In the year 1900, my great-grandfather, George Eugene Lafaye, settled in Columbia and establish an architectural firm of superb caliber that would become Lafaye and Lafaye. Elegant and dedicated to the most exacting standards, Lafaye’s vision and quality can still be admired today in structures throughout Columbia. A sampling of the commissions would include the Columbia Young Men’s Christian Association (downtown YMCA), St. John’s (Shandon) Episcopal Church, the Township Auditorium, the James L. Tapp Department Store, the War Memorial Building, and the Wade Hampton State Office Building. Additionally, 13 homes in M.C. Heath’s new subdivision, Heathwood – a staple collection of luxury historic homes, and numerous homes in Forest Hills were designed by Lafaye.
George E. Lafaye’s son, W. Lucas Lafaye, the gentleman for which I am named, carried on the legacy when he majored in and received a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Clemson University in 1939. He went on to become the president of Lafaye-Tarrant Construction Company. Both Lucas Lafaye and Guy Tarrant completed many commercial projects in Columbia and the surrounding areas over a 45-year period.