Jewish immigrants first arrived in South Carolina in the 17th century. They settled in Charleston and over time spread across the state. It appears that Jews first settled in Greenville by the 1850s. The town's first postmaster was in fact Jewish. The Jewish community grew after the Civil War largely as a result of the thriving textile industry. By 1878, there were 35 Jews living in Greenville and in the coming years more would settle here. In terms of ethnic backgrounds, the Jews in Greenville were mostly Polish, Russian, and German. Many were also Orthodox. In 1910, 25 families established Congregation Beth Israel and met in a number of locations around the city until the the synagogue was built in 1930.By the 1950s, the congregation outgrew the synagogue (it had also become a conservative congregation) and it became clear that a new building was needed. It was finished in 1957. The congregation sold the former synagogue to Grace Evangelical Methodist Church in 1959. In 1964, the building became home to the Greenville Labor Temple Cooperative and then Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church in 1977. In 1988, a local photographer renovated it. The current owners bought it in 2015 and began converting it into a private home at that time.

The former Beth Israel Synagogue was built in 1929. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is now a private home.

Website

Now a private residence, this historic building is the former Beth Israel Synagogue, which was erected in 1929 by Congregation Beth Israel. It symbolizes the city's Jewish history and is a notable example of Classical Revival architecture. Designed by local architect Joseph G. Cunningham, the brick building features 17-inch thick walls, an impressive main entrance with two large Tuscan columns supporting a pediment, palladian windows, and decorative brick panels and two Star of Davids on the front facade. The old synagogue was listed to the National Register of Historic places in 2016.

Beth Israel Synagogue

This tour explores the history throughout Greenville including stops at museums, historic buildings, markers and monuments, and local landmarks.

Historic Greenville, South Carolina Driving Tour

During the early 1900s, Greenville, SC&nbsp;was booming with textile entrepreneurs. A man by the name of John T. Woodside and his two brothers&nbsp;would go one to create the largest cotton mill in the United States, Woodside Mill. Woodside mill was first constructed in the year 1902 and located&nbsp;on the outskirts of Greenville, SC. The mill started of running 11,000 spindles but in the year 1904 the brothers would enlarge the mill to 33,000 spindles. John Woodside's brothers would also go on to produce mills. In the year of 1912 all the mills would become consolidated together. This would make Woodside mill the largest complete mill of its time running 120,000 spindles.&nbsp; Following the creation of Woodside Mill, an entire village would be created. As the business and economic revenue began to rise so did the amount of workers and buildings in the village. The village would grow to contain many houses, two churches, a baseball field, recreational building, and an on site store. The village was divided up into four sections.The baseball field, was particularly a point of interest in the village and was part of the local textile association of baseball teams. It helped bring the mill communities together, giving them a sense of pride. The main mill, was located on the corner of the village near Woodside Ave. and East Main Street. The mill was one large rectangle, and had four stories. It was made out of bricks and backed by lumber on the inside. The mill had many large windows on both sides of the building. Inside the mill there was a boiler room, pump room, engine room, and a restroom for workers. Connected to the mill was a 150 feet tall brick smokestack. The Woodside mill's main building housed over 112,000 spindles producing around 40,000 miles of cloth each year. Throughout the years it served as a historical reminder of the advancement of Greenville as well as the textile industry. During the great depression, John Woodside lost ownership of the mill. The Beatie family purchased the mill from them in the year of 1936 and not&nbsp;long after the mill would be purchased by Dan River Mills in 1956. It was sold too Alchem Chemical in 1984, and Eugene Stone Manufacturing in 1987.The building was set to be reconstructed into apartments in early 2012 however the plan fell through. There have been plans to annex the building but nothing has been put into place. This village was added to the list of National Historical Places in 1987. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

The Woodside Mill was the cornerstone of the business empire in Greenville, SC. This mill was built by John T. Woodside in the year 1902. Woodside Mill would continue to grow,  becoming the largest complete cotton mill in the United States, at its biggest period of growth it would come to house over 120,000 spindles. It would grow to become a village of houses, baseball fields, and churches. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

Woodside Cotton Mill Village

Parker High School opened in the year of 1923, just a year after the Parker School District was founded. The idea of building a higher education school district was first developed by Thomas Parker. Prior to the establishment of this school, mill villages only provided elementary education for children, no higher education. A charter was received by the state of South Carolina and the school was funded by taxes from the mill. The school was named after Thomas Parker the main driving force behind it. On opening day the school had 454 children enrolled, but would later drop its enrollment in the following few years. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; In the 1930s the Works Administration Progress was introduced and because of this program Parker High School's auditorium was added in&nbsp;the year of 1938. The building is rectangular and approximately&nbsp;7,500 square feet. It is made entirely of brick and has a triangle roof.&nbsp;Originally only one section, a second section was added&nbsp;to the back of the building in 1964. The auditorium was part of a $285,000.00 project of buildings being added to the school. The total cost of the auditorium was&nbsp;$50,000.00. Currently, this is the last part of Parker High School that remains. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As the school grew, it became much more than a simple mill school. It offered many different vocational and college preparatory courses. Classes included courses such as cosmetology, woodworking, electric, and the military. The school became known as having very rigorous academic standards, and attracted many new students outside of the mills. The school was placed as one of the best in the nation. It won the honor of being named in the Top Ten High Schools in America in the years 1955, 1957, 1960, 1966, and 1971. In addition to high academic standards, Parker High School also&nbsp;had one of the best marching bands in the United States.&nbsp;The band won many awards, and performed at places such as the world's fair and the white house.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Prior to 1971, the school was only open to white students. In the year of 1971 it would become fully integrated allowing all students regardless of race. The school focused on racial harmony and provided many clubs and committees to ensure all students were being treated fairly. In 1985, the school shut down due to low enrollment. In the end, the school was very significant in accelerating higher education&nbsp;among the mill communities in Greenville.&nbsp;The auditorium was significant in providing jobs and setting an example of how the Works Progress administration was designed. In addition, the auditorium was significant for advancing the textile industry in Greenville. The auditorium was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Founded in 1923, Parker High School was a significant turning point for higher education regarding students in the mill villages surrounding Greenville, SC. The school would grow to become a standard of excellence becoming named a Top 10 School in the Nation between the years of 1955-1971. During the 1930s the school gained an auditorium, which would later become a significant example of the Works Progress Administration. The auditorium was added the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Parker High School and Auditorium

