§ $4.00
Experience Greenville’s Past
How to use this guide: Each entry contains one or more photographs, a brief history of the site, people connected to the site and driving directions from the Hughes Main Library at Heritage Green Place in downtown Greenville. The tour guide has been divided into four parts: the Northern Tour, the Southern Tour, the Downtown tour and the South Carolina Room. Each of the first three tours begins and ends at Hughes Main Library. We invite you to visit the Carolina First South Carolina Room either before or after taking the offsite tours.
Northern Tour ......................................................................... Downtown Tour ...................................................................... Southern Tour ......................................................................... SC Room ...............................................................................
2 13 34 44
Interest
in the past provides a sense of connection or belonging and fosters pride in one’s community. Greenville County has a rich history with many listings on the National Register of Historic Places, including several historic districts. By visiting historic places, we can learn about the lives of those who came before us. While historic sites are often identified with significant people or events, less famous buildings and places tell the story of everyday life in Greenville County’s unique past.
With
this new edition of the Greenville County Driving Tour of Historic Sites, we highlight some of Greenville’s history as depicted in the stories of the places and individuals included here. Hopefully, this driving tour will help to raise awareness of the need to preserve our historical heritage.
Enjoy the trip!
staff
Sincerely,
the of the Carolina first south carolina room of the Greenville County Library System
Northern Tour 11
10 Gowensville
11
12
9 Tigerville
14
8
13
Renfrew
14
357
Apalache
29
Paris Mountain State Park
5
3
276
Sans Souci
7
290
Travelers Rest
4 15
6
Taylors
greer
101
2 1
Greenville
385
85
Pelham Batesville
The land in and around Greenville County was Cherokee Indian territory until settlers began to move into the area in the latter part of the eighteenth century. In 1766, an agreement was reached between the Cherokee people and the governor of colonial South Carolina, ensuring that the land legally belonged to the Cherokee Nation. Eleven years later, the state government forced the Cherokee to relinquish all their land, with the exception of a strip of territory in what is now Oconee and Pickens counties. The state began selling the recently ceded lands and the colonization of the Upcountry was accelerated. Greenville County was officially established in 1786 by an act of the South Carolina Legislature, and was probably named after General Nathanael Greene, commander of the Southern Department during the Revolutionary War. The early part of the nineteenth century was a time of expansion for Greenville. The completion of the State Road from Charleston, across the Saluda Gap and into North Carolina, opened the way for the livestock drives, a feature of Greenville life that lasted until the latter part of the 1800s. Large herds were driven to market down Buncombe Road every autumn. Inns and stops catering to the drovers began to appear all across the upper part of the county. Following the Civil War, the textile industry became a staple of Greenville city and county. Recruiters were sent to the mountains in order to persuade farmers to move into city mill villages to work in the cotton mills. They were successful and by the 1920s, Greenville had earned the title: “Textile Capital of the World.� Since then, the region has become increasingly urbanized and is now an important part of the global economy.
Gassaway
Mansion
1
106 Dupont Drive, GreenvillE Directions: From the Hughes Main Library, turn left onto Buncombe Street. Continue to the third traffic light and turn left onto Main Street. Turn right at the fourth traffic light onto E. Park Street. Go straight through the Stone Avenue intersection. E. Park Street becomes E. North Street. Turn left onto Prescott Street. Stay to the right on Prescott, the Gassaway Mansion is at the top of the hill.
The mansion, built between 1920 and 1924 by Walter and Minnie Quinn Gassaway, was designed by Mrs. Gassaway after she took a correspondence course in architecture. The stones for the exterior of the house came from a mill which had originally stood near the falls of the Reedy River and once belonged to Vardry McBee. The interior of the house contains wood paneling and flooring from New York, tiles from Italy and stained glass windows from Tiffany. The cost of construction for the house, which has 22,000 square feet, five floors and forty rooms was approximately $700,000. In 1930, after Walter Gassaway died, the mansion was sold and turned into apartments. In 1959, the Greenville Art Association purchased the building for use as the Greenville County Art Museum. Beginning in 1977, the Emmanuel Temple used the house as a church school. Today the mansion is once again a private residence.
2
Woodlawn
Memorial Park 1 Pine Knoll Drive, Greenville Directions: From Gassaway Mansion, turn left onto Dupont Drive. Turn right onto Wade Hampton Boulevard. After approximately one mile, go straight through the N. Pleasantburg Drive intersection. The cemetery is on the left, immediately past the intersection. To Shoeless Joe Jackson grave: turn left into Woodlawn Memorial Park and drive to the bell tower. Turn right at the circle. Exit to the right at the next road. Turn right at the next intersection and another right at the following intersection. Park along the road and look towards the bell tower. The grave of Shoeless Joe Jackson is on the right midway between the street and the bell tower. You may be able to spot it by baseballs or bats that visitors often leave at the grave.
Greenville’s Woodlawn Memorial Park is a product of the Lawn-Park Cemetery movement, which began soon after the Civil War and continued into the early part of the twentieth century. LawnPark cemeteries are characterized by park-like grounds with standardized grave markers. These
3
cemeteries later inspired the Memorial Park movement, also characterized by park-like grounds, but with flat grave markers rather than gravestones, like Woodlawn. Opened in January of 1939, Woodlawn was South Carolina’s first non-monument burial park. As recorded by the Greenville News, at the time of its opening, “the park will always have the appearance and atmosphere of a perfectly landscaped garden.” Located at Woodlawn are the graves of Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr., the only casualty of the Cuban missile crisis, and baseball player Shoeless Joe Jackson (pictured right).
Bath house at Paris Mountain
State Park
3
2401 State Park Road, Greenville Directions: From Woodlawn Memorial Park, turn right onto Wade Hampton Boulevard. Turn right onto N. Pleasantburg Drive and drive for approximately one mile. Turn right onto Piney Mountain Road. After approximately one mile, turn right onto State Park Road. After approximately one mile, veer left to continue on State Park Road. The park entrance is on the left side of State Park Road less than one mile ahead. The Bath House is half a mile from the entrance.
Paris Mountain State Park Historic District is located northwest of the city of Greenville on 1,275 acres. The first effort to preserve the natural resources of Paris Mountain began in 1888 with the formation of the Paris Mountain Water Company, organized to build a water system for the city of Greenville. The water company initially purchased more land than was needed to construct the reservoirs. By protecting the watershed, the company also preserved other natural resources surrounding the reservoirs. In 1935, Paris Mountain State Park was established when the state of South Carolina was deeded part of the land. The city retained one of the original reservoirs as part of the water system. The Civilian Conservation Corps, or CCC, completed construction of the bath house in 1936. Like the other structures in the park, it was built with natural materials to blend into the local landscape. This 100-foot long by 40-foot wide building, which faces Lake Placid, was originally a changing room for park swimmers. Since its restoration in 2001, the Bathhouse is now used as an educational center for the South Carolina State Park Service programs.
4
Camp
sevier
4
Artillery Road & East Warehouse Court, Taylors Directions: From the entrance to Paris Mountain State Park, turn right onto State Park Road. Turn left onto Mountain Creek Road. Turn right onto Piedmont Park Road. Turn left onto Rutherford Road. Immediately get into the right lane and take the first right onto Pine Knoll Drive. Veer left at the fork onto W. Lee Road. (At the fork, a triangular stone monument commemorates Camp Sevier). Turn left onto Wade Hampton Boulevard and stay in the left lane. Immediately turn left onto Artillery Road. A Camp Sevier historical marker is just to the right of Artillery Road. Turn left onto E. Warehouse Court. A few hundred feet on the right, there is a tan-colored concrete building. This is the surviving magazine from Camp Sevier.
When the United States entered World War I, large camps were built across the country in order to train thousands of troops for combat. Due in part to the success of Greenville’s Camp Wetherill during the Spanish-American War, local business leaders supported the establishment of a training center in Greenville. Camp Sevier served as a training base for United States troops from 1917 to 1918. The camp was named in honor of John Sevier, a militia commander in the American Revolution. Barracks, a hospital, a bakery, a theater and a YMCA were constructed, as well as drill grounds, trenches, and rifle, machine gun and artillery ranges. One of the most impressive divisions trained at Camp Sevier was the 30th Division, which consisted of National Guard Units from North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. This unit was nicknamed “Old Hickory” in honor of Andrew Jackson. Soldiers from the 30th Division fought with distinction in France and Belgium and were awarded more Congressional Medals of Honor than any other American division. In all, one hundred thousand men were stationed at Camp Sevier. Unfortunately, in 1918 the Spanish influenza hit both soldiers and citizens and the camp was put under quarantine; many of those who died are buried at Springwood Cemetery. After the war ended, the camp was no longer necessary and was closed in January of 1919. The surviving ammunition magazine (right) is one of the few remaining buildings from this brief but important part of Greenville history.
5
5
Edwards Mill Edwards Mill Road, Taylors Directions: From Camp Sevier, continue on E. Warehouse Court. Turn right onto Donnan Road and cross the railroad tracks. Turn right onto Rutherford Road. After approximately two miles, turn left onto Wade Hampton Boulevard. Immediately turn left onto Edwards Mill Road. In less than a mile, the mill will be on the left just before a sharp curve. (Unfortunately, there is no parking. The next right, Holly Road, provides a place to turn around).
There were three Joseph Edwards in Greenville in the early 1800s. The first Joseph Edwards bought land on Mountain Creek as early as 1803. By 1850, the land belonged to his son Joseph Edwards. The grandson, Joseph Edwards, built a grist mill on the property in 1851. In 1852, notice was given that additional mills had been built on the property. In 1898, the mill tract was passed to William S. and B. Perry Edwards.
6 Chick Springs Gazebo & Bath House
Old Chick Springs Road, Taylors Directions: From Edwards Mill, turn around and take a left onto Wade Hampton Boulevard. Take a right at the first fork, onto West Main Street. Continue for approximately 1.5 miles, and turn left onto Old Chick Springs Road. The gazebo and bath house are on the left.
On a hunting trip in the late 1830s, Dr. Burwell Chick came across a natural deer lick spot five miles outside of Greenville. As the story goes, he was taken there by Indian natives, who claimed the surrounding springs had supernatural healing powers. Realizing the potential of the springs’ natural beauty and auspicious legend, Chick built a resort on the spot, which opened in 1840. Throughout the mid-nineteenth century, Chick Springs thrived to become an elite spa and hotel. Soon after the resort closed, the hotel became a hospital. When the hospital director died in 1932, Norris Manufacturing Company was built on the site. The gazebo and bath house are all that remain of the resort.
6
7
Gilreath’s Mill Highway 101 (Gilreath Mill Road), Greer Directions: From Chick Springs Gazebo & Bath House, return to Main Street. Turn left onto E. Main Street. Turn right onto Wade Hampton Boulevard. After 1.5 miles turn left onto North Buncombe Road (Highway 101). The mill will be approximately three miles, on the left.
Gilreath’s Mill was probably built in 1812 by Joel Bruce. The original building was a two-story frame building 25 feet wide and 35 feet long. Over the years additions were made. At first a corn mill, it later began to produce flour. The mill closed in 1950, but when in operation, the waters of Shoal Creek and Clear Creek furnished the power. The mill had several owners. It was purchased in 1890 by P. D. Gilreath, the sheriff of Greenville County, and has been known by its current name since then.
