In 1904, Charles Logan gave four acres and $40,000 for the erection of a school in the city of Columbia, to be named Logan School. The land and money were to be released to the school board upon the death of his wife Louise. Mrs. Logan survived her husband for a number of years, and in 1912, released the land and money so that her late husband’s dream could come true.
The architects appointed to design the building discovered the construction costs would exceed the $40,000. The board then turned to the City of Columbia, which agreed to pay additional costs not to exceed another $40,000.
The cornerstone of Logan was laid on June 23, 1913, and classes began in December, 1913. Logan School marked an advance in school architecture. It is in the Italian Renaissance style and has a seal of the City of Columbia above the main doorway. The new school’s equipment was of the best quality to promote high educational standards. It also was the first elementary school in Columbia to build a standardized library, due primarily to the efforts of Bessie Davis, former teacher, librarian, and assistant principal of the school.
A.C. Flora was the first principal of Logan and later served as superintendent of the Columbia Public Schools for 22 years. Arney R. Childs served as principal beginning in 1928 and later served as Dean of Women at USC until she retired. Other early principals included Caroline Voight and Charlie G. Williams, who later became Superintendent of Education.
Logan School became overcrowded less than two years after it opened. Two wings with four-classrooms each were added to the school. In 1930, the school’s auditorium was converted into a cafetorium, and a kitchen was added in 1952.
Logan was converted to an alternative school in 1975 and served as an adult learning center from 1980 to 1997. Richland One renovated the school to reclaim its original use as an elementary school and to bring it up to current educational standards, while carefully preserving it’s historical integrity.
Students from McCants Elementary School moved to Logan in January, 2000. John DeFelice served as principal at that time. The enrollment for kindergarten through fifth grade was around 230 students. The newly renovated school contained a computer lab, internet access in each classroom, a piano lab, specially designed primary classrooms and a large multi-purpose room.
Dr. Richard Moore was appointed as principal of Logan in July, 2001. Although the student enrollment is about the same, the school now includes a full-day child development program, four self-contained special education classes and three Montessori classes (2 primary and 1 lower elementary) as well as the regular K-5 program. Dance and theatre are offered through South Carolina Arts Commission grants and Logan has a Steel Drum Band and a West African Drum and Dance Ensemble. Logan is an Arts in the Basic Curriculum (ABC) site and is often visited by other schools because of its visual and performing arts program. A beautiful memorial garden, planted and maintained by Logan students, can also be found in one of our courtyards.
Christopher Richards was named as Logan’s new Principal upon Dr. Moore’s retirement in 2015.