The American Spinning Company Mill No. 2 is a five-story brick building tucked along the edges of the Greenville city limits. The original part of the mill complex was the first to be designed and built by the firm Lockwood &amp; Greene. Built in 1902, Mill No. 2 also was the product of local residents Joseph E. Sirrine, an engineer, and Captain Jacob Cagle, a builder. With the completion of Mill No. 2, the company operated 20,000 spindles and 328 looms. Eventually, the complex would hold nearly 54,000 spindles and over 1,000 looms. Mill No. 2 is one of only thirteen remaining local mill buildings, many of which are deteriorating, and is a well-preserved example of the architecture accompanying the local textile industry in the early twentieth century. The American Spinning Company Mill No. 2 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016 for its significance to industry and architecture. The complex covering thirteen acres has multiple contributing buildings and structures: the main mill building, "cotton houses" (warehouses), a water tower, and a two-million-gallon reservoir. A smoke stack taller than the main building is part of the original construction phase and connects to a boiler house. The cotton warehouses are one-story timber structures added in the 1920's on the north side of the main building. A masonry restroom tower was completed in the 1930's. Two large masonry towers were built on the western facade in the 1960's. One-story office additions attach to the building's south side facing Hammett Street; one, created in the 1960's, was the main office of the mill. The other was added in the 1970's. Two masonry warehouses were built to the west of the cotton warehouses by the early 1970's. A loading dock was a 1980's addition. An elevated rail line hugs the building's east side. The west side is considered the building's main side and faces Victor Street. The mill complex used to be slightly larger when it included land on the opposite side of Hammett Street. The industry used to provide jobs for up to 700 people living in the surrounding mill village neighborhoods, complete with a school and churches built by the company. Increasing competition from overseas led to the death of the American textile manufacturing industry. The American Spinning Company Mill ceased operations in 1990. The first post-mill owners used the complex for storage. Modern infill development in the surrounding neighborhoods has altered their character from mill company days; along with alterations to many of the original houses, the neighborhood is not a contributing factor to the National Register status of Mill No. 2. The main mill building encompasses about 280,000 square feet on a rectangular footprint with about 41 bays per floor and a slightly gabled roof with integrated gutters. Its three-foot-thick masonry walls feature evenly-spaced large, arched windows with concrete sills, although most had been bricked in by 2016. The red brick exteriors were laid in common bond with gray mortar. The interior was typically painted brick with wood floors, round columns, and heavy beams in a mainly wide open floor plan. The building's interior was designed to hold rows of textile machinery - now long gone - on the lower floors.

The American Spinning Company Mill No. 2 building was constructed in 1902. The five-story brick structure housed textile manufacturing operations until 1990. The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016; in the same year, the property was sold to developers. There are plans by the new owners to rehabilitate the building into apartments or condominiums, like has been done successfully in some of the other brick behemoths in the region that once housed textile mills. State and federal tax credits have helped spur adaptive reuse in South Carolina, deemed by some as "mill madness." As one developer stated, where else are you going to find 18-foot-tall ceilings, 10-foot-tall windows, exposed brick, plus a piece of history?

American Spinning Company Mill No. 2

The Earle Town House is said to date from 1810 when it may have been constructed by George Washington Earle. Records corroborating the date have not been located and the house may be about 15 years younger. A will dated 1826 mentions a house that is presumed to be this building. The home was built on the Earle family plantation but it may have been constructed during the ownership of the land by Samuel Green. The land was bought back from Green by an Earle in 1834, Elias Drayton Earle. A judge and U.S. Senator, Joseph Haynsworth Earle, was born in the home. James A. David bought the house on a 35-acre lot in 1856. When he died in the 1880s, his son, Charles A. David, inherited the home. Charles A., a merchant, resided in the home until 1922. When he was a young man, Charles A. worked at Stradley &amp; Barr's Dry Goods Store on Main Street. An essayist and artist as a hobby, his cartoons were published in Harpers Weekly in 1885. He began writing a column for the local newspaper, the Greenville News, in 1926, called "Greenville of Old." Charles A. lived until 1934. Albert Drane Oliphant purchased the Earle Town House in 1927. He had married Mary Chevillette Simms in 1917 and the couple resided in Columbia, where Mr. Oliphant worked for the state's board of charities. In 1920 the couple and their children moved to Greenville. Mrs. Oliphant, a historian and author, was a granddaughter of the poet and novelist William Gilmore Simms. Like her grandfather, Mrs. Oliphant penned a history of South Carolina for schoolchildren. One version, A Simms History of South Carolina, was in use in its 9th edition until the mid-1980's. She hired an architect named Willie Ward who renovated the house to a Georgian style, removing a wing and a colonnaded porch. Three rooms were added to the second floor and a staircase was moved. Mrs. Oliphant was active in local historical organizations including the Upper Carolina Society and the Historical Records Committee. Mr. Oliphant died in 1935. The home continued to be occupied by Mrs. Oliphant, her three children, and two of her sisters with their children (no wonder they needed extra rooms upstairs!). In 1937, Mrs. Oliphant began publishing the papers of her grandfather to prepare to write his biography. Mrs. Oliphant and her daughter, Mary Simms Oliphant, authored a state history text for third graders in 1947. From 1956 to 1958, Mrs. Oliphant was the director of the South Carolina State Public Library Association. The Earle Town House was one of the first National Register of Historic Places listings in Greenville and was added in 1969, when the house's name may have been invented by Mrs. Oliphant. The house has been part of the Colonel Elias Earle Historic District since 1982. The two-story, white frame structure with a piazza on its west side is surrounded by decorative gardens and currently hidden from the road behind tall hedges. The iron grillwork gate is present in a gap in the hedges. Fine interior details remaining from the nineteenth century include hand-carved mantels and paneled doors. Mrs. Oliphant still owned the Earle Town House when she passed away in 1988 at age 97. The privately-owned residence is not open to the public.