Berry’s mill Highway 14 & Berry Mill Road, Greer Directions: From Gilreath’s Mill, turn left onto North Buncombe Road (Highway 101). Continue for approximately one mile. Turn right onto N. McElhaney Road. Drive approximately two miles and turn left onto Highway 14. Continue approximately two miles. Berry’s Mill is on the left
In 1820, John Weaver established a yarn mill on Beaverdam Creek and by 1850, the Weaver Cotton Works represented a capital investment of $3,000. After 1862, the mill’s name changed to Whilden’s Factory when Weaver’s widow married Rev. Furman Whilden. In the early 1900s, Spartan Commodor Berry acquired the property and tore down the existing structures. He built a cotton gin, gristmill and sawmill. In 1912, he and his sons, Broadus Carlyle and Claude Otis, added a flour mill. Two large water wheels, powered by dams dating back to 1784, provided power to Berry’s mills.
7
8
Campbell’s
Covered Bridge
9
Campbell bridge road, landrum Directions: From Berry’s Mill, continue north on Highway 14 for approximately five miles. Turn left onto Highway 414. After approximately one mile, turn left onto Pleasant Hill Road. Continue less than a mile and turn right onto Campbell Covered Bridge Road.
Built in 1909, Campbell’s Covered Bridge remains the only historic covered bridge in South Carolina. The bridge, with a wooden constructed deck and superstructure of wooden truss with a cover, has been called a “woodworking masterpiece.” The 38foot long by 12-foot wide bridge was built over Beaverdam Creek by Charles Irwin Willis. In the original construction, red-heart pine was used, most likely because of its resistance to decay and insects. It is believed that the bridge was named for Alexander Lafayette Campbell, who at the time the bridge was built owned approximately 194 acres of land near the bridge. Major restoration work was done on the bridge in the 1960s and again in the 1990s. The Greenville County Recreation District purchased approximately 20 acres around this historic site in 2008. Plans are to restore the bridge and develop a park.
Gowensville
highway 14 & highway 11, landrum Directions: From Campbell Covered Bridge Road, turn left onto Pleasant Hill Road. Turn
baptist church 10
right onto Highway 414. Turn left onto Highway 14. The church is three miles on the right, just past the intersection of Highway 11 and Highway 14.
The Gowensville Baptist Church began as an arm of the Head of the Tyger Church in the early 1800s. According to Reverend Thomas J. Earle, pastor from 1856-1889, the first church meeting was held in Brown’s School House on July 16, 1809. Irregular meetings continued until May 5, 1820 when the church was officially constituted as Cross Roads Baptist Church. In 1849, composer William “Billy” Walker, author of Southern Harmony, donated five acres of land for a new building. With a new home, the church officially changed its name to Gowensville Baptist Church in 1873. Pastor Reverend Earle founded the Gowensville Seminary, which was closely associated with the church from 1859-1889. Gowensville Baptist Church hosted the Greenville Baptist Association in 1887, which saw the formation of the North Greenville Baptist Association. A second building was planned in 1911 and completed on the same site in 1913. In 2000, the congregation voted to change its name to the current First Baptist Church of Gowensville.
8
Poinsett
Bridge
11
callahan mountain road, travelers rest Directions: From Gowensville Baptist Church, turn left onto Highway 14 and then right onto Highway 11. Continue approximately six miles and turn right onto Highway 912. After 2.5 miles, turn right onto Callahan Mountain Road. The bridge is approximately one mile ahead on the right, just past Camp Old Indian. There is a dirt parking area on the left side of the road just before you reach the bridge.
The Poinsett Bridge was built in 1820 as part of the state road leading from Charleston to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Constructed of hearty stone, the structure is one of the oldest bridges still standing in South Carolina. The bridge was commissioned by Joel R. Poinsett and built by Abram Blanding. The Poinsett Bridge extends 130 feet over Little Gap Creek and features a remarkable 14-foot Gothic arch.
Blythe-Goodwin-Hagood
House 12 highway 11 & highway 25, travelers rest Directions: From the Poinsett Bridge parking area, turn right onto Callahan Mountain Road and turn right onto Highway 912. Veer right onto Old Highway 11. Continue one mile until Old Highway 11 intersects Highway 11 and again veer right. The Blythe-Goodwin-Hagood House is approximately four miles ahead, on the right.
Through the requirements of a lease given by Elias Earle in 1793, it was Robert Cooke who built the original 20-foot by 16-foot cabin, which would eventually become the Hagood House. Over the years, additions were made around the original cabin. In 1860, the property, then owned by John H. Goodwin, was increased to 600 acres. Throughout its history, various owners have operated the house as a post office, stagecoach stop, boarding house, trading post and drovers’ stop. The Blythe-Goodwin-Hagood House was purchased by the Greenville Chapter of the Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Byway Association in 2005. The organization began work to restore the house and an adjacent building as a museum and welcome center.
9
Dicey Langston
Monument 13
langston drive, travelers rest Directions: From Blythe-Goodwin-Hagood House, turn left onto Highway 11. Go back across the bridge, over Highway 25 and turn right onto the exit ramp. Turn left onto Highway 25 (south) towards Travelers Rest. After approximately eight miles, turn left onto Tigerville Road. The Dicey Langston Monument is approximately one mile ahead, on the right, across from Enoree Baptist Church.
Laodicia Langston Springfield was born on May 14, 1766 and lived in what is now Laurens County with her parents, Solomon and Sarah Bennett Langston. It is known that Solomon Langston was a Patriot and many of his neighbors were Loyalists. His daughter has been celebrated throughout South Carolina as a heroine of the Revolutionary War. Although there is no documentation of her specific role in the war, her obituary in the Greenville Mountaineer reads “she took an active part in the struggle and performed many daring deeds.” Local tradition accounts for many of the stories that have become part of the history surrounding “Daring Dicey’s” deeds. One theory holds that Dicey overheard information that would have helped the Patriot cause and passed that information along. One claims she walked many miles through the night crossing swamps and creeks to warn her brother of a Loyalist attack. Another says she risked her life by stepping between Solomon and a Tory raider who was about to shoot him. It was also alleged that she refused to give information to Tories even when they threatened to shoot her.
After the war, Dicey married Thomas Springfield and they moved to Travelers Rest. Sources vary, but many claim they had 21 or 22 children. She died on May 23, 1837. This monument was placed above the hearthstone of her home on Tigerville Road.
Cherrydale
Mansion
3300 poinsett highway, greenville Directions: From the Dicey Langston Monument, turn left onto Highway 25 (south). Continue
on Highway 25 for approximately two miles. Veer left onto Poinsett Highway (Highway 276). Exit right at the Furman University entrance. Enter the traffic circle and turn right after three quarters of the way around. At the end of the mall, you will enter another traffic circle. Turn right after half of the way around. Cherrydale Mansion is at the end of the street.
10
14
Cherrydale Mansion, Furman University’s historic Alumni House, actually had very humble beginnings. What is now a grand, 4,960 square-foot Greek Revival mansion was once a small, one-story farmhouse. The mansion has gone through many stages of development over the past 150 years. It is common belief that George Washington Green built the first stage of the modest Cherrydale in the 1850s. Green sold the house and property to James Clement Furman, the first president of Furman University. Furman used Cherrydale as a summer home during his tenure and was responsible for many of the additions and changes seen in Cherrydale’s present appearance. His wife’s childhood home was Greek revival style and she likely had an influence on the current form. The house remained in the Furman family until 1939, when it was sold by Furman’s daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Eugene E. Stone. At first, Mr. Stone planned to demolish Cherrydale. It was in very bad condition and lacked indoor plumbing or electricity. Mrs. Linky Stone, his wife, convinced him otherwise. Her artistic taste caused her to recognize the significance of Cherrydale, and the Stones ended up restoring the house and living there for many decades. In the 1990s, the property was sold to a developer, and the house was removed to make way for Cherrydale Point Shopping Center. It was donated to Furman University in honor of James Clement Furman. In 1999, it was moved via Poinsett Highway to the highest point on the Furman University campus, where it now serves as the Alumni House. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, but its membership was revoked in 1999 because of its relocation from the original property.
M a t t o o n
P re s b y t e r i a n
15
Church
415 Hampton Avenue, Greenville Directions: From Cherrydale Mansion, turn right at the second roadway and drive through the parking lot to the stop sign. Turn right at the stop sign and go to the back gate of Furman University. Exit Furman and turn left on Duncan Chapel Road. Proceed half a mile to the intersection with Old Buncombe Road. Turn right on Old Buncombe Road and continue for approximately 3.5 miles. Turn left onto Pete Hollis Boulevard. After one mile, turn right onto Echols Street. After two blocks turn left onto Hampton Avenue and continue one block. The church is on the right, at the corner of Lloyd Street and Hampton Avenue.
Mattoon Presbyterian Church was formed during the Reconstruction era when seven African American church members, wishing to form an institution under their own control, sought permission to separate from the First Presbyterian Church. In 1861, the American Presbyterian Church was formally split over the issue of slavery. Southern Presbyterian congregations supported the institution of slavery, while Northern congregations were vehemently opposed to it. In June of 1878, the First
11
Presbyterian Church of Greenville formed a committee to consider the possibility of helping the seven members form a separate church. This attempt was not successful; the seven members were then advised to seek union with the Northern assembly if they wanted a separate congregation. The Northern church established the Presbyterian Committee of Missions for Freedmen in 1870. This committee was charged with building parochial schools for emancipated slaves. The Reverend Stephen Mattoon was a well-known Northern Presbyterian missionary who had recently returned from Siam, where he had ministered to the natives for two decades. After his return, he was selected to establish Freedmen’s mission schools in the South. One of these missions was Mattoon Presbyterian Church. The First Presbyterian Church of Greenville agreed to grant their African American members official church letters of dismissal in order to form a new church in 1878. The school was started in 1880, and church construction followed in 1887.
are the proud sponsors of this publication.
◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊ About the Friends: v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v ◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊ v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v ◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊ v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v◊v The Friends of the Greenville County Library System is a non-profit organization that raises funds to enhance library programs and services. Each year the Friends commit thousands of dollars in financial support to the library system. Money is raised through membership dues, semi-annual used book sales and the Friends Shop, which operates yearround at the Hughes Main Library.
If you find the Greenville County Library System an essential part of your community, then joining the Friends is a simple, easy way to support it! As a membership benefit, you will receive a year’s subscription to the Greenville County Library System Access newsletter, a 10% discount at the Friends Shop and entrance to the “Friends Only” day of the used book sales. Keep up-to-date on library and Friends events, and take advantage of Friends shopping opportunities for as little as $15 a year! Visit any library location or www.greenvillelibrary.org to apply. 12
Downtown Tour
In 1815, Alston sold his vast lot, which totaled approximately 11,000 acres, to Vardry McBee. McBee did not actually live in Greenville at the time of the purchase and did not relocate to the area until 1836. However, McBee made significant contributions to Greenville’s economic and cultural development, beginning with the operation of Greenville’s first store to sell various items at moderate prices. He also owned a cotton factory, as well as wool, flour and paper mills.
41
25
The history of downtown Greenville can be traced back to a document dated from 1797, filed by Lemuel James Alston with the clerk of court. It concerned a plat of land for the village he called “Pleasantburg.” Pearis Wagon Road was the centerpiece of the 52 lots, laid off in eight blocks, that would later become the hub of Greenville.
