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From the nation's capital to a South Carolina town: Central sites in Lindsey Graham's life host memorials

Lindsey Graham's casket is transported following a church service at First Baptist Church in Columbia. The casket was later taken to Pickens County for a burial.
Luis-Alfredo Garcia
/
South Carolina Public Radio
Lindsey Graham's casket is transported following a church service at First Baptist Church in Columbia. The casket was later taken to Pickens County for a burial.

Lindsey Graham's final moments in Columbia and Washington, D.C., were spent donning an American-flag-draped casket surrounded by friends and family.

Columbia held nearly four hours of memorials Wednesday that included stops at the Statehouse and First Baptist Church. The downtown Columbia event attracted supporters and elected officials who had crossed paths with Graham.

On Tuesday, the nation's capital city celebrated the late senator's life with ceremonies attended by international leaders and friends in Congress.

The Wednesday events in South Carolina's capital city — from procession to church service — more intimately involved the public than the D.C. memorials that came before.

Monday in Washington, D.C.

Preparations in D.C.
Washington, D.C., held the week's first memorials for Lindsey Graham. Oen day before the planned events, parts of the Washington National Cathedral had already been closed to the public.
The Washington National Cathedral's grounds were closed off to the public Tuesday, July 28, for Lindsey Graham's memorial.

Tuesday's events begin

A pair of private memorials
Elected officials and invited guests attended memorials for Lindsey Graham in Washington, D.C. Tuesday. The events were closed off to the public.
Lindsey Graham's casket leaves the Washington National Cathedral July 28, 2026.

Wednesday back in South Carolina

Columbia's pair of events
The city of Columbia hosted a memorial service for Lindsey Graham that officials like Gov. Henry McMaster and former U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy attended. An about two-hour service at First Baptist Church closed out the memorials, and Graham was later buried in Pickens County.
Onlookers attend a noon service at First Baptist Church in Columbia for Lindsey Graham.

Luis-Alfredo Garcia is a news reporter with SC Public Radio. He had spent his entire life in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida in 2024.