Columbia Housing Salutes Black History - Troop 54

Columbia Housing honors the first African-American Boy Scout Troop organized on a CH property and one of the earliest African-American Troops in Columbia, SC. 

The "Nathan Straus Troop", or Troop 54, was founded in 1941 for the young men of the newly opened housing community, Allen Benedict Court. There were 16 Scouts in the original Troop and they routinely participated in events around the City of Columbia, helped with Bond Sales and Salvage Drives to support war efforts and performed community service within their neighborhood.

The troop was named after Nathan Straus, administrator of the United States Housing Authority from 1937 to 1942. Troop 54 was founded and led by Maceo Entzminger, WW I veteran and Supervisor at Allen Benedict Court.