40 276
276
276
39
183
16
123
25
37 36
Greenville
17
385
19
27-29 26 29 21 30 22 23
32
35
183
31 34 124
33
Reedy River Park
123
29
18
123
38
124
24
Arguably the most significant contribution was the land he donated for the first four churches in downtown Greenville. He non-discriminately and generously provided land for a Presbyterian, a Methodist, an Episcopalian and a Baptist church. In addition to this cultural benefaction, he also deeded 30 acres of land in 1820 for the Greenville Male Academy and the Greenville Female Academy. Vardry McBee continued to influence the development of downtown Greenville until his death in 1864. Since then, his likeness has been immortalized in a statue and his name can be seen on street signs and buildings in the city. Due to his hard work and presence, he is often referred to as the “Father of Greenville.” 12
Heritage
Green 16
Heritage Green place, greenville Directions: From Hughes Main Library, all Heritage Green buildings are within walking distance from Heritage Green Place.
Heritage Green has been central to the cultural and educational life of Greenville since the early 1800s. The plot of land that is now Heritage Green was donated by Vardry McBee and used as a campus for the Greenville Academies. Chartered in 1820, these two schools were built on thirty acres of land and flourished until the 1850s. Soon after, it became the site of Greenville Woman’s College. On November 17, 1930, the Coca-Cola plant, constructed by Morris-McKoy, opened. Although the Great Depression was not yet in full swing, the South had suffered a small recession in the late 1920s. Construction of the plant had an enormous effect on the community, creating factory jobs and contracting construction businesses throughout the county. The building included bottling, storage and refrigeration facilities, as well as a 600-gallon, glass-lined syrup tank, several offices, a director’s room and recreation area. Behind the building sat fourteen garages for delivery trucks, a repair shop and a fenced courtyard with a lighted lily pond. The building was bought by Bob Jones University in 2008 to exhibit pieces from its art collection. The Greenville Woman’s College relocated to Furman in the early 1960s and the Greenville City Council purchased the old campus in 1963. Their plan was to build a Civic Center with a new city hall, theater and public library. Demolition of the old college buildings began in February 1964, and in March, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Little Theater. The historic piece of land currently holds The Greenville County Museum of Art, the Hughes Main Library of the Greenville County Library System, the Greenville Little Theatre, the Museum and Gallery at Heritage Green, the South Carolina Children’s Museum and the Upcountry History Museum.
14
Buncombe Street
United Methodist
Church 17
200 Buncombe street, greenville Directions: From Heritage Green Place, turn left onto Buncombe Street. The church is on the left, at the corner of Buncombe Street and Academy Street.
Buncombe Street United Methodist Church officially began its ecclesiastic life as the Greenville Methodist Church in 1834. In 1836, a meeting hall was erected at the intersection of Church Street and Coffee Street on a lot that had been furnished by Vardry McBee. A new church was completed in the classic Greek-Revival style and the congregation moved to its current Buncombe Street location in 1872. The name was changed soon after to Buncombe Street Methodist Church. Since then, the church has undergone significant renovations and enlargements, becoming the matriarch of many of Greenville’s present-day Methodist churches.
18 first presbyterian
Church
200 west washington street, greenville Directions: From Buncombe Street United Methodist Church, turn right onto Richardson Street. Go one block. The church is on the right, at the corner of Washington Street and Richardson Street.
By 1847, three churches of different denominations existed in downtown Greenville: Episcopal, Baptist and Methodist. In the 1840s, a group of women headed by Sarah E. Stone persuaded Dr. Benjamin M. Palmer Sr. to spend a summer preaching in Greenville. Dr. Palmer was a well-known preacher throughout the Southern states, often visiting prominent churches in Georgia, South Carolina and Louisiana. His visit inspired the Presbyterians to establish a church of their own; in 1848, they decided to organize the church formally.
15
Between 1849 and 1851, services were held in the Lyceum Building of the Greenville Woman’s College. On July 24, 1850, Vardry McBee donated land to the Presbyterians on Richardson Street. A two-story church with a basement was dedicated in June of 1851. The original building was eventually razed and the present building erected in 1883.
19
downtown baptist
Church
101 West McBee Avenue, greenville Directions: From First Presbyterian Church, continue south one block on Richardson Street. The church is on the left at the corner of Richardson Street and W. McBee Avenue.
Downtown Baptist Church was organized on November 2, 1831. At that time it was known as Greenville Baptist Church. The first church was built on a lot donated by Vardry McBee, but by 1854 it had become too small for the congregation. A new lot was purchased nearby on which the current edifice was built and officially dedicated in 1858. The name was changed to First Baptist Church in 1890. In 1974, due to First Baptist Church’s growth, most of the congregation moved to a new, larger building on Cleveland Street and kept their name. Those members who remained behind took the name Downtown Baptist Church.
20
huguenot mill & office
101 west broad street, greenville Directions: From Downtown Baptist Church, continue one block on Richardson Street and turn left onto Broad Street. The mill is on the right.
When the Huguenot Mill began operating in 1882, it was one of the largest textile mills in Greenville and the first to be powered by steam. The two men responsible for organizing the mill were Charles H. Lanneau and T. Q. Donaldson. Some of Greenville’s most prominent citizens were on the board. Though located near the Reedy River, the mill did not use water power from the river.
16
Instead, coal was used in heating boilers to create steam with which to drive its 80 horse power engine. The Huguenot Mill was built of red brick, the main building being 40 feet by 150 feet and in the shape of an L. Beyond the brick construction, several measures were added to help make the Huguenot Mill fireproof. The mill’s tower and the monitored roof, (the raised section of windows visible along the peak of its roofline), provided better ventilation throughout the building. A 5,000 gallon tank in the tower stored water which could be used in case of a fire. This water would run through a series of pipes in what was considered to be one of Greenville’s first sprinkler systems. Charles Lanneau served as the mill’s first superintendent and it is generally thought that his Huguenot French Protestant descent was the source of its name. The mill, the first in South Carolina to produce plaids, was made known for its “Huguenot Plaids.” Nuckasee Manufacturing Company, with Frederick W. Symmes as president, purchased the mill in 1910. It was sold again in 1929 to Union-Buffalo Mills and after that was used by a series of textile companies. Eventually, in the 1980s the mill was abandoned. Today it has been renovated and is used as an office building.
Greenville Coach 21 a
Factory
318 main street, greenville Directions: From the Huguenot Mill, continue on Broad Street. Immediately on the right, as you approach Main Street, is the Peace Center. Just to the left of the Peace Center is another smaller concert hall, the Gunter Theatre. The Coach Factory and the Wyche Pavilion are between the concert halls, below street level next to the Reedy River. In order to see them you will need to park and walk between the buildings and to the river.
Nestled next to the Reedy River, between the Peace Center and the Gunter Theatre, stands the oldest surviving industrial building in downtown Greenville. In 1835, Thomas Cox and Ebenezer Gower began building wagons and carriages on this site. The three and a half story Greenville Coach Factory building was constructed from handmade bricks around 1850. The sounds of the blacksmith’s hammer once rang through this building from the shop on the first floor as metal parts were hammered into shape for the wagons and carriages. Sounds of carpenters sawing, shaving and hammering wood added to the noise of the factory. The smell of wood blended into the strong smells of fresh paint and varnish as these liquids were applied to the carriages on the second floor. After H.C. Markley joined the business in 1853, operations were expanded. By the late 1850s, the Greenville Coach Factory, with its 100 employees, was the South’s largest carriage factory. During the Civil War, the factory produced caissons and ambulance wagons for the Confederate army. Times were hard after the war, but the business was able to return to building wagons and carriages. After weathering many storms over the years, the company was finally closed in 1914. The expanding use of the automobile put the wagon and carriage industry out of business.
17
wyche pavilion 21 318 main street, greenville Directions: The Greenville Coach Factory and the Wyche Pavilion are between the Peace and Gunter concert halls, below street level next to the Reedy River. Park and walk between the buildings to the river.
The Wyche Pavilion was built in the early 1900s as the paint shop for the Greenville Coach Factory. The distinct large windows once provided lighting and ventilation for the shop. The wooden cupola was probably transferred to the roof from one of the Greenville Coach Factory’s earlier buildings for added ventilation. Eugenia Duke began selling sandwiches with her homemade mayonnaise to troops at Camp Sevier during World War I. After the Greenville Coach Factory closed in 1914, the Duke’s Products Company converted the old shop into a mayonnaise factory around 1922. C.F. Sauer purchased the company in 1929, still using Mrs. Duke’s original recipe to present day. By 1958, C.F. Sauer had moved the mayonnaise plant to a new location and the building sat vacant. In danger of demolition, it was purchased by Thomas Wyche and refurbished in 1990; the building’s interior and windows were removed, creating an open-air pavilion.
22
Working Man’s
Benevolent
temple
falls street & East Broad Street, greenville Directions: From the Coach Factory and Wyche Pavilion, continue on Broad Street. The building is on the left, at the corner of Falls Street and Broad Street.
The Working Man’s Benevolent Temple was the main center for black professionals in early twentieth century, segregated Greenville. Built in 1920 at the intersection of Falls Street and Broad Street, this three-story brick building was home to seven doctors, two dentists, a pharmacy, a barbershop and a mortuary. The pharmacy, owned and operated by Dr. H.H. Gibbs, soon became a popular gathering spot. The third floor was the site of the annual Working Man’s Benevolent Society dance, a major fundraiser for the center. The funds were used in part to provide insurance for
18
poor blacks needing medical care at St. Luke’s Hospital for African American citizens.
Greenville Gas, Electric Light and Power
23
211 east broad street, greenville Directions: From the Working Man’s Benevolent Temple continue on Broad Street for less than a mile. The building is on the left.
Built along the Reedy River in the late 1880s, Greenville’s earliest electrical generation facility was purchased in 1890 from the city by R. R. Asbury, who already owned the city gas lines. The facility utilized a coal-burning, steam powered engine to run its DC generators, which in turn provided the energy to light the city streets. Asbury named his new company the Greenville Gas, Electric Light and Power Company.
24
The plant was purchased in 1892 by George Bunting of Philadelphia, who secured a franchise from the city to construct an electric trolley system, which he called the Greenville Traction Company. The first streetcar went into operation on January 12, 1901. The beltline, which connected the mill villages to the city, was added four years later. The Southern Public Utilities Company, which later became part of the Duke Power Company, purchased the powerhouse in 1913. Completely renovated, it is now the home of Northampton Wines.
Major R udolf
Anderson, Jr.
memorial
Ridgeland Drive (in cleveland park), greenville Directions: From the Greenville Gas, Electric Light and Power Company, continue on Broad Street for less than a mile. Turn right onto McDaniel Avenue. Take the second right onto Ridgeland Drive. The memorial is on the left.
19
Located near the Reedy River, in the heart of Cleveland Park, is Greenville’s memorial to a man whose sacrifice may have averted a third world war. Dedicated on May 19, 1963, a United States Air Force F-86 Sabre fighter jet stands as a monument to Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr., the only American casualty of the Cuban Missile Crisis. A native of Greenville and graduate of Greenville High and Clemson College (now Clemson University), Anderson served with distinction in the Korean War. He was highly decorated by the United States Air Force with honors that include the Distinguished Flying Cross, a Purple Heart (awarded posthumously following his final mission), and the first recipient of the Air Force Cross. During the tense days of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Anderson became part of an elite group of Air Force pilots to fly the U-2 reconnaissance jet, taking part in dangerous, secret photographic missions over Soviet installations in Cuba. It was during the last of these missions, on October 27, 1962, that Anderson was shot down by a surface-to-air missile, making him the only casualty of the crisis. Anderson has been hailed as a hero by media publications, programs and his hometown, since the tragedy occurred.
