Since 2017, SC made more than $675,000 renting the historic Lace House at the Governor’s Mansion.

But SC Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism won’t reveal who rented the taxpayer-owned house.

PRT Director Duane Parrish, a member of Gov. Henry McMaster’s Cabinet, contends it would be an “unreasonable invasion of privacy.”

Under the state Freedom of Information Act we requested a breakdown of rental income, the purpose of the each event and the identities and mailing addresses of the renters.

PRT released 6 pages, blacking out names and addresses of all renters.

Most of the listed 225 events starting Jan. 14, 2017, were weddings, though the gatherings also included 5 unspecified fund-raisers, a board retreat and 4 other events.

The only identified organizations were SC Home Builders, Heritage Garden Club and Black Expo.

The Governor’s Mansion complex sits on 9 acres off Richland Street in Columbia’s Arsenal Hill.

State government watchdog John Crangle said PRT should release the Lace House renters’ identities.

“So long as it’s public property and the money is going to the state,” said Crangle, government relations director for the SC Progressive Network, “(the public) ought to know who’s paying this money to the state and what they’re getting in return. Otherwise, it’s subject to a lot of abuse.”

Emily Johnson, PRT’s general counsel, said it will “maintain the confidentiality of the personal information unless it is overwhelmingly in the public interest not to.”

Event rental costs ranged from $625 for a baby shower to $5,800 for weddings.

Full-day rental in peak seasons – March through May and September through November – range from $1,800 Mondays through Thursdays to $4,100 on Saturdays, with lower rates for half-day events.

Brundrett is the news editor of The Nerve. Contact him at 803-254-4411 or rick@thenerve.org .