The Earle Town House is perhaps the oldest home in Greenville and may date to 1810. A celebration of the house's centennial was held in 1910. The David family purchased the home from the Earle family in 1856, when one son, Charles A. David, was about three years old. Charles A. grew up to be a merchant and lived in the house until 1922.  The Oliphant family owned the home from the 1920's until the 1980's and was the long-time home of a published historian. The Earle Town House was listed on the National Register in 1969. A grandiflora magnolia tree still living in 1969 was said to have been planted in 1856. No word on whether the owner in 2010 threw a bicentennial birthday bash for the house.

Earle Town House

Henry Middleton was one of the most prominent men in South Carolina in the early nineteenth century. His father, Arthur, signed the Declaration of Independence, and Henry served at various times in the South Carolina House of Representatives, as Governor of South Carolina, as a U.S. Senator, and as Minister to Russia. Henry Middleton bought the land where he would build Whitehall, his summer home, from Elias T. Earle in 1813. Middleton's two-year term as Governor ended the prior year. Middleton needed to escape the heat and humidity of his palatial plantation home, Middleton Place, on the Ashley River near Charleston, in the swampy lowcountry. The higher elevation and relatively drier and cooler air of the upcountry part of the state drew Middleton to Greenville. Middleton only held onto the Whitehall property for seven years until he sold it to the son of Elias, George Washington Earle. George W. Earle was an attorney who was born in 1777 and worked as the clerk of the local court in Greenville. When George W. died in 1821, he left a wife, Elizabeth, and seven minor children. When one of the late George W. Earle's daughters, Sarah, married an attorney in 1835, her dowry included a large farm and thirty-five enslaved persons. The Whitehall property passed to another one of his daughters, Eugenia Earle and her husband, Charles Stone in 1840. Their son, Eugene E. Stone and his wife, Floride Lydia Croft, became the new owners in 1880. In March 1899, the 400 acres surrounding Whitehall were platted and divided among heirs of the Stone's, and some of the land was developed by the Stone Land Company. This was the beginnings of the city's North Main neighborhood. Stone, Wilton, and Earle Streets run through former parts of the Whitehall property. The two-story white frame house began as a simple structure with a detached kitchen. Around 1870, the owners added shutters to the windows and outdoor covered spaces or piazzas on the first and second stories. The piazza served as an outdoor living rooms to catch cool breezes when it was just too uncomfortable to be indoors. This Barbadian style of architecture became popular in the Charleston area in the eighteenth century, and piazzas were added to many existing buildings or made part of new construction. Descendants of George W. Earle (Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus B. Dawsey) still owned and lived at Whitehall when it was listed in the National Register in 1969. They owned the home by the mid-1950's. Cyrus Bassette Dawsey lived from 1909 to 1986. His wife, Agnes Stone Dawsey, was born in 1907, married in 1939, and passed away in 1997. She is the Earle descendant and the daughter of Charles B. and Priscilla B. Stone. The Dawsey's are buried in Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery in Greenville. The house is part of the Colonel Elias Earle Historic District, one of the first NRHP historic districts in the city, listed in 1982. The City of Greenville recognizes the district as an historic overlay district.

Whitehall was built by Henry Middleton, one of the Charleston area elites, as a summer home in the upcountry to escape the oppressive heat and humidity of the lowcountry. Middleton purchased the land from Elias T. Earle in 1813. Middleton sold the property in 1820 to George Washington Earle, the son of Elias. One of a handful of antebellum homes surviving in Greenville, it is one of only two that are still in their original location. The home's Barbadian style is an adaptation that creates an outdoor covered porch or piazza for catching the breeze while sipping some Carolina style sweet tea. Descendants of Earle still owned and occupied Whitehall when the mansion was listed in the National Register in 1969. It has been part of the Colonel Elias Earle Historic District since the 1980's.

Whitehall

In 1983, the Historic Greenville Foundation was formed to promote
the area and create a museum to display and honor the area’s history.&nbsp; In 1999, the historical foundation purchased
the property that the museum calls home today and built the museum in
2002.&nbsp; The museum officially opened to
the public in 2007 in downtown Greenville.&nbsp;
The museum entered into a partnership with Furman University in 2012 and
now offers tours and hosts Neighborhood Nights.

What was once an Indian Frontier is now the political and economical hub of upstate South Carolina.  The Upcountry History Museum highlights the history of the this area, which ranges from its northern North Carolina border, along the Appalachian Mountains, to the Western part of the state bordering Georgia, and the central plains in between.

Upcountry History Museum

Considered the premier American art museum in the South, the GCMA is home to the world’s largest public collection of watercolors by iconic American artist Andrew Wyeth. The GCMA also has an impressive collection of paintings and prints by contemporary artist Jasper Johns. Ranging from Federal portraits to contemporary abstractions, the GCMA’s acclaimed Southern Collection invites viewers to survey American art history through works with ties to the South. Of particular note is the exhibition The Content of Our Character: From States Rights to Civil Rights.