25
john wesley United Methodist
Church 101 east court street, greenville Directions: From the Rudy Anderson Jr. Memorial, continue on Ridgeland Drive. Take the next right onto Cleveland Street. At the next traffic light, veer left on Camperdown Way. At the next traffic light, turn right onto Falls Street. John Wesley United Methodist Church is immediately after the Broad Street intersection, on the right.
John Wesley United Methodist Church has the distinction of being Greenville’s oldest African American Methodist Church. The church’s early history reflects the African American struggle to establish community amid segregation in the Jim Crow South. Its establishment is linked to missionary efforts following the Civil War. After the war, the Methodist Episcopal Church from the North began missionary work in South Carolina. The church developed out of this effort; an 1866 meeting led to its organization, originally founded as Silver Hill Methodist Episcopal Church. The founders included James Rosemond, Alexander Maxwell, Frank Williamson, Wiley Pool and Wilson Cooke. The site for the current building was purchased by Reverend E.B. Burroughs in the late 1890s and construction was completed in 1900. At that time, the church changed its name to John Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church. By 1968, the name had changed again to reflect its current title. In 1977, the building was recognized for its historical significance and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Extensive renovations took place in the late 1970s, and it was reopened for services in 1980.
20
American
Cigar factory 26
25 east court street, greenville Directions: From John Wesley United Methodist Church, turn left onto Court Street. The factory is on the right, at the corner of Falls Street and Court Street.
In the early twentieth century, many of Greenville’s prominent citizens were concerned with economic development and diversification of local industry. In 1903, the Board of Trade, through its Greenville Improvement Company members, raised funds to construct a building for the American Cigar Factory. When it was constructed in 1907, the four story rectangular brick building was one of the largest brick buildings in Greenville. The American Cigar Company sold out to Seidenberg Cigar Factory in 1909. Although the plant was successful, it was hit hard by the Great Depression and closed in 1930. A few years later, Shepard Saltzman began to use the building for his Piedmont Shirt Company. It is a little-known fact that Max Heller got his first job at the shirt company upon arriving in Greenville after fleeing Austria to escape German Nazism. After World War II, he started his own local company and later served as mayor of Greenville.
In 1942, the shirt company moved and Eugene Stone purchased the building for Stoneswear Apparel Company. After moving his company to Poinsett Highway in the 1950s, Stone used the building for storage. The building was refurbished about a decade later when Stone purchased Umbro, the soccer shirt manufacturer. In 1994, the building was once again vacant. It was purchased by Mark Kent in 1997, and after an extensive renovation, the building opened again in 2000 as an office complex with a restaurant on the first floor.
Carpenter
Brothers
drugstore 123 south main street, greenville Directions: From the American Cigar Factory, continue on Court Street. Carpenter Brothers Drugstore is on the right, at the corner of Main Street and Court Street.
In 1883, Alfred Carpenter opened Pelzer’s first drugstore. In 1889 he moved to Greenville. Later with his brothers John, Thomas and Walter, he purchased a drugstore adjacent to the Mansion House Hotel. This later became the Carpenter
21
27
Brothers Drugstore. The brothers remained at the original location for thirty years, but eventually moved the business to 123 South Main Street. When the current building was erected, one notable new feature was the word “Huylers” built into the stained glass prisms above the windows. This was placed there because the brothers were the Huylers candy representatives for the area. Carpenter Brothers Drugstore was also the first business in the area to sell Coca-Cola. The new building included some distinctive characteristics, including its ornate tile floor and the solid mahogany cabinets made by C H Barnes & Co (St. Louis Missouri) in 1890. Four generations of Carpenters ran the store while as many generations of customers supported the historic business. For sixty years, all circus tickets were sold here as well as tickets for school plays and football games. The drugstore closed in 2001.
28
westin poinsett
hotel
120 south main street, greenville Directions: From Carpenter Brothers Drugstore, the hotel is directly across the street.
After a century of hospitality in downtown Greenville, the Mansion House, the city’s premier hotel, was razed, making room for a new project – the future “million dollar hotel.” On May 30, 1924, the first cornerstone was laid for the Hotel Poinsett, later called the Poinsett Hotel. Thirteen months later, the $1.5 million local project was completed. The 12-story hotel was originally built to offer rooms for visitors of Greenville’s annual Southern Textile Exposition. In 1915, the Exposition’s first year, the conference brought in 40,000 spectators. By the time the Hotel Poinsett was built, it held a large crowd each time the exposition came to Greenville. In 1930, when the 200-room hotel was deeply in debt due to the Great Depression, Mason Alexander began his 30 year career as manager. Under Alexander’s guidance, the Poinsett not only became a financial success, charging $3 a day (even during the Depression), it became one of the South’s most prestigious hotels. In 1946, the Poinsett was bought by the Jack Tar hotel chain and was named the best mid-sized hotel in the United States. The Jack Tar Poinsett prospered through the 1950s and the 1960s, but began to decline by the 1970s. In 1973, Philips Hungerford and the Poinsett Development Corporation purchased the hotel, hoping that by auctioning off its worn furnishings and renovating it, it could remain competitive. Even after these efforts, the Poinsett Hotel was forced to close in 1975. Two years later, Frank and Ann Bible purchased and reopened the hotel as a residential home for senior citizens. California developers bought the building for $3 million in 1985, but it was condemned in 1987. After extensive renovations the hotel reopened in 2000 as the Westin Poinsett hotel.
22
Greenville county
29
courthouse
130 south main street, greenville Directions: From the Westin Poinsett Hotel, turn right onto Main Street heading south. The courthouse will be on your right.
The Beaux Arts style building, completed in 1918, was one of four courthouses originally located in downtown Greenville. The architects were F. Thornton Marye, who designed the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, and H. Olin Jones of Greenville. It combines classical lines and ionic columns with a façade of terra cotta decorations that include spindles, cotton bolls and dogwood flowers. In 1907, interest in a new courthouse led to the establishment of a commission to oversee the project, which included plans for a new jail. Construction lasted from 1916 to 1918, longer than expected, due to the United State’s entrance into World War I. During the period lasting from 1918 to 1950, the building served as the Greenville County Courthouse. By the 1940s, the building was considered too small, and the court was moved in 1950. One of the most famous trials to have taken place at the Greenville County Courthouse was the 1947 trial of the men accused in the lynching murder of Willie Earle. Willie Earle, a twenty-four year-old black man hailed a taxi on the night of February 14, 1947. Several hours later, the white cab driver was discovered near his cab, severely injured from a knife wound, and Earle was immediately arrested. He was held in the Pickens County jail for less than twenty-four hours before a mob of 50 gathered outside of his cell, demanding the keys. They took Earle with them and his body was discovered an hour later in Greenville County. Thirty-one residents went to trial at the Greenville County Courthouse, but all were acquitted within a few short hours of deliberation. This was the last case of lynching in South Carolina, and one of the last in the South as a whole. The incident and subsequent trial made national news and Greenville was featured in the article “Opera in Greenville” in The New Yorker, 1947.
Local Newspaper Index
The Carolina First South Carolina Room
A unique source for information in the Carolina First South Carolina Room is the local newspaper index, INNEWS. This resource includes significant articles concerning Greenville, the Upstate and South Carolina. The index begins in 1994 and includes daily obituaries and wedding announcements.
23
main street
bridge
30
300 south main street, greenville Directions: From the courthouse, continue south on Main Street. Continue less than a mile and cross the Main Street Bridge.
In the nineteenth century, the only bridge connecting the land divided by the Reedy River was a footbridge. Wagons and carriages forded the river just above the falls, but heavy rains would sometimes cause the river to flood, thus preventing the use of the ford. The need for a bridge to accommodate wagons and carriage traffic became a political issue, and T. C. Gower defeated W. R. Jones in 1870 mayoral election based on his pro-bridge stance. A wooden bridge was built for $1,500, but the structure did not last long. A new iron bridge was built in 1890 and after much use, this bridge also became unserviceable. Finally in 1913, the fourth and last bridge over the Reedy River, designed by J.E. Sirrine, was built with concrete, and boasted an elegant arch and balustrade surmounted by tall, handsome cast iron lampposts.
falls cottage 615 south main street, greenville Directions: After the Main Street Bridge, Falls Cottage is less than a mile, on the left.
W.E. and Matilda Touchstone built Falls Cottage, a two-story brick residence, for their family in 1893. Touchstone was once the superintendent of Camperdown Mills along the Reedy River. In 1894, he resigned and left for Alabama. His family remained in Greenville and his wife was made owner of the home. In 1897, Matilda Touchstone sold her home. The home was bought by K. S. Conrad and turned into a filling station in 1920. In 1990, the house underwent renovations and opened as a combination art gallery and restaurant.
24
31
32
allen temple a.m.e. church 109 green avenue, greenville Directions: From Falls Cottage, continue on Main Street for less than a mile. Turn left onto Markley Street. Continue on Markley for one block. The church is on the right, at the corner of Markley Street and Green Street.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church movement was the result of the bitter battle within the Methodist church, pertaining to the ordination of African Americans. In the 1790s, an agreement was finally reached, thus allowing African ordination. On June 11, 1799, Reverend Allen became the first person of African descent to be ordained by the Methodists of the United States. Facing hostility and discrimination from the white church leadership, Allen and a few followers broke away from their parent church in 1816 and formed the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Attempts to organize an A.M.E. church in Greenville began in 1871. A building was chosen near the Christ Episcopal Church, at the corner of Coffee Street and Church Street. After negotiating the loan and beginning payments, the white trustees of the property suddenly decided to back out of the deal. Four years later, Reverend S. T. Sinclair, together with a congregation of thirteen members, moved into a building near the Southern Depot. However, this building proved to be inadequate, causing the congregation to continue to search for a home. The nearby Mattoon Presbyterian Church owned a small building a few blocks away at the corner of W. Washington Street and Echols Street. The Presbyterians allowed the A.M.E. members to use this building for their Sunday services. Soon, the Methodists were able to purchase it. Dedicated on February 2, 1881, it was called the Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The congregation quickly outgrew this facility, so they acquired the old Gaillard Presbyterian school and grounds at Markley Street and Vardry Street. The present building was erected there in 1929 and upon completion was renamed the Allen Temple A.M.E. Church.
Obituary Index
The Carolina First South Carolina Room Because death records are significant sources of information in genealogy research, the South Carolina Room staff developed the Obituary Index, extending from 1916 to 1993. The part web, part catalog system works in tandem to allow for seamless searches. 25
Shoeless Joe
Jackson Museum
& baseball library
33
356 field street, greenville Directions: From Allen Temple, continue on Markley Street and turn left onto Field Street. The museum is on the right.
Joseph Jefferson Wofford Jackson (pictured below) was born in Pickens County, South Carolina on July 16, 1888 – possibly. There is a discrepancy about his birth year: his grave marker indicates he was born in 1888, but his death certificate lists 1889. When Joe was a young child, his family moved to the Brandon Mill village in Greenville, where his father worked in the textile mill. It is common belief that Joe also began working in the mill, probably around the age of six, which was not uncommon in the late nineteenth century. State laws concerning school attendance were yet to be passed and Joe never learned to read or write. He remained illiterate his entire adult life. He married Katie Wynn, his local sweetheart, and it is said that throughout his baseball career she had to read and sign his contracts. Baseball was one of the few organized recreational activities available in the mill villages, and players on mill teams could earn approximately $2.50 per game. That was more than twice the pay for a 12-hour day at the mill. By the time he was in his mid-teens, Jackson’s athletic skills had become apparent and he was one of the regulars on the Brandon men’s baseball team. He went on to play for several teams in the area and his exemplary talents were recognized. This recognition landed him a job with the Greenville Spinners, where he earned $75 per month.
