacked above the sidewalk. Picture 184 feet and 12 stories still shaping the view along Main Street.