Greenville County Museum of Art

In 1960, the Greenville Public Library was segregated, like virtually every other public facility in the South. There was a separate library for African Americans, but it held fewer than 12,000 volumes, while the main branch, which served white patrons, had more than 55,000 books. Both branches were underfunded, but the "colored only" branch offered a woeful lack of books and resources for its patrons. In March of 1960, twenty African American high school students, who were accompanied by Rev. S. E. Kay of the New Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, entered the main branch of the library. Some browsed the stacks while others sat reading quietly. Eventually the librarian told them that they would&nbsp; have to go to the McAbee Street branch, which served African Americans, and closed the library early. Two weeks later, seven African American teenagers--five young women and two young men--attempted to use the library and when told that they had to leave, they refused. Since the first attempt at integrating the library, city officials and members of the library's board of trustees met and agreed on how they would handle any subsequent challenges to segregation. When the students refused to leave, the librarian called police and the students were arrested, charged with disorderly conduct, and released on bail after a short while. Their case was supposed to go before the Municipal Court two weeks later, but was postponed. The case was postponed repeatedly in the coming months, and still had not been held by July of that year, when seven other African American students entered the library and were told to leave. They complied, but a few hours later, eight African American students entered the library and sat reading, fully aware that they would likely be arrested. Police were called and all eight college students--referred to as the Greenville Eight--were taken to jail. The Greenville Eight included Joan Mattison Daniel, Dorris Wright, Hattie Smith Wright, Elaine Means, Willie Joe Wright, Benjamin Downs, Margaree Seawright Crosby, and Jesse Jackson, who was misidentified in local newspapers as "Jeff Jackson." Months earlier, Jackson, working on a college assignment, needed a book from the McBee Street branch but it was unavailable. When he attempted to use the main branch, he was told that he was not allowed to use that library. Later that month, lawyers for the NAACP filed a federal lawsuit, asking for a permanent injunction against racial segregation at the library. In September of 1960, before the hearing took place, both the Main Street and McBee Street branches of the city's library were closed on orders of the city government. When the trial was held, lawyers for Greenville argued that the injunction was moot because the libraries--at that time--effectively did not exist. The federal judge noted that if the libraries reopened, they could again be sued. Technically, it was a victory for the city, but public opinion seemed to overwhelmingly favor reopening the libraries. When they were reopened on September 19, the mayor stated that, "The city libraries will be operated for the benefit of any citizen having a legitimate need for the libraries and their facilities. They will not be used for demonstrations, purposeless assembly, or propaganda purposes." The mayor's statement essentially confirmed the integration of the city's libraries.&nbsp; Greenville's libraries were the first in the state to be integrated as a result of public demonstrations. The libraries in Spartanburg and Columbia had already integrated without incident.

The site that is now a parking lot next to the Municipal Court building in Greenville was once occupied by the Greenville Public Library. Like virtually public facilities in the South, the library was segregated, with the main branch on Main Street serving white patrons only. The "colored" branch was housed on East McBee Avenue and held a fraction of the books that the main branch had. In 1960, eight African American students (including Jesse Jackson) held a sit-in at the main branch and were arrested for disorderly conduct. Their actions led to the desegregation of Greenville's libraries later that year.

The Greenville Eight (site of the 1960 library sit-in)

The building includes a static display of a 90MM gun that was used as both an anti-aircraft and anti-tank gun in World War II. At that time, the gun included a 15ft barrel and fired .50 caliber shells that could pierce 9 inches of armor at a range of 1000 yards. These guns cost around $50,000 to make back in 1940. The M1 also could be used in tanks such as M36 tank destroyer and the M26 Pershing tank. The Coast Guard briefly used these weapons from 1943-1946 as a coastal defense weapon.&nbsp;
	During World War II, a new design included an improved mount and spring hammer on the breach that allowed for the gun to shoot up to 20 to 30 rounds per minute. The M-2 was created in 1942 after the military realized that they could not fight against tanks as the gun could not aim low enough. The upgraded M-2 allowed for the gun to fire 10 below its horizontal and had an electric-assist rammer. It would become the standard in 1943. Proximity fused shells were added in 1944.&nbsp;

The Greenville American Legion includes a small museum inside the building along with static displays of military equipment such as a 90 mm M-1/2/3 Anti-Aircraft Gun that was used throughout WWII and Korean War. Inside the building, one can see historic uniforms, medals, weapons, and artifacts from the Civil War to current conflicts. 


