The University of South Carolina will begin demolition this month of McBryde Hall, one of the most recognizable residence halls on the Columbia campus.
The demolition was first introduced as part of the university’s 10-year campus master plan to modernize aging facilities and meet the demand for more on-campus housing.
The project calls for building a six-story, 296,000-square-foot residence hall where McBryde once sat and the construction of a new wing to the Honors College residence hall. Both are scheduled to open ahead of the Fall 2028 semester.
The $165 million project will bring 1,086 beds to the heart of campus. Today’s McBryde houses roughly 260 students; the new building will hold about 900.
The demolition closes a chapter on one of the university's oldest first-year residence halls. Completed in 1955 amid surging demand after World War II, it consisted of seven three-story buildings arranged in a U-shape around a shaded courtyard.
For decades, McBryde was a center of campus life. Tucked behind Thomas Cooper Library but steps from the Russell House, it occupied a unique position.
