History of Taylors Compiled by
Treaty of DeWitt’s Corner opens the Upstate for settling, 1777
Early Timeline ● 1785–First Settlers Arrive in Chick Springs ● 1840–Dr. Burwell Chick purchases property containing a natural spring that was renown for its healing powers
The Chick Springs Hotel(s) ● ● ● ●
1840–1862: First Hotel (burned) 1885–1903: Second Hotel (enlarged) 1903–1907: Third Hotel (burned) 1914–1917: Fourth Hotel (sold, then closed)
Early Chick Spring Hotels
Later Chick Spring Hotels
Later Ginger Ale Company
Current Park Site – Then
Current Park Site – Now
Civil War ● Time of despair and “actual want” in Chick Springs ● Chick Springs Church (now Taylors FBC) organized in 1864 to band together the needy in that time ● Reconstruction period slowed economic development after reconstruction
The Railway Brings Change “The message of any medium or technology is the change of scale or pace or pattern that it introduces into human affairs. The railway did not introduce movement or transportation or wheel or road into human society, but it accelerated and enlarged the scale of previous human functions, creating totally new kinds of cities and new kinds of work and leisure.” – Marshall McLuhan, 1964
Southern Railway and Alfred Taylor ● First Railway from Charlotte to Greenville completed in 1873 ● Turnout (1878) and eventually station completed on Alfred Taylor’s Property by 1880s. ● Post Office, School, and Church eventually move to Taylor’s Station
Taylor’s Station to Taylors By 1904, the Post Office lost its apostrophe and simply became Taylors
Railroad Trestle over Main Street, with Chick Springs in the background. Constructed in 1910s
“Downtown Taylors” ● Peaked during the 1920s ● Many businesses closed during the Great Depression ● Emphasis moved to Mill Village later
Southern Bleachery
Southern Bleachery ● ● ● ●
Harry R. Stephenson was President until 1953 First portion built and opened May 24, 1924 Established Mill Village, Store, and Churches Print Works (back portion) was built and opened in 1928 ● Companies merged in 1936 ● After being eventually sold to Burlington Corp., the plant closed on July 1, 1965.
Decline of Main Street ● Taylors High School closes in 1960 ● After the Mill closed, many of the businesses on Main Street began to close ● Taylors FBC delayed building of a new Sanctuary until 1970 ● Business moved to Wade Hampton
Main Street into Wade Hampton, 1970s
In-between Years ● 1972: Colonial Hills Christian School, forerunner to Academy of Arts, opens on Taylors Road ● 1980: Taylors Elementary moves to Reid School Road ● 1987: Academy of Arts moves into Taylors School Building
In-between Years ● 1995: Taylors FBC builds current Worship Center ● 1998: GPTS begins operating out of former Stephenson Memorial UMC building ● 2003-2008: GPTS acquires, upfits, and begins using the front half of the school building.
In-between Years ● 2006: Logos Theatre has opening season in the Academy of Arts building ● 2006-2008: Kenneth Walker purchases and begins rehab work at the Taylors Mill ● 2011-2012: First artists begin moving into Taylors Mill ● 2012: Taylors FBC Launches R3 Ministries, aimed at addressing poverty, which gave birth to Taylors TownSquare