American Legion Military Museum, Greenville 

The massive and effective struggle for civil rights in the United States was one whose flames were fanned by a series of laws and policies designed specifically to target Black Americans. From federal policy to the Jim Crow era of laws, Black people in the United States were faced with a situation of being treated as second class citizens even after the end of American chattel slavery. These policies and laws included but were not limited to legal voter intimidation and discrimination (which goes on even still today) and the physical segregation of the races.           This cruel system led to an era of civil disobedience by brave demonstrators who hoped that by defying such societal expectations, they could bring about meaningful change in this country. And they were right. Heroes and leaders to many such as the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were assassinated for their “outspoken” efforts to bring about change to the system, however they were not the only people involved in spurring the social changes that would come from the era. Many non-violent protestors throughout the country faced down arrest and even death to try to secure a better future for themselves and for posterity.           One common form of non-violent protest or civil disobedience was the sit-in where Black demonstrators would occupy spaces which under segregation were intended for use by whites only. The first of these sit-ins (associated with the Civil Rights Movement of the 60’s) occurred in Greensborough, NC at a Woolworth’s lunch counter, when a group of young Black students occupied a section intended for use by only white patrons. This particular sit-in had far-reaching results. It was after this sit-in that many more would follow, and this sit-in is often cited as the catalyst for what would become an era of civil disobedience that sparked social change.           Today in the United States, we know that libraries are spaces of learning and most importantly, spaces for all to enjoy and to use. This, however, was not always the case. During the Jim Crowe era, libraries too were segregated. The philosophy behind the laws were that facilities would be “separate, but equal” and one can clearly see the irony in such a philosophy that by nature of having separate facilities, equality simply could not be the case. This rings true for libraries where often people have the unique opportunity to learn from one another making separation by nature an unjust and unequal policy across the board. The American Library Association today states in their Library Bill of Rights article 5; “V. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.” Regardless of a person’s beliefs, background, or the color of their skin, patrons have a right to use the library.           The natural yet extremely innovative steps taken to end the segregation of public libraries married the sit-in model with the philosophy of access to all of library resources, and thus the Greenville, SC public library sit-in was born. On July 16, 1960, just one month after the Greensborough Woolworth’s sit-ins, eight brave young Black protestors walked into the Greenville, SC public library whites-only branch. Jesse Jackson, now a famous civil rights leader had returned home to Greenville, SC and during his stay at home had attempted to take a book out of the Greenville Public Library branch intended for use by Black patrons. The branch of the library did not have the book that he was looking for, but it was at the whites-only branch in town. Jackson later would organize the sit-in of the Greenville Eight, Jesse Jackson, Dorris Wright, Hattie Smith Wright, Elaine Means, Willie Joe Wright, Benjamin Downs, Margaree Seawright Crosby, and Joan Daniel.           The eight students entered the library on July 16, 1960 and knew that they faced arrest should they stay. Bravely they began to browse the shelves and do the normal things that one would in a library. They faced harassment from white patrons, all of whom reportedly left and after the eight were arrested, a social, legal, and moral battle would ensue to determine the future of library use for all people. This sit-in prompted the ultimate battle for the desegregation of the library in Greenville and indeed across the country. The Greenville News reported contemptuously that “The white people of Greenville are not going to pay additional taxes to support an expanded institution which is going to be subjected to constant harassment simply because the equal facilities happen to be segregated.” The Mayor of Greenville’s ultimate response was to close all branches of the library to all people but after a series of motions, the library was ordered reopened on September 19th “…for the benefit of any citizen having a legitimate need for the libraries and their facilities.”

On July 16, 1960, Jackson, Dorris Wright, Hattie Smith Wright, Elaine Means, Willie Joe Wright, Benjamin Downs, Margaree Seawright Crosby, and Joan Daniel staged what is known as the Greenville Public Library sit-in.  The eight students, led by Jesse Jackson (now a famous civil rights leader) entered the Greenville Public Library in South Carolina.  They had been to the library previously and were turned away because they were Black, and the branch was whites-only.  On July 16th, however, the eight were determined to stay even in the face of arrest.  They browsed the shelves and all white patrons vacated the building.  They would then in fact be arrested and released on a $30 bail a piece.  This movement eventually caused the closure of the branch and all libraries to all citizens in the city of Greenville by the mayor who wished to deter further protests by closing the libraries to all people.  The libraries then on September 19th were reopened and desegregated and the legacy of the Greenville eight is forever immortalized and memorialized among the efforts to desegregate public libraries.

Greenville Public Library

Exactly who built the house is unclear. It may have been Josiah Kilgore or another man named George Boyle. What is known, however, is that in 1855 Kilgore deeded the house to his daughter nearly 20 years after it was built. It possible that she and her husband got married in the front parlor of the house. The Lewises were the last descendants to live in the house. After the last resident left in the late 1960s, the Methodist Church acquired the house for use as a Sunday School. However, the house proved to be inadequate and the church planned to tear it down. To prevent this from happening, the Council raised funds to move the house to its present location in April 1974.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Kilgore-Lewis House is one of the oldest homes in the city. It was built around 1838 and is named after Josiah Kilgore, who owned the house for some time, and the Lewis family, who were Kilgore family descendants. The house is now the headquarters of the Greenville Council of Garden Clubs and is located on a property that features an arboretum and gardens. Visitors can tour the property as well as inside the house. In terms of design, the house is a good example of Palladian architecture.

Kilgore-Lewis House

Fountain Fox Beattie and his bride, Emily Edgeworth, married in Greenville in 1832. The 27-year-old Mr. Beattie had this home built for the couple in 1834. The house originally stood on East North Street a few blocks south. The original part of the house was much simpler than the present structure. Mr. Beattie worked as a textile merchant. Mr. Beattie served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War and spent some time in a Virginia prison with the infamous John Singleton Mosby of the guerrilla group Mosby's Rangers. Captain Beattie aided in the capture of a Union supply train near Catlett, Virginia by supplying a howitzer used to shoot at the engine, derailed by a missing rail. Mr. Beattie died in 1863; it is not clear if he died in battle, because of war injuries, or of other causes. Fountain Fox Beattie had four children, and although none were named Fountain Fox, the unusual moniker reappeared for descendants in 1878 and 1913. A need for more space led to a number of wings being added to the house, although construction dates are uncertain. Architectural clues suggest that some of the additions and decorative elements were added before the Civil War, when the Italianate or Tuscan Villa style was popular, although these elements had a resurgence in the 1880's. The two-storied central portion of the house had one-story wings added to either end. The one-story central piazza is supported by six pairs of square columns with archways giving the main facade a Palladian feel. The upgrades are attributed to Hamlin Beattie, a son of Fountain Fox who was born in 1835. Hamlin was already a successful merchant in town by the 1860's and founded the National Bank of Greenville in 1872. The Fountain Fox born in 1878 earned a law degree and served as president of this bank; he served in the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1907-1908. The home served as the abode for generations of Beattie's, up to the death of Mrs. John Beattie in 1938. The family rented out the house until the mid-1940's. Construction of a government building was planned for the site and the house was threatened with demolition. The Greenville Woman's Club intervened and asked the city to save the home and restore it. The Beattie house was moved by the city to 1 Beattie Place. The structure's interior was renovated and modified in 1948 into large meeting rooms and the building was leased by the woman's club from the late 1940s to 2014. The house on less than one acre of land was listed in the National Register in 1974. The property's significance is due to its architectural style and the lack of many other antebellum structures still standing in Greenville. The Fountain Fox Beattie House stood just around the corner from its present location between Bennett and N. Church Streets at that time and was moved a short distance when highways were expanded. The city held a competition and received proposals for possible uses of the house. A couple with young children was chosen to purchase the house because they wanted to make the building into a private home once again. The new owners are restoring the home within historic preservation easements. The house is not open to the public.

