‘It’s kind of a first’: Woman donates piano to Columbia to preserve history

By Carrington Peavy

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    COLUMBIA (KOMU) — The Office of Cultural Affairs has received all types of donations, but none prepared the office for the size of gift it recently received.

During the last Columbia City Council meeting, council members voted 4-3 to accept the donation of a D.H. Baldwin Baby Grand Piano after months of proposals.

The piano will be moved to a semipermanent location inside City Hall.

Cultural Affairs Manager Sarah Dresser says she already has plans to incorporate the donation into some of the city’s upcoming events.

“I can imagine it can be used for various city events, like when we have our Citizen’s Summit or when we participate in Make Music Day,” Dresser said during the Aug. 19 meeting. “We’re open to seeing how a program might develop in having an instrument in that space.”

The piano’s owner, Susan Clark, has bigger hopes for her gift.

“I wanted (the piano) to have a place where it would be loved and enjoyed and used,” Clark said.

Clark hopes the piano will take new life inside the McKinney building.

The building previously functioned as a community center for the African American population in Columbia. It housed a candy shop, rental properties and a jazz venue.

The venue was sold in the 1940s when the owner, Fred McKinney, passed away.

Around the 1960s, the city’s urban renewal program took away several Black-owned businesses that inhabited the space, which was then purchased again to become Ancel Richards in the 1970s.

The city purchased the building for $1.7 million in August 2023 with hopes of revitalizing the space. The city’s taskforce has held multiple public information meetings to get public input on its future.

Clark felt her piano would be the right fit for the revitalized space.

“It’d be nice to get back to the original history,” Clark said, “and have an active place the community can use and enjoy.”

Clark grew up going to piano lessons in her hometown of King City for seven years. She played piano throughout the years, even owning two at the same time. After developing arthritis in her hands, it became uncomfortable for her to play.

While she was able to sell her first piano, the one she donated to the city was difficult to sell due to technological advancements.

“It’s something I have thoroughly enjoyed. It’s a beautiful piano, it has wonderful sound,” Clark said. “Hopefully, they’ll use it and love it.”

The donation will go through another round of proposals and approvals before moving from City Hall.

The city expects to spend roughly $3,000 on moving costs, minor restorations and additional items, like a lock for the keyboard.

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