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The Visanska Starks House and Carriage House is an example of the social history of Columbia, South Carolina’s first suburb: Waverly Historic District. The land on which the Visanska-Starks House sits was previously owned by Mrs. Bessie Childs, daughter of the family that founded Springs Industries in Fort Mill, SC (now Springs Global) and daughter-in-law of Colonel Lysander D. Childs. Childs, a South Carolina pre-Civil War industrialist, was ancestor to William C. Westmoreland, the US Army General who commanded military operations during the peak of the Vietnam War. Mrs. Childs sold the land to Caroline Weston Arthur, daughter of planter and physician Dr. William Weston IV of Lower Richland County. Through her father her distant relatives included Joel Adams, William Weston Adams, James Hopkins Adams, and Weston Adams.

Carolina was the widow of William Lindsley Arthur, whose family land would later become Arthurtown, and he counted the first Mayor of Columbia, Edward J. Arthur, as a relative. Mrs. Arthur built the home in 1900. After living in it for several years, she rented it to Maurice L. Farrell, superintendent of Lutheran Board of Publishing. This regional headquarters for Lutheran publishing was located on Sumter Street, in a building still standing today.

In 1913, Mrs. Arthur sold the house to Barrett Visanska, a Polish immigrant, jeweler and watchmaker by trade. During this time, Waverly was home to black and white residents, and the Visanskas enjoyed friendships with such neighbors as funeral home owner Willis Johnson. Visanska was a founder of the Tree of Life Congregation in Columbia, later serving as its first Vice President and President. His son Morton Visanska, also a Tree of Life President, was a founder of Town Theatre, the oldest community theatre building in continuous use in the United States. The Visanska house was full of music; mother Rachel was a pianist, son Daniel played the violin professionally in several orchestras in Europe. Florence and Morton were musicians, and child prodigy Bertha attended the National Conservatory of Music of America, directed by Czech composer Antonin Dvorak. Daniel Visanska served as concertmaster for the Conservatory.

Visanska grandson Herbert Goodkind, lived in the house for a time with his parents, Walter and Annie Visanska Goodkind. Herbert was deeply influenced by his Uncle Dan, and grew to love music, especially the violin. He later wrote “Violin Iconography by Antonio Stradivari”, a definitive work on this master violin maker, and was a founder of the Violin Society of America. Oberlin College holds the Violin Society of America/Herbert K. Goodkind Collection, noted by master violinist Itzhak Perlman as the “most significant single collection of literature in the world about the making, playing and teaching of stringed instruments.” The home became the residence of the Rev. Dr. and Mrs. John J. Starks during their administration as first Black president and first lady of Benedict College (1930-1944). Prior to this, Dr. Starks served as President of Morris College in Sumter (1912-1930), and Seneca Institute in Oconee County (1899-1912). His work helped to greatly advance educational opportunities for African-Americans in South Carolina. The house later became a nurses home for Good Samaritan-Waverly Hospital, fitting Mrs. Julia Stark’s desire that the house serve the community.

Waverly District, bounded by Gervais, Harden and Taylor Streets and Millwood Avenue, was listed in the National Register for Historic Places in 1989. The Visanska Starks House received a historic marker from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History in 2007. Sponsored by the Richland County Conservation Commission, this state historic marker is the first erected in the District.