The Fountain Fox Beattie House is the third oldest building in Greenville, dating to about 1834. The Beattie family occupied the home for over a hundred years, until 1938. The house was saved from demolition in the 1940s and moved by the city to its current location and renovated for a community meeting space. The house was owned by the city and served for decades as the Greenville Woman's Club until the cost of upkeep became too much for the club's dwindling and aging membership. The club closed in 2014 and a competition was launched by the City of Greenville to find prospective buyers of the vacant property and the winners were a couple with young children who agreed to renovate the historic home as their private residence with preservation easements in place. The house was listed on the National Register in 1974.

Fountain Fox Beattie House

Christ church started off first known&nbsp;as St. James Mission of the Episcopal Church. The church was founded by Reverend Rodolphus Dickinson in the year 1820 who&nbsp;was a graduate of Yale University, and a native of Massachusetts. The church's first congregation consisted of only a few families lead by Mr. and Mrs. Croft. In 1825 before the church was built the congregation would worshiped in the local Greenville court house. The congregation would continue to meet there until the fall of 1825 when Vardy Mcbee granted the church 4 acres to build upon. Due to the addition of land, a building committee was formed to build the new church it consisted of members such as Joseph P. Labruce and John Crittenden. The cornerstone of the church was laid on September 15th, 1825. The church was 55 feet long and&nbsp;30 feet wide. The church began using the new building&nbsp;for worship in the year of 1826, however, it would not be fully finished until 1830. The church's name changed to Christ Church when it became initiated into the diocese of South Carolina as Christ Church Parish. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Throughout the years the small church would continue to grow, and was unable to&nbsp;hold its congregation. On September&nbsp;29th, 1854 a new building was constructed. The church was supposed to be entirely Gothic in construction, but due to funds this was not possible, it did however still contain many Gothic structures. Today it is&nbsp;recognized&nbsp;as a prime example of Gothic architecture and includes&nbsp;a large nave, large stain glass windows, balconies, and a brick bell tower. As the years have progressed structures have been added. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; In addition&nbsp;to the main building, there is a courtyard. This courtyard is home to many notable&nbsp;figures from the United States including former church members, members of the clergy, former mayors of Greenville, and a&nbsp;mayor of South Carolina. Other notable figures include:&nbsp;Benjamin Franklin Perry, William H. Perry, and US Senator Joseph H. Earle. Lastly, Vardry McBee the "father of Greenville" lays to rest in this courtyard. The courtyard had a historical marker added to it in 1967. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Originally built in 1825, Christ Church is the oldest church building in the city of Greenville,SC.  In the year 1845, the church would be rebuilt due to the expanding congregation and have a courtyard added on to it. Throughout the years the church body continued to grow to 4,000 members and would charter a connecting school. The church is now currently listed under the National Register of Historical Places. 

Christ Church and Courtyard

The Stradley and Barr Dry Goods Store has towered over South Main Street since around 1897. The building is three stories tall with a basement and housed the dry goods store until 1919. The Romanesque Revival brick structure features elongated arched windows on the upper two stories with granite lintels and patterned brickwork. the building is topped by a distinctive stone and masonry parapet with dentils and the original flagstaff. Beneath the parapet are inset stone arches and Doric columns. The interior is no less impressive than the exterior, with walls of exposed masonry, ceilings of pressed metal, and turned columns. Mr. C. D. Stradley and Mr. George T. Barr were in business in Greenville by the early 1880s when they bought out the interest of a retiring partner, Mr. B. L. Landford. A newspaper ad from 1883 touted the cheap prices in their dry goods store since the men always bought their goods with cash, ran the store by themselves, and were single so had no families to support. Their motto was "Live and Let Live" which to them meant selling at the "lowest living profit." A newspaper ad in October 1897 for a millinery shop mentioned the millinery shop had just moved to 115 South Main "opposite Stradley &amp; Barr's store." The millinery shop continued to mention this in their ads through 1900. The ads included luxury items like cashmere at $1.25 per yard, and they also carried everyday fabrics like denim and calico.  "Barr's Dry Goods" mentioned in an October 1903 ad that they were located at 114-116 Main Street, at "Stradley &amp; Barr's old stand." It appears the partners parted ways and opened up competing dry goods shops a few blocks apart by 1903. Another dry goods stores in Greenville in 1908 was called "C. D. Stradley &amp; Co." at 207 N. Main St. Greenville had no fewer than nine stores selling dry goods and notions by 1908, when a newspaper ad on Christmas Eve touted free train tickets to Greenville and back from any station within 40 miles (for those last-minute shoppers)! In 1919, the building on S. Main became the location of Efird's Department Store. Efirds was a chain of department stores with 31 locations by 1922. "Stradley's" was still a store in town in 1921, touting their nearly 40 years of being in business in Greenville. It seems that Stradley outlasted his old partner, Barr. Barr laughed all the way to a retirement in Florida, though, reportedly making more money from selling the building than he'd earned in all of his years as a storeowner. The building's ground floor commercial storefront features prominent squared-stone masonry. The modern glass and metal storefront was updated around 1958 when The Dollar Store moved into the space. The Stradley and Barr Dry Goods Store was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. It is significant for its Victorian era architecture as an example of the Romanesque Revival style of commercial architecture at the turn of the twentieth century. The ground floor recently housed the office of Novus Advisors (an investment firm) and the shopfront of Creative Health (an herbal nutritionist which closed recently), while the upper stories are leased out as office space.

