In this week's issue of Free Times, food reporter Hannah Wade dug into the history of how The Whig became a beloved Columbia nightlife destination. 

The subterranean bar was often filled with inebriated regulars and service industry friends or for business people, lawmakers and other white collars from the downtown district who used it as a meeting space. Whichever niche the patron filled, it became a legendary spot that fills an outsized role in Columbia's culture. 

The bar's owners announced its impending closure at some point this year, due to its lease not being renewed over a hotel being built in the building that houses The Whig. In response to the news, Columbia residents responded with shock, sadness and memories. 

Free Times contributing photographer Thomas Hammond was one of the regulars at the bar in its earlier days, often chronicling the evening as he pursued photography as a hobby. In fact, it was those photos that he credits with landing him his first freelance gigs with local media. 

Here he's assembled photos that depict the intimate memories that many associate with The Whig, from a masked wedding reveler to a political writer wearing a clown nose. DAVID CLAREY

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