“Shoeless Joe” acquired his famous nickname while playing in Greenville. As the story is told, Joe was trying to break in an uncomfortable pair of cleats that were giving him blisters and informed his coach that he could not play. Rather than allow his star player to sit out the game, the coach instructed him to remove his shoes and get on the field. Joe hated the nickname, which was officially adopted when an opposing team fan used it. He felt it conjured the image of a backwoods, country hick and detested it; unfortunately for him, it stuck. In 1910, he moved to Cleveland and signed with the Chicago White Sox in 1915. He was probably earning around $6,000 per year at this time. His career ended in 1920 with the Chicago Black Sox scandal, when he and seven teammates were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series. Although the eight players were acquitted by a grand jury, the “Black Sox” were suspended from playing professional baseball for life by Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain
26
Landis. Joe and his wife Katie returned to Greenville and became business owners. This modest brick home was built for the couple in the early 1940s. Joe lived there until his death in 1951. The house was moved from its original location at 119 Wilburn Avenue to its present location across from Fluor Field at the West End in April 2006. The current address of 356 Field Street reflects Jackson’s lifetime batting average of .356. The Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum and Baseball Library opened on June 21, 2008.
34 a
reedy river falls
Historic Park
601 south main street, greenville Directions: From Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum and Baseball Library, continue on Field Street. Turn left onto Augusta Road, at the traffic light. Turn right onto University Ridge. Enter the traffic circle and take the last right into Falls Park. The Liberty Bridge will be visible on the left.
Falls Park on the Reedy River, located in downtown Greenville, is noted for its landscaped gardens and award-winning Liberty Bridge. The area is now one of Greenville’s major attractions, but it has also played a central role in Greenville’s history and development. Before the first English colony in South Carolina was settled at Charleston in 1670, the foothills and mountains of upstate South Carolina were the domain of the Cherokee Indians, and the land that is now Greenville County was part of the tribe’s hunting grounds. As the Cherokee came into contact with the British colonists, a bustling trade developed with deerskins being exchanged for manufactured goods. The trade attracted settlers from other colonies. In the 1750s, Richard Pearis, an Irish born Indian trader from Virginia, made his first visit to the area. He established trade relations with the Native Americans and had a son with a Cherokee woman. Settlers were strictly forbidden from buying land from the Indians and a boundary line marked the western limit of British settlement. However, in 1769, Pearis was able to convince several Cherokee headmen to grant 12 square miles of land, well past the boundary line, to his Indian son. By claiming that his son was also a British citizen, he then bought part of the land from him, including the falls on the Reedy River. He built a grist mill and saw mill on the river, as well as a store at the falls to trade with the Cherokees. He also constructed a plantation called Great Plains. The American Revolution brought ruin to Richard Pearis. As a Loyalist to King George, Pearis fought for the British and incited the Cherokee against the Patriots. Pearis’ store and plantation were known to be gathering spots for Loyalists and Indians. In the winter of 1775, Patriot soldiers destroyed Great Plains Plantation, his store and mills, sold off his slaves and livestock, and jailed Pearis. The ensuing campaign against the Cherokee led to their submission and the loss of almost all of their South Carolina land, including what is now Greenville County. Pearis never regained his land and was forced to flee to the Bahamas when the war ended.
27
The land was officially opened for settlement in 1784, and the Reedy River and falls served as an attraction to new settlers. Colonel Thomas Brandon immediately purchased the site of Pearis’ plantation at the falls, but sold it in 1788 to Lemuel James Alston. Alston’s interest in developing the area led him to plan for a village called Pleasantburg. It included present-day Main Street and McBee Avenue, as well as 52 building lots along the old Pearis Wagon Rd. In 1795, the first Greenville courthouse was located on Alston’s land near the falls, and a jail was built near the foot of the falls. By the early 1800s, mills and foundries along the Reedy River had established the area’s reputation for the smallscale manufacturing that supported a growing agricultural community in the county. The early nineteenth century brought continued growth of manufacturing along the Reedy River. Vardry McBee purchased the falls area in 1815, using it to build a flour mill, a saw mill and a corn mill. Ebenezer Gower and Thomas Cox established the Greenville Coach Factory. It was located just above the falls and now part of it serves as a restaurant near the Peace Center. Textile manufacturing became a successful addition to Greenville’s business landscape after New England entrepreneurs harnessed the Reedy River in the mid to late 1800s. During this period, a new generation of mills began to spring up along the falls stretch of the Reedy River. Vardry Mill was built to produce textiles in 1873; its ruins remain at the lower falls in the park. Camperdown Mill was established in 1875 and located on the northeast bank of the falls. Huguenot Mill was built in 1882 and located a short distance upstream from the falls. Resulting from the textile boom, the Traxler Building located above the falls was completed in 1913 as a cotton warehouse. The falls area has a history of cultural, as well as business progress. Furman University was located by the Falls Park area between 1850 and 1961. Chicora College, a Presbyterian women’s college, was located beside the falls from 1893 until 1915, when it was converted into apartments that later burned. In 1973, the National Register of Historic Places acknowledged the Reedy River Falls Historic Park. The Peace Center, completed in 1990, retains the falls area history by preserving part of the Coach Factory and Huguenot Mill structures. The Reedy River Falls
liberty bridge As early as 1990 the Greenville Area Partnership supported the removal of the Camperdown Bridge to allow a better view of the Reedy River Falls. In 2002, after much debate, the demolition of the bridge began. The multi-million dollar project included a pedestrian bridge that would enhance the view of the falls. City officials also hoped to create a world class botanical garden below the falls. Liberty Bridge was designed by Miguel Rosales of Boston, and engineered by Schlaich Bergermann. It was built over the course of a year by Taylor and Murphy Construction Company of Asheville. The magnificent bridge and gardens were dedicated in 2004. What makes the 355-foot long, 12-foot wide bridge so unique is its single-side suspension. In 2005, the bridge received the Arthur G. Hayden Medal for its engineering accomplishment.
28
christ episcopal
church 35
10 north church street, greenville Directions: From Falls Park, return to the traffic circle and turn right onto Howe Street. Take the next left onto University Ridge. Turn left onto Church Street. Continue on Church Street for one mile. Christ Church is on the right.
In 1820, St. James’ Mission established the first organized religious body in Greenville. Soon afterwards, in 1825, the first church was built on land donated by Vardry McBee. In 1828, Bishop Nathaniel Bowen consecrated the church as Christ Church. The present building, which began construction in 1852, is the oldest church building in Greenville, and is a great example of Gothic architecture. The graveyard surrounding the church contains the burial sites of many of Greenville’s most distinguished leaders. Among them are the editor of the Greenville Mountaineer and former Governor of South Carolina, Benjamin Franklin Perry, as well as many war heroes and “the Father of Greenville,” Vardry McBee.
springwood 410 north main street, greenville Directions: From Christ Church, continue on Church Street. Continue through the intersection of Beattie Place and Church Street. Take the next left onto Elford Street. Springwood Cemetery is on the right. The main entrance is at the corner of Elford Street and Main Street.
Originally a family burial plot in a residential garden, Springwood Cemetery was opened to the public for use as a cemetery in 1829. Springwood is presently 30 acres and maintains over 10,000 burial sites. Since its early history overlapped with slavery, many African Americans were buried here until segregation led to the establishment of Richland Cemetery. Springwood contains several burial sites of particular significance. These include the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary plot that dates from 1859 to 1877, the Furman family and Furman University faculty plot, the unknown Confederate soldiers’ graves, and an African American section that dates to 1860. Springwood’s interred include Wade Hampton Parker, Greenville’s first casualty of the Spanish-
29
cemetery 36
American War; John Matthews Manly, the University of Chicago’s first English department head, the first president of Furman University, James Clement Furman; and numerous individuals who died during the 1918 Spanish influenza epidemic, many of them soldiers from nearby Camp Sevier. There are also many recognizable names that are linked to Greenville’s local streets and nearby towns. Since 1924, Springwood has hosted a Confederate monument dedicated to “ the Lost Cause.” In recent years, it has become the site of interactive tours where guides in costume act in the role of individuals who are buried there. The “Spirits of Springwood” tour occurs in October, and the “Soldiers’ Rest” tour remembers soldiers on Veterans’ Day. James Clement Furman (pictured right)
kilgore-lewis
house
37
560 north academy street, greenville Directions: From Springwood Cemetery, continue on Elford Street. Turn right onto Main Street. Turn right onto Academy Street. The Kilgore-Lewis house is less than a mile, on the right.
In 1838, Josiah Kilgore bought the Kilgore-Lewis home site from George Boyle. Documents show that the price Kilgore paid for the land indicates that the house on the lot was a substantial dwelling. However, tradition says that Kilgore built a home for his daughter, Mary K. Stokes, when she married. If this is true, then the original house was replaced. The house, Greenville’s only bicentennial restoration project, remained in the Kilgore family until Lillian Gaines, a descendant of Mary Kezziah Kilgore, married R.E. Lewis. Then, remaining in the Lewis family until 1974, the house was given to Buncombe Street Methodist Church. Finally, on April 24, 1974, the Palladian-style house was acquired by the Greenville Garden Club. It was moved to a location near McPherson Park, its current location, in July of that year.
30
Richland cemetery 38
fern street & oakwood avenue, greenville Directions: From the Kilgore-Lewis House, turn right onto Academy Street and immediately get into the left lane. Take the next left onto Church Street. Turn right onto Sunflower Street (just past the old armory building). Richland Cemetery is on the left.
In 1867, African Americans were dismissed from southern churches, resulting in a need for African American churches and cemeteries. Richland Cemetery was established in 1884. Richland’s site was initially made up of two lots purchased by the city from the Misses Elizabeth and Emmala Jones. This grew into the six acres now located between North Church Street, East Stone Avenue and East Park Avenue. Some of Richland’s tombstones honor individuals with traditional African American funeral art. Symbols include everyday items, things associated with water and prickly plants, all representing the transition to the afterlife. The cemetery represents the African American experience during the late 1800s and early 1900s. It currently hosts over 1,400 graves and includes many pioneers of Greenville’s African American community: Hattie Logan Duckett, founder of the Phillis Wheatley Center; Elias Holloway, businessman and writer; William Sewell, contractor of
Sterling High School and the South Carolina Franks Mortuary; Cora Chapman, one of the first African American nurses; and Lena White, one of the first African American principals. Unfortunately, a fire in the mid-1900s destroyed many records related to the cemetery. This event, along with the existence of unmarked grave sites, led to a high-tech mapping project in the early 2000s, which updated the cemetery’s plat. In 2005, Richland Cemetery was admitted to the National Register of Historic Places due to its importance to the community, its unique design and its funeral art. An interest in connecting the cemeteries and developing the area’s green space potential culminated in a master plan designed by Clemson University architecture students. Hattie Logan Duckett (pictured right)
31
beattie house 39
8 bennett street, greenville Directions: From Richland Cemetery, continue on Sunflower Street and turn right onto Oaklawn Avenue. Turn right onto East Park Avenue. Turn right onto Bennett Street. The first driveway on the right leads to the Beattie House.