Constructed in 1897, this building was originally home to the Stradley & Barr Dry Goods Store. The mercantile business was established in Greensville in the era of Reconstruction and changed names in 1883 when one of the three partners retired and his share of the business was purchased by Stradley and Barr. The store offered a variety of goods, including clothing for men and women including an early advertisement for "the best 50 cent corset made." By 1904, Stradley and Barr had parted ways and operated competing dry goods stores a few blocks apart, with Barr's Dry Goods in this South Main building and C. D. Stradley & Co. two blocks north. Efird's Department Store occupied the ca. 1898 structure by 1919. This commercial building was listed in the National Register in 2008.

Stradley and Barr Dry Goods Store

The National Bank of Greenville was founded by Hamlin Beattie in 1872 and remained the only bank in Greenville until 1887. Beattie's grandson and bank president, Fountain Fox, commissioned the construction of a building in 1917 at the corner of Main and McBee Streets. The bank remained there until the present building was erected in 1938. Architect Silas L. Trowbridge designed the new building (he also designed the 1917 building). It is two-and-a-half stories tall and features a sandstone exterior with a polished Black granite door frame and base, decorative sunburst aluminum grill above the main entrance doors and in the flanking windows, fluted aluminum columns topped with eagles on either side of the doors, and a sandstone eagle above the Black granite keystone above the main entrance. The building was expanded in 1952 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

Constructed in 1938, this downtown building is significant for its architecture as well as its association with the National Bank of Greenville, the first national bank chartered in the state of South Carolina. The institution later changed its name to First National Bank. In terms of architecture, the building is Greenville's only major example of an Art Deco structure and is now a branch location of TD Bank.

First National Bank

First constructed in May of 1924, the Poinsett hotel officially opened on June 20th, 1925. The building was designed by W. L. Stoddard, and was built by the Greenville company J. E. Sirrine. When first built the hotel was 12 stories high, and contained only&nbsp;one hundred rooms. The building had an arcade that led into the main building from main street, and the main lobby featured&nbsp;a large marble staircase. The exterior of the building is a rectangular design, with a L-shaped facade. In total, the entire project cost $1.5 million to build. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The hotel began under the management of Charles G. Day, a former manager of hotels in the area. At the time of the buildings opening, the depression was slowly creeping up upon the city, during the first few years of business the hotel would lose more than&nbsp;$30,000 dollars. It continued to suffer from financial issues during the great depression and due&nbsp;to this finical crisis, would hire a&nbsp;new general manager Mason Alexander. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Alexander boosted the hotel from rags to riches. He was the best manager&nbsp;in the business, known to locals as&nbsp;"Old Admiral Spit and Polish". Alexander was famously known for his&nbsp;"Four C" strategy he used this strategy for success, stating a good hotel needs cleanliness, cooking, competence, and courtesy. Thanks to Alexander's model of success guests started to poor in. By the 1940s the hotel became known as "Carolina's Finest" and had gained back all the money it had lost. Due to the growing popularity of the hotel, sixty new rooms were added in 1941 for a total of 248 rooms. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Throughout the later years, the hotel changed hands many times. Eventually it would become&nbsp;foreclosed during the years of&nbsp;1971-1986. The hotel didn't become repurchased until 1997. After much time spent renovating and remodeling the hotel reopened to the public on Oct. 22, 2000. This building was one of the first skyscrapers built in Greenville, SC. Today the building still holds much significance, marking the era of Greenville's great building boom. It was added to the National Register of Historical Places in July, 1982. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

A skyscraper reaching 12 stories high, the Poinsett Hotel is every travelers dream. This famous hotel was built during the peak of Greenville's "building boom". It's interior and exterior feature magnificent woodwork and prestige construction. The hotel grew to become one of the most popular hotels of the 1940s-1950s in all of South Carolina. It hand many setbacks in the later years but it has now reopened and is better than ever. 

Poinsett Hotel

On February 17th,
1947, a mob kidnapped Willie Earle, a Black man who&nbsp;was accused of
assault against a white taxi driver. A number of white tax drivers formed a&nbsp;mob and took Earle from his cell&nbsp;preceded to take him to
the Greenville County line. Once the mob and Mr. Earle reached their
destination, members of the mob took turns&nbsp;beating Earle, stabbing him, and eventually shooting him twice&nbsp;with a shotgun. The mob then drove Bramlett Road in
Greenville&nbsp;where they lynched Willie Earle's lifeless body and left the corpse in the tree.
There was no secret that local taxi drivers were responsible for Willie’s
heinous death, but it is not easy to convict a white man of killing a Black man
in the South. 

Not long after the lynching the
Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Marshals were on the
scene questioning suspects. Eventually thirty-one men were charged with the
murder of young Willie Earle. Some of the men charged with the murder signed
confessions admitting that they took part in the mob and implicated those who
would not confess to taking part. While it seemed, from the outside, that the
African American community would find justice for their fallen brother,
something was working in favor of the accused.

