diff --git a/src/org/apache/cassandra/db/ColumnFamily.java b/src/org/apache/cassandra/db/ColumnFamily.java
index 96f0dcc535..e1bccd18ae 100644
--- a/src/org/apache/cassandra/db/ColumnFamily.java
+++ b/src/org/apache/cassandra/db/ColumnFamily.java
@@ -195,10 +195,9 @@ public final class ColumnFamily implements Serializable
     	return columnSerializer_;
     }
 
-    public void createColumn(String name)
+    public void addColumn(String name)
     {
-    	IColumn column = columnFactory_.createColumn(name);
-    	addColumn(column);
+        addColumn(columnFactory_.createColumn(name));
     }
 
     int getColumnCount()
@@ -223,17 +222,15 @@ public final class ColumnFamily implements Serializable
     	return count;
     }
 
-    public void createColumn(String name, byte[] value)
+    public void addColumn(String name, byte[] value)
     {
-    	IColumn column = columnFactory_.createColumn(name, value);
-    	addColumn(column);
+    	addColumn(name, value, 0);
     }
 
-	public void createColumn(String name, byte[] value, long timestamp)
+    public void addColumn(String name, byte[] value, long timestamp)
 	{
-		IColumn column = columnFactory_.createColumn(name, value, timestamp);
-		addColumn(column);
-	}
+        addColumn(columnFactory_.createColumn(name, value, timestamp));
+    }
 
     void clear()
     {
diff --git a/src/org/apache/cassandra/db/Memtable.java b/src/org/apache/cassandra/db/Memtable.java
index 945ad31466..a2234c15ab 100644
--- a/src/org/apache/cassandra/db/Memtable.java
+++ b/src/org/apache/cassandra/db/Memtable.java
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ public class Memtable implements MemtableMBean, Comparable<Memtable>
         			if(subColumn != null)
         			{
 	        			columnFamily = new ColumnFamily(cfName_);
-	            		columnFamily.createColumn(values[1] + ":" + values[2], subColumn.value(), subColumn.timestamp());
+	            		columnFamily.addColumn(values[1] + ":" + values[2], subColumn.value(), subColumn.timestamp());
         			}
         		}
         	}
diff --git a/src/org/apache/cassandra/db/RowMutation.java b/src/org/apache/cassandra/db/RowMutation.java
index c0bfb18b87..75a9f76fe5 100644
--- a/src/org/apache/cassandra/db/RowMutation.java
+++ b/src/org/apache/cassandra/db/RowMutation.java
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ public class RowMutation implements Serializable
             {
             	columnFamily = new ColumnFamily(values[0], ColumnFamily.getColumnType("Standard"));
             }
-        	columnFamily.createColumn(values[1], value, timestamp);
+        	columnFamily.addColumn(values[1], value, timestamp);
         }
         if( values.length == 3 )
         {
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ public class RowMutation implements Serializable
             {
             	columnFamily = new ColumnFamily(values[0], ColumnFamily.getColumnType("Super"));
             }
-        	columnFamily.createColumn(values[1]+ ":" + values[2], value, timestamp);
+        	columnFamily.addColumn(values[1]+ ":" + values[2], value, timestamp);
         }
         modifications_.put(values[0], columnFamily);
     }
@@ -189,11 +189,11 @@ public class RowMutation implements Serializable
             columnFamily = new ColumnFamily(values[0]);
         if(values.length == 2 )
         {
-	        columnFamily.createColumn( values[1]);
+	        columnFamily.addColumn( values[1]);
         }
         if(values.length == 3 )
         {
-	        columnFamily.createColumn( values[1] + ":" + values[2]);
+	        columnFamily.addColumn( values[1] + ":" + values[2]);
         }
         deletions_.put(values[0], columnFamily);
     }
diff --git a/src/org/apache/cassandra/test/SSTableTest.java b/src/org/apache/cassandra/test/SSTableTest.java
index c877cbef6e..ac4e105493 100644
--- a/src/org/apache/cassandra/test/SSTableTest.java
+++ b/src/org/apache/cassandra/test/SSTableTest.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public class SSTableTest
             ColumnFamily cf = new ColumnFamily("Test", "Standard");
             bufOut.reset();           
             // random.nextBytes(bytes);
-            cf.createColumn("C", "Avinash Lakshman is a good man".getBytes(), i);
+            cf.addColumn("C", "Avinash Lakshman is a good man".getBytes(), i);
             ColumnFamily.serializerWithIndexes().serialize(cf, bufOut);
             ssTable.append(key, bufOut);            
             bf.fill(key);
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ public class SSTableTest
             String key = Integer.toString(i);
             ColumnFamily cf = new ColumnFamily("Test", "Standard");                      
             // random.nextBytes(bytes);
-            cf.createColumn("C", "Avinash Lakshman is a good man".getBytes(), i);
+            cf.addColumn("C", "Avinash Lakshman is a good man".getBytes(), i);
             columnFamilies.put(key, cf);
         } 
         flushForRandomPartitioner(columnFamilies);