The Beattie House was built in the 1830s by Fountain Fox Beattie as a present to his wife, Emily Hamlin of Charleston, and is currently the location of the Greenville Woman’s Club. The two-story Italianate house is one of the oldest structures in the city. It displays beautiful woodwork, a winding stairway and tall Renaissance columns. In 1949 it was in danger of being demolished. A group of local prominent women arranged to have the house moved to 1 Beattie Place. Finally, in 1983, the house was moved to its current location near Park Avenue.
whitehall 310 west earle street, greenville Directions: From the Beattie House, turn left onto Bennett Street. Immediately turn right onto East Park Avenue. Turn right at the stop sign, onto Townes Street. Turn left onto Stone Avenue. Turn right onto Rutherford Street. Go one block and turn right onto W. Earle Street. Whitehall is less than a mile on the left
This Greenville summer home of Henry Middleton, Governor of South Carolina and son of Arthur Middleton – a signer of the Declaration of Independence – was built in 1813. The home, better known as “Whitehall,” was later resold to George Washington Earle when Middleton became minister to Russia in 1820. Earle gave the house to his daughter, Eugenia, who married Charles Benjamin Stone, and the house has remained in the Stone family since. The house, which originally had no closets, is 4,200 square feet and contains piazzas on the first and second floor.
32
40
broad margin 41
9 west avondale drive, greenville Directions: Continue on W. Earle Street past Whitehall for approximately half a mile and turn left at the traffic light onto N. Main Street. Proceed for approximately one mile on N. Main Street. Turn left on W. Avondale Street. Broad Margin is the second house on the left.
Broad Margin, designed in 1951 for Misses Gabrielle and Charlcey Austin, exhibits one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s natural or “Usonian” homes. The 1,727 square-foot structure is one of less than twenty buildings in the Southeast and one of two houses in South Carolina designed by Wright. Unique to Broad Margin is the cypress, rock and glass that compose its walls, as well as its radiant heating, which is provided by hot water circulating through copper pipes underneath the concrete flooring. The structure, completed in 1954, is also one of only 19 houses nationwide with Wright’s initials written in a tile outside the front door.
The Carolina First
South Carolina Room
in the Hughes Main Library offers both resources and services for historical and genealogical research. While the major focus of the collection is Greenville and the Upstate, coverage includes areas throughout South Carolina and other states.
Resources
Services
Digitized records, photographs, newspaper archives, proprietary websites, maps and microfilm are just a few of the resources in the collection. All items and records are organized for quick and accurate searching.
Knowledgeable staff are available to provide feebased record searches in Vital Records, County Records, SC Colonial and State Land Records, Military and Pension Records, SC Wills and US Censuses 1790-1930. 33
southern Tour 123
43 45 42 44
Batesville
385
85
276
25
Dunean 25 85
Gantt
417
Mauldin
46
53
185
385
185
Simpsonville
123
418
Fountain inn
240
52
25 Woodville
pelzer
47
The 1777 treaty between South Carolina and the Cherokee Nation resulted in the rapid development of southern Greenville County, as settlers moved into the areas ceded by the Cherokee. However, the development of the southern section differed in many respects from the settlement of the northern part as Greenville began to be recognized as a desirable resort location.
51
418
276
As early as 1784, wealthy planters began visiting from Charleston and other coastal areas to escape the summer heat. Many purchased homes in the area; others stayed with friends or relatives. In 1815, a mansion called Prospect Hill became Greenville’s first hotel. In 1824, the elegant Mansion House opened. By that time, the tourist trade was well established and every summer the town was packed with wealthy visitors. The political influence of these tourists ensured that the State Road to Charleston was built through Greenville County and across the Saluda Gap to another fashionable resort - Flat Rock, North Carolina. Chick Springs Resort opened in the 1840s and soon rivaled Flat Rock and the town of Greenville as a tourist destination. After the Civil War, the southern section of the county began to industrialize because of the growth of the textile industry. The mills recruited mountain farmers as operatives, causing another influx of immigrants to the area.
fork shoals
48
50 247 25
49
33
wilkins house 42
1004 augusta street, greenville Directions: From Hughes Main Library, turn left onto Buncombe Street. Turn right onto Richardson Street. Richardson Street will turn into River Street. Go straight across Main Street, at the light, and onto Augusta Street. The Wilkins House is approximately one mile on the right.
One of the most elaborate mansions in Greenville, the Wilkins House was completed in the late nineteenth century by William and Harriet Cleveland Wilkins. Built by Jacob Cagle, the house was designed in the Second Empire style, a popular Victorian style borrowed from the French during the reign of Napoleon III. The mansard roof on the Wilkins House is a typical feature of this style, as well as the Corinthian columns and a three-story tower. William Wilkins was a partner in Wilkins & Poe Hardware Company, and he served on the board of directors of the Greenville Daily News. Mrs. Wilkins was considered a legendary hostess and entertained frequently. After the death of William Wilkins in 1895 and Harriet Wilkins in 1930, the house was leased to R. D. Jones and used as a mortuary until the 1990s.
43
Mills’ mill 400 mills avenue, greenville Directions: From the Wilkins House, continue on Augusta Street. Turn right at the traffic light onto Mills Avenue. Turn right onto Guess Street. Mills’ Mill is the first building on the left.
Captain Otis Prentiss Mills began plans for Mills’ Mill in 1895. His vision of a textile mill became reality in 1897 when the building, constructed with timber frame and local brick, was completed. When operations began, it was one of the largest textile mills in Greenville. It provided job opportunities and played a large part in Greenville’s growth during the early twentieth century. The Mills family operated the mill until 1918, at which time it was purchased by Reeves Brothers and continued textile operations until 1978. In 1929, Mills’ Mill, along with other local mills, served as a backdrop for class conflicts. Insufficient labor laws in South Carolina led to a need for improved conditions and pay for mill
35
workers. This invited union activities, in turn raising awareness among the workers, but upsetting management. At Mills’ Mill, a walkout by approximately 500 workers led to a two-month standoff. The mill employees won a small victory when the Cotton Textile Institute agreed to eliminate night shifts for women and minors. After the mill closed in 1978, the building provided new opportunities for businesses. It was used for restaurants, shopping and a bar during the 1980s and 1990s. Since 2003, the building has been developed into a residential community, The Lofts, by Mills’ Mill Associates LLC. In 1982, it was recognized for its historical significance and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
donaldson
house
44
412 crescent avenue, greenville Directions: From Mills’ Mill, return to Mills Avenue. Proceed back to the intersection with Augusta Street. Go straight through the intersection and turn right onto Crescent Avenue, the first street on the right. The Donaldson House is less than a mile, on the right.
The Italianate-style T.Q. Donaldson House is one of the oldest surviving houses within the Greenville city limits. The original one and a half story structure was built during the Civil War, circa 1863, by William Williams, a professor at the Southern Baptist Seminary that was once located in Greenville. Before the war ended in 1865, the seminary closed and Williams sold the house. In 1868, the house was bought at auction by Thomas Quinton Donaldson, a local attorney, prominent businessman and state Senator. An additional story, a library wing and a kitchen were among the improvements that he made to the house. Amazingly, the building’s appearance has changed very little since then.
Senator Donaldson’s son Major General Thomas Q. Donaldson was raised in this home before graduating from West Point. He then had a distinguished military career serving on the American western frontier, Cuba and the Philippines. He was Inspector General of the Army during World War I and the first commandant of Clemson College. He and his wife are buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His son, John O. Donaldson, was also raised in the home while his father was stationed in the Philippines. John joined the army during World War I and became an ace, shooting down seven German planes. Tragically, he died in a plane crash after an air race in 1930. In the early 1950s, the Greenville Air Force Base was renamed Donaldson Air Force Base in his honor. The T.Q. Donaldson House stands today as a reminder of the Civil War era style of homes in Greenville and of the contributions of one of Greenville’s most prominent families.
36
lanneau-norwood
house
45
417 belmont avenue, greenville Directions: From Donaldson House, continue on Crescent Avenue. Turn left onto Belmont Avenue. The Lanneau-Norwood House is the third house on the right.
In 1877, the Lanneau-Norwood House, a great example of the Second Empire architectural style, was built for Charles H. Lanneau as his private residence. It was constructed on the former estate of Dr. Peter C. Edwards. In 1907, the house was acquired from the Lanneau estate by John Wilkins Norwood. Norwood was responsible for the addition of the kitchen, the enlargement of the front porch and other changes that include the subdivision of the 39-acre parcel that originally stretched to McDaniel Avenue with access from a large circular driveway. Upon his death in 1945, J.W. Norwood left the house to his daughter and son-in-law.
donaldson
air force base 46 2 exchange street, greenville Directions: From the Lanneau-Norwood House, continue on Belmont Avenue. Turn right onto Cleveland Street. After two miles, turn right onto S. Pleasantburg Drive. Pleasantburg Drive will become Augusta Road. After four miles, turn left onto White Horse Road and bear right onto Donaldson Road. Turn left onto Exchange Street. Turn left onto Perimeter Road. Immediately on the right are the parking lot and hangar from the original Greenville Army Air Base.
In 1943, the Greenville Army Air Base was commissioned, located about six miles from downtown Greenville and sitting on 2,500 acres. Later named Donaldson Air Force Base, it was built by the United States Army Corps as a training base for flight crews, specifically B-25 crews. To complement the base, the Army established a practice bombing range in Northern Greenville County known as “The Dismal.� The county residents were accustomed to the airplane traffic and were happy to welcome the troops who were stationed at the base. In fact, after World War II, many of the soldiers returned to Greenville permanently. Inevitably, plane crashes were often associated with the base. One of the most serious crashes occurred in February 1944, when a group of B-25s were flying in formation over the base. Three of the bombers crashed, tragically killing twenty airmen.
37
The base was closed after the war, but was soon reopened by the Defense Department as the Global Headquarters of the Military Air Transport Command. The government requested ownership of the land instead of a lease arrangement; this was granted under the condition that if the base was deactivated, the ownership would revert to the city and county. Over the years, thousands of men were stationed here who have flown missions all over the world, including participation in the Berlin airlift. In 1951, the Greenville Air Force Base was renamed the Donaldson Air Force Base, in honor of Major John O. Donaldson, a Greenville native and World War I hero. In 1963, the base closed, the city and county assumed ownership, and the Donaldson Development Commission was formed. From its beginning, the air base had a significant economic impact on the county, and today the South Carolina Aviation and Technology Center continues that tradition.
ware place 47
highway 25, pelzer Directions: From the Donaldson Air Force Base, turn left onto Donaldson Road. After a mile, turn left onto Highway 25. After approximately nine miles, there will be an intersection at Ware Place. The Ware House is immediately past the traffic light, on the right.
Ware Place, built in the 1830s, was originally the home of Samuel Williams. The house was inherited by his daughter Jane, who had married Adam Jones. Their only child, Mary Jones, married T. Edwin Ware, who came to live at the house with his wife’s family. Ware was the largest slave owner in the district and served in the South Carolina House of Representatives and the Senate. T. Edwin Ware is a name associated with one of the most sensational events to occur in Greenville. On February 16, 1853, after months of heated family strife, he was charged with the murder of his wife’s father. The back-story claims that after the death of Jane Jones, Adam Jones’ pending remarriage became a problem between him and his daughter. The quarrels climaxed when Jones attacked T. Edwin Ware, who in turn shot his father-in-law.
The trial was held in Greenville on April 14, 1853. Senator Ware was convicted and imprisoned in the district jail. One week later, he was pardoned by Governor John L. Manning, but ordered to pay a five hundred dollar fine. The house has since been known as Ware Place.
