The Raymond Price House, constructed in 1952 at 3004 Forest Drive in Columbia, is an unusually early and architecturally distinctive example of postwar Modernism in South Carolina. Designed and built by George R. Price as a residence for his son Raymond, the house stands on an adjoining lot beside the elder Price’s 1939 residence and forms an important architectural pair within the Forest Acres neighborhood. At the time of its construction, the surrounding area was transitioning from a relatively open suburban landscape into an established residential district, making the house’s boldly modern design a striking departure from the more traditional residences developing nearby. The property is a two-story, L-shaped, steel-framed masonry dwelling that combines elements of Streamline Moderne and the International Style, an unusual stylistic synthesis that gives it particular architectural significance. The flat-roofed composition, horizontal emphasis, and functional massing reflect the influence of modern European and American architectural movements while adapting those ideas to Columbia’s residential environment.

The Raymond Price House is characterized by its clean geometric forms, flat roof, smooth masonry surfaces, and carefully integrated outdoor spaces, including front and rear balconies that reinforce the building’s horizontal lines and connection to the surrounding landscape. Steel framing permitted a relatively open interior arrangement, while the L-shaped plan creates a sheltered relationship between the house and its site. A small one-story ancillary building, now used as an office, remains associated with the property. The house is particularly significant because examples of fully modernistic residential architecture of this period are rare in Columbia and throughout South Carolina; its combination of Streamline Moderne curves and International Style principles distinguishes it from both the traditional revival houses and more conventional mid-century residences of the city. The Raymond Price House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 under Criterion C for local architectural significance, recognizing its rarity and its importance as a tangible expression of Columbia’s transition toward modern residential design in the postwar era.