11 locations to serve you! v online Research databases v Public computer access v Meeting Spaces and study rooms at all locations v Programs and Events for all ages v Genealogical and Local history resources at the Hughes Main Library
www.greenvillelibrary.org 864-242-5000 38
Lickville presbyterian church 48
10020 augusta road, pelzer Directions: From Ware Place, continue driving south on Highway 25. Drive approximately two miles to Lickville Presbyterian Church, on the right.
Located near Ware Place on Augusta Road, Lickville Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest Presbyterian churches in Greenville County, erected in 1881. The unique name “Lickville” probably originated from a deer lick located near the church. Deer and other animals will sometimes lick an exposed area of ground because of its higher salt content. Lickville Presbyterian Church traces its origin to the year 1880. Mrs. Ellen C. Woodside, wife of local physician John Lawrence Woodside, opened a small schoolroom building on the family’s farm as a temporary place of worship. At the time, Fairview Presbyterian Church of Fountain Inn was the nearest Presbyterian Church, but it was miles away. Mrs. Woodside enlisted the help of a recent seminary graduate, Reverend C.L. Stewart, in leading services for the small congregation. Stewart was described as “frail of constitution, but strong of will.” As the small congregation grew, the need for a proper church building led local landowner W.A. McKelvey, Sr. to donate a forested site on Augusta Road. Construction of the new sanctuary began on November 1,
1881. The congregation was officially organized on April 30, 1882. The lowcountry colonial-style architecture of this beautiful rural building is in full evidence in its white walls and single steeple. The church was remodeled to its present colonial appearance in 1944.
cherokee
boundary line
Latimer mill road, honea path Directions: From the Lickville Presbyterian Church, continue south on Highway 25 for approximately eight miles. The road forks at Princeton, SC. Veer left onto Highway 76, towards Laurens. Take an immediate left onto Latimer Mill Road. The beginning of this road runs parallel to the old Cherokee Boundary Line.
Today most of the southern and eastern boundaries of Greenville County are actually based on an
39
49
old boundary line that ran between the colony of South Carolina and the Cherokee Nation. With the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, the British created an Indian Boundary Line in an effort to keep peace with the Indians by preventing colonial settlement on Indian land. The southern section of the boundary line ran in a southwestern direction down from Virginia to a point near present day Tryon, North Carolina. At that point, the line turned south and continued into South Carolina along what would become the border of Greenville County and Spartanburg County. Further south where it intersected the Reedy River, the boundary line turned toward the southwest and ran to Georgia. In 1766, trees were marked along the length of South Carolina’s Cherokee Boundary for a width of fifty feet. Colonists could not legally settle on land west of this border. Licensed traders were allowed to travel into the Cherokee Nation, but they were strictly prohibited from trading rum to the Indians. However, many settlers moved as close as possible to the Cherokee Boundary with the specific intention of trading with the Indians, often in illegal rum. When the American Revolution broke out in 1775, the Cherokee were allies of the British. Encouraged by the British, the Cherokee staged attacks along the the southern frontier. South Carolina retaliated by sending an army of Patriot militia against the Indians, attacking and burning their villages and crops. By 1777, the Cherokee were defeated and gave up most of their South Carolina land in the peace treaty that ended the conflict. Settlers were swift to move into this land after the American Revolution ended. In 1786, the newly independent state of South Carolina formed Greenville County from part of these Cherokee lands. The legacy of the old Cherokee Boundary Line endures in the the southern and eastern boundaries of Greenville County.
l e b a n o n United Methodist
50
Church dunklin bridge road, honea path Directions: Continue on Latimer Mill Road for approximately six miles. Turn right at the intersection with Dunklin Bridge Road. Lebanon Methodist Church is immediately on the right.
Lebanon United Methodist Church, founded in 1785, is the oldest Methodist church in Greenville County. In 1784, the former Indian lands west of the “Ancient Boundary” opened to settlers. The Sullivans, Ragsdales, Shipps, Arnolds and Chandlers were some of the families who migrated to the area from Virginia. Almost immediately, this group organized to establish a church and school, and commissioned Peter Ragsdale to find someone to preach and teach. In the interim, they built the first building on land owned by Charles Sullivan. The structure was a cabin or “pole chapel” and was named The Grove, reflecting the name of the land owned by Sullivan. The Reverend Mark Moore, brother-in-law of Peter Ragsdale, became the first minister.
40
The second church building, referred to as the “old plank church,” was built in 1832 and the name was changed to Lebanon United Methodist Church. The current building, with solid brick walls approximately a foot thick, was erected in 1852. In 1900, major renovations were completed and in the 1950s, a Sunday school annex and a parsonage were added.
Fair vie w
presbyterian
Church 51
126 fairview church road, fountain inn Directions: From Lebanon Church, turn left onto Dunklin Bridge Road (Highway 68). After less than a mile, turn right onto Hillside Church Road. After approximately six miles, turn right onto McKelvey Road. After less than a mile, turn left onto Fairview Road (Highway 55). After less than a mile, turn right onto Fairview Church Road. Fairview Presbyterian Church is on the right.
Located near Fountain Inn, South Carolina, Fairview Presbyterian is known as the oldest Presbyterian Church in Greenville County. During the late 1700s, immigrants from County Antrim, Ireland sought a better life in what was to become Spartanburg County, SC. The founders of Fairview emerged from this group and included Samuel Peden, James Alexander, James Nesbit, Josh Peden and David Peden. Following the Revolutionary War, veterans were granted land in what is now Greenville County in payment for their military service. James Alexander used his military land grant to donate land for the church. The founders built a small log building and named the new church “Fairview” after the church they had left in Ireland. In the early years of the church, ministers were shared with other congregations and services were held every other week. Attendance at church was mandatory and any absence was questioned by the elders. Services often lasted all day. Pastors regularly visited the homes of members to test children’s knowledge of the catechism, a practice that evolved into Sunday school.
The 1800s witnessed the church’s continued growth as well as the development of Greenville County. The congregation built new sanctuaries three times as it grew. The fourth building, in which the congregation now worships, was completed in 1858 due to a legacy left by David Morton, another Revolutionary War veteran. It includes what was once a slave gallery. The church is presently an active Presbyterian Church in America congregation and pays homage to its history. Fairview has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1977. Its grounds include interesting plaques such as one erected by Dr. Henry Boardman Stewart in 1938 to honor the slaves who had attended the church. As of the church’s bicentennial, members had served in every American war.
41
battle of great
cane brake 52
south harrison bridge road, simpsonville Directions: From Fairview Church, go back to Fairview Road. Turn right and continue approximately one mile. Turn left onto Hwy 418. Travel 1.6 miles, then turn right onto S. Harrison Bridge Road. The historic marker is approximately one mile, on the left.
The Battle of Great Cane Brake was the only Revolutionary War battle fought in what would become Greenville County. In the fall of 1775, Colonel Richard Richardson and Colonel William Thompson marched Patriot troops into the South Carolina backcountry in search of the Loyalist forces entrenched there. Some minor skirmishes forced the British to retreat deeper into the wilderness. After reinforcements from South Carolina and North Carolina joined the Patriot militia (totaling over 4,000), Richardson sent about 1,300 men to attack the Loyalists, led by Patrick Cunningham. At dawn on December 22, 1775, the Patriots surrounded the Loyalists, who were camped along the Reedy River at the Canebrake. In the ensuing battle six Loyalists were killed and 130 taken prisoner. It was reported that when Patrick Cunningham escaped the attack, it was without breeches on a bare-backed horse. The Patriots seized the ammunition and supplies, and returned with the prisoners to Richardson’s camp. The prisoners were eventually sent to Charles Town. Due to the unusual amount of snow that fell during the final days of the march – almost two feet – the entire operation became known as the “Snow Campaign.”
mcbee chapel main street, conestee Directions: From the Battle of Great Cane Brake marker, turn right onto S. Harrison Bridge Road. Turn right onto Highway 418. Continue for approximately one mile and turn right onto Fork Shoals Road (Highway 146). Continue for approximately nine miles and turn right onto Main Street in Conestee. The McBee Chapel is less than a mile, on the left.
In 1846, a small Methodist congregation was organized for workers of the village at Reedy River Manufacturing Company later to be named Conestee. By the 1850s, a Methodist meeting house was erected for the growing congregation. The chapel came about through the efforts of Alexander McBee, the son of Vardry McBee. McBee Chapel is significant as a landmark because of its unusual architecture. It is designed in an octagon, and it is one of only three in the nation shaped that way. The style is attributed to the influence of John Wesley, founder of Methodism. Octagonal churches were popular in Britain during the eighteenth century, and the design
42
53
proved practical by providing more floor space. During the first half of the nineteenth century, manufacturing emerged as a growing industry in Greenville County. McBee had already established mills along the Reedy River at the falls with a second flour mill, a cotton and wool factory, and a paper mill. The Reedy River Mill at Conestee was an extension of McBee’s manufacturing enterprise. The village he built to serve his employees was praised for being “attractive and comfortable.” Mill villages like that of Conestee demonstrate the shift from an agrarian society to an urban, industrial society. At the same time that manufacturing was growing in Greenville County, Methodism experienced growth as well. The early preachers practiced circuit preaching. Two preachers would often share a congregation. They would alternate between churches, allowing more congregations to be served between them. Each preacher visited a congregation once per month; therefore, services were held every other week. Supposedly, employees of Reedy River Mill were required to attend services held at McBee Chapel as part of their employment agreement.
return to heritage green
25 heritage green place, greenville Directions: From McBee Chapel, continue on Main Street for less than a mile. Veer right onto Conestee Road. Follow Conestee Road approximately one mile, then turn left on Mauldin Road. After approximately four miles, turn right onto Augusta Street. After approximately two miles, turn right onto Church Street. Turn left onto Beattie Place. The Hughes Main Library is approximately four blocks, on the right.
PHOTOGRAPHS The South Carolina Room of the Greenville County Library System and courtesy of: Terry Butler • Edwards Mill p. 6, Downtown Baptist Church p. 16 • Timothy Joner • Mattoon Presbyterian Church p. 11, Greenville Coach Factory p. 17, Wyche Pavilion p. 18, John Wesley United Methodist Church p. 20, Allen Temple A.M.E. Church p. 25, Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum & Baseball Library p. 26, Reedy River Falls Historic Park p. 27, Liberty Bridge p. 28, Spingwood Cemetery p. 29, Mills’ Mill p. 35 • Katie Shamblin • Chick Springs Gazebo & Bath House p. 6 • Courtesy of the Greenville Cultural Exchange Center • Photo of Hattie Logan Duckett p. 31 • Courtesy of the Greenville Historical Society, Greenville, SC • Record Building photo p. 47
43
Carolina First
The
Carolina First South Carolina Room at the Hughes Main Library houses a special collection concentrating on the history and genealogy of Greenville County, the state and beyond. The collection contains primary and secondary sources including manuscripts, periodicals, photographs, maps, census and military records, deeds, wills and death certificates. The following images highlight some of the collection’s photographs and postcards, and a hand-written ledger book from the 1790s. All but one of the eight images refer to structures in Greenville County which have been demolished.
Sans Souci
Sans Souci (French for “without care”) was built by former governor Benjamin Perry as a retirement home in the 1870s. His mansion was an ornate Victorian style brick house, with gabled windows and a great mansard roof, crowned at the top by an elegant cupola. The estate contained seven hundred acres of rolling hills and pastureland. After Perry’s death in 1886, his sons Ben and William inherited the mansion. Unfortunately, the family suffered financial difficulties after William’s health began to decline. In 1896, many acres belonging to the estate were sold and Sans Souci was mortgaged, suggesting a need for cash. By this time, William’s wife, Louise, had converted the mansion into a finishing school for girls. The school was never very successful, and Mrs. Perry closed it immediately after the death of her husband in 1903. She sold the mansion and the remaining 480 acres for $30,000 to the Piedmont Savings & Loan Company.
In 1905, the property was leased, and later purchased, by a local golf club formed by textile magnate Captain Ellison Adger Smythe. A nine hole golf course was built and the mansion was refurbished as a clubhouse for what eventually became the Greenville Country Club. The facility boasted several dining halls, a bar and a large ballroom, plus additional bedrooms and suites for members. The patrons of the Sans Souci country club included many influential businessmen, such as the Sirrine brothers, W.E. Beattie and Frank Capers. By 1916, the nine hole Sans Souci golf course was considered too small and members began to look around for a piece of property on which they could build an eighteen hole course. The club moved to its Augusta Road location in 1923. The mansion was bought by a private individual and remodeled; sadly, Sans Souci was destroyed by a fire in 1927.
Southern Railway Depot The Southern Railway Depot, which was located on West Washington Street, is believed to have been built in the early 1900s for the Atlanta and Charlotte Airline Railway (later part of Southern Railway). The depot was a showplace of its time. It was known for its impressive observation tower with its church-like steeple. The old depot was once a gathering place for the town. It was here that the residents saw their sons off to war and welcomed Franklin Delano Roosevelt on his whistle stop campaign in 1932. It was also here that an estimated crowd of between 15,000 and 20,000 gathered to mourn the death of President Roosevelt in 1945, when the train carrying his body made a brief stop. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, railroad passenger traffic declined. The depot became rundown, and despite the efforts of some local residents to preserve it, the historic building was demolished in 1988.
McBeth's Store
Alexander McBeth was a wealthy landowner who operated stores in Union County and Spartanburg County in the late eighteenth century. Shortly before January 1794, Alexander McBeth & Company opened a new store in Greenville County at the intersection of Pearis’s Wagon Road and White Horse Road. McBeth’s store was a small, wooden-framed building measuring 30 feet by 18 feet. Almost anything a person needed could be purchased from McBeth & Company. A ledger book still survives in which Alexander McBeth recorded purchases from January to April 1794. Instead of paying with money, many transactions were done by trading or bartering deerskins or crops for
45
items. Entries in the daybook are recorded for purchases of salt, a looking glass, books, nails, playing cards and most often for whiskey. One interesting entry is of someone paying to look at an exhibit of a jackal. People would often pay to get a glimpse of exotic animals or objects from around the world. Such prominent early Greenville settlers as Waddy Thompson and Lemuel Alston were among the store’s regular customers. McBeth’s Store was a busy gathering spot that provided settlers living on isolated Upcountry farms with a link to goods, news and wonders from the outside world.
Mansion House
In the early 1800s, Greenville emerged as one of the summer resorts for low country planters who left their homes to escape the heat and malaria. As a result, boarding houses and hotels were built to accommodate these summer tourists. In 1824, Colonel William Toney built the Mansion House, which was considered the most luxurious hotel in the area. It was a three story brick building in an L-shape, with a dormer roof, built near the courthouse. There were fireplaces in most rooms and the hotel boasted a beautiful cut glass chandelier. The hotel changed hands several times after Colonel Toney sold it to Dr. John Crittenden in 1830. Renovated in the 1880s, the hotel had 86 rooms with running water. Later, electricity and the first steam heating plant in Greenville were added. During the Spanish American War, the Mansion House was established as division headquarters for Camp Wetherill and the officers lived in the hotel. In the early 1900s, the building ceased to be used as a hotel. It continued to be used as an office building until 1924, after which the Mansion House was razed to make room for the new Poinsett Hotel.
Ottaray Hotel
In the early 20th century, local businessmen, Alester G. Furman, Sr., Harry Haynsworth, Alonzo A. Bristow and Jesse R. Smith formed a company to propose a new hotel for the city of Greenville. The Ottaray Hotel was designed by George Lafaye and built on the northeast end of Main Street. The hotel opened on June 16, 1909 and was described as “magnificent in its architectural splendor and beautiful in its furnishings.” The most significant architectural detail of this five story hotel was the semicircular balcony supported by four two-story columns. The balcony, which overlooked Main Street, was one of the most popular social places in Greenville. Both guests and
46
residents enjoyed sitting in the rocking chairs, watching the city activity. The reputation and beauty of the Otttaray spread and a sixty room addition was completed in 1922. Unfortunately, with the passage of time and competition from the Poinsett Hotel, the Ottaray went bankrupt. In 1962, the once luxurious hotel was torn down and replaced with the Downtowner Motor Inn. In the early 1980s, the Downtowner was torn down and replaced with the Hyatt Regency Hotel complex.
Record Building
The Record Building was probably the most architecturally significant structure in antebellum Greenville. Built in the early 1820s and originally used as a courthouse, the building was often the scene of dramatic political activity. John C. Calhoun would occasionally leave his plantation at Clemson and stay at the Mansion House across the street from the Record Building; it is said he would speak from its portico on the subject of states rights and the Nullification Controversy. It was the scene of a near-riot during the controversial 1876 election, in which one of General Wade Hampton’s red shirt riders spurred his horse up the steps to give a rousing speech. The trial of T. Edwin Ware, considered the trial of the century, involving family strife and the slaying of Ware’s father-in-law, was also held here. Earlier traditions tend to credit the design to Joel R. Poinsett, but now it is generally attributed to Robert Mills, the United States’ first professional architect. Mills was born in Charleston in 1781 and trained in Washington D.C. He studied with major engineers and architects of the time and returned to his home state in 1820 to accept the position of State Architect & Engineer. Mills worked directly for Joel Poinsett, who was Chairman of the Board of Public Works. One of Mills’ tasks was to design courthouses, and he created a standard design that was used throughout the state with minor variations. Greenville’s Record Building is one example.
The old Record Building was considered obsolete by the early 1850s because of its small size. A new courthouse was built across the street, and at this time the Record Building became a repository for documents and acquired its historical name. By 1923, even after the addition of a cupola roof years before, it was in terrible shape. City planners voted to demolish the old Greek revival structure to make room for a modern office building.
Greenville Woman's College
By the early 1820s, it was becoming increasingly clear that education of the younger generation in Greenville County needed improvements. State supported schools were not popular at the time and private institutions that were built by the
47
community, but funded by tuition fees, were the norm. A group of citizens banded together to generate funds for a new institution, collecting over $5,000. Two schools, one for boys and one for girls, were chartered in 1820 on thirty acres of land donated by Vardry McBee. The smaller of the two, the boys’ academy, was built at the site that is now occupied by the Greenville Little Theater. The female academy was located in the middle of what is now Academy Street. The institutions flourished until the 1850s. In 1851, Furman University was established on the banks of the Reedy River and the members of the state Baptist Convention began to look about for a suitable spot to build a women’s college. The city of Greenville offered not only the grounds and buildings of the Greenville Academies, but also a gift of $20,000. The new institution, which began construction in 1855, was known as the Greenville Female College and was an immediate success. Even during the Civil War, when it seemed as if Furman University would be compelled to close, the Female College prospered, eventually becoming the city’s center of cultural and artistic activity. In 1914, the name of the institution was changed to Greenville Woman’s College. In 1922, the Ramsay Fine Arts Building was opened, making the campus the undisputed center of the arts in Greenville. The facility contained a large auditorium, several music studios, two large literary society halls and an entire floor for art exhibitions. Nationally known artists such as the dancer Pavlova, actress Tallulah Bankhead and composer Leonard Bernstein performed at the Ramsay Building, further enhancing the city’s artistic reputation. After World War II, the rise of enrollment for both institutions increased dramatically. This resulted in the decision to combine the two colleges and expand to a larger campus on Poinsett Highway. The woman’s college moved to its new location in 1961. Greenville City Council acquired the property in 1963 with the idea of building a Civic Center with a new city hall, theater and public library, and removed the old buildings in 1964.
Rock House
In 1784, Captain William Young, a hero of the American Revolution, acquired land and constructed the Rock House sometime between 1784 and 1819. According to tradition, the house was constructed for Young’s bride after his release from a British prison. It is said that the stone for the home’s construction was hauled by oxcart from Caesar’s Head and laid by a Scottish stonemason. According to an 1875 newspaper article, the rock for the window and door frames came from Caesar’s Head while the rock used elsewhere came from a quarry on Young’s property. The colonial Rock House contains walls varying in size from 18 to 34 inches, as well as deep recessed windows, large stone chimneys and a large central hall with a stairway ascending to four large bedrooms. Since its completion, the Rock House, one of Greenville’s oldest residences, has served as a stagecoach stop, a post office, a fort and a residence.
48
Allen Temple A.M.E. Church p. 25 American Cigar Factory p. 21 Anderson Jr., Major Rudolf Memorial p. 19 Bath House at Paris Mountain State Park p. 4 Battle of Great Cane Brake p. 42 Beattie House p. 32 Berry’s Mill p. 7 Blythe-Goodwin-Hagood House p. 9 Broad Margin p. 33 Buncombe Street United Methodist Church p. 15 Camp Sevier p. 5 Campbell’s Covered Bridge p. 8 Carpenter Brothers Drugstore p. 21 Cherokee Boundary Line p. 39 Cherrydale Mansion p. 10 Chick Springs Gazebo & Bath House p. 6 Christ Episcopal Church p. 29 Dicey Langston Monument p. 10 Donaldson Air Force Base p. 37 Donaldson House p. 36 Downtown Baptist Church p. 16 Edwards Mill p. 6 Fairview Presbyterian Church p. 41
Falls Cottage p. 24 First Presbyterian Church p. 15 Gassaway Mansion p. 3 Gilreath’s Mill p. 7 Gowensville Baptist Church p. 8 Greenville Coach Factory p. 17 Greenville County Courthouse p. 23 Greenville Gas, Electric Light and Power p. 19 Greenville Woman’s College p. 47 Heritage Green p.14 Huguenot Mill & Office p. 16 John Wesley United Methodist Church p. 20 Kilgore-Lewis House p. 30 Lanneau-Norwood House p. 37 Lebanon United Methodist Church p. 40 Liberty Bridge p. 28 Lickville Presbyterian p. 39 Main Street Bridge p. 24 Mansion House p. 46 Mattoon Presbyterian Church p. 11 McBee Chapel p. 42 McBeth’s Store p. 45 Mills’ Mill p. 35 Ottaray Hotel p. 46
Poinsett Bridge p. 9 Record Building p. 47 Reedy River Falls Historic Park p. 27 Richland Cemetery p. 31 Rock House p. 48 Sans Souci p. 44 Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum & Baseball Library p. 26 Southern Railway Depot p. 45 Springwood Cemetery p. 29 Ware Place p. 38 Westin Poinsett Hotel p. 22 Whitehall p. 32 Wilkins House p. 35 Woodlawn Memorial Park p. 3 Working Man’s Benevolent Temple p. 18 Wyche Pavilion p. 18
RESEARCH • The South Carolina Room staff • EDITOR • Shelley Polatty • DESIGN • Michelle Hannon CREATIVE DIRECTION • Trinity Behrends Greenville County Library System • 25 Heritage Green Place 29601 • 864-242-5000 • www.greenvillelibrary.org © 2009 Greenville County Library System
Proceeds from the sale of this publication help fund library programs.
Experience Greenville’s Past