&nbsp;After two weeks of trial the
prosecution rested and the defense seemed like they had all but lost. However,
after only five hours of deliberation and consideration the all white jury had
reached their verdict. The jury had found that all thirty-one men, regardless
of prior confessions, were not guilty on all counts.&nbsp;

The Greenville County Courthouse was built in a Beaux Arts Style and completed in 1918. The Courthouse served as the headquarters of county government until 1950. Three years prior to the transition, this historic courthouse hosted one of the most controversial trials of the era. The trial involved charges against white men who had murdered Willie Earle in public. Thirty-one white men were charged in the murder, but despite clear evidence of their participation in Earle's lynching, the all-white jury found each of the defendants not guilty on all counts. The trial led to increased awareness of the difficulty in securing justice for African American victims of lynching.

Greenville County Courthouse and the Willie Earle Lynching Trial

Joel Roberts Poinsett was born on March 2, 1779 in Charleston. His father, Elisha, was a Huguenot (a French Jew) and physician, and his mother was from England. Elisha and private tutors educated Poinsett as a boy and he spent six years in England during his childhood. It was there that his formal education likely started. In 1794, he enrolled in a private academy in Connecticut and two years later attended a private school in England where he studied and became proficient in German, Spanish, French, and Italian. He then moved to Edinburgh, Scotland to attend medical school but returned to England after a year to enroll in a military academy in the hopes of starting a military career.His father, however, wanted him to come home and study law. Poinsett sailed back to America in 1800 but eventually lost interest in law and returned to Europe in 1801. He spent the next seven years traveling around Europe as well as Asia. His ability to speak several languages enabled Poinsett to establish relationships with leaders such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Czar Alexander I, and French financier Jacques Necker. Poinsett returned to the United States in 1808 as tensions between America and Britain were increasing. It appears he hoped to serve in a possible war with Britain (the situation culminated in the War of 1812) but he was instead appointed as a U.S. trade envoy to South America, specifically to Chile and Argentina. In both countries, he established diplomatic and trading ties to the United States, but he also fomented rebellions against Spain, which ruled both countries. His attempts ultimately failed and he sailed back to Charleston in 1815.In 1816, Poinsett was elected to the state legislature and served two terms. President James Monroe offered him the position of special envoy to South America again but he declined. While in office, he also served as the president of South Carolina Board of Public Works. He oversaw the project of building a highway from Charleston to Columbia. In 1821, Poinsett was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and served until 1825. From August 1822 to January 1823, President James Monroe sent him to Mexico on a special diplomatic mission. He wrote about his experiences in a book titled Notes on Mexico.After his term in Congress ended, he was appointed as U.S. ambassador to Mexico and tasked him with convincing Mexico, which had recently won its independence, to sell Texas. Poinsett was also instructed to encourage Mexico to lessen its ties with Britain and Europe and establish a treaty with the U.S. (this would help fulfill the Monroe Doctrine, the American policy that claimed that the Western Hemisphere was under America's sphere of influence). In January 1828, the two countries signed the Treaty of Limits, which confirmed the border established in 1819 by the Adams–Onís Treaty. However, Poinsett still tried to buy Texas, which Mexico refused to sell. Mexico also accused Poinsett of meddling in their affairs. In the end, Mexico asked Pointsett to leave.Upon returning to South Carolina in 1830, Poinsett served another term in the state legislature. During the next few years, he helped prevent South Carolina from seceding from the Union during the Nullification Crisis (many in South Carolina believed federal tariffs were unconstitutional and null and void within the state). In 1837, he was appointed Secretary of War. Under his leadership, the military increased in size and underwent significant reforms. Poinsett also continued the removal of Indians from their traditional lands and encouraged exploration of the west.After leaving office, Poinsett spent the rest of his life on his wife's farm. He continued to study botany as well as agriculture and animal husbandry, and encouraged the South to end the institution of slavery. He became the president of the National Institute, which was the predecessor to the Smithsonian Institution and served on the board of visitors of South Carolina College. He died on December 12, 1851.

This statue depicts one of the most prominent national figures of the 19th century, Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779-1851). A man of many interests, Poinsett was a diplomat, statesman, botanist, and scholar. He was the first United States minister to Mexico, serving from 1825 to 1829, and is perhaps best known for introducing the poinsettia plant to America. The plant, which is native to Mexico, is called "Flor de Nochebuena" in Spanish, but in America, it was named after him. Poinsett, who was born in Charleston, also served in the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina. He owned a summer home in Greenville and a plantation on the Peedee River. Although he owned slaves, Poinsett argued for the gradual end of slavery during the 1830s when most other white South Carolinians were presenting slavery as something that must be preserved and expanded. Poinsett also served as the president of the National Institute for the Promotion of Science whose collections were transferred to the Smithsonian in the 1850s. The statue is located in Court Square in the heart of downtown Greenville. 

Joel Roberts Poinsett Statue 

Architecture firm Beacham and LeGrand designed the building. It was supposed to be completed in 1924 but there were issues with the contractor that delayed the construction work. In the 1910s and 1920s, several other buildings were erected in the city including the Greenville County Courthouse (1918) and the Poinsett Hotel (1925), both of which located across from the Chamber of Commerce Building. The construction of these and other buildings reflected Greenville's growing economy during the early 20th century. This growth began in 1873 when three investors from Boston leased a mill on the Reedy River called the Vardry Mill. It was later renamed Camperdown Mill #1. The men built another, larger mill on the other side of the river called Camperdown Mill #2. In the coming years, many other mills opened the area, including the Woodside Mill, which was the world's largest mill under one roof. Eight cotton mills were operating in the Greenville area by 1903 and they employed thousands of people. The Greenville Chamber of Commerce hoped to guide the city's booming economy in the future but the Great Depression ended that goal. In 1931, a local insurance company called Liberty Life Insurance Co., which was doing well at the time, acquired the Chamber of Commerce Building. Liberty eventually became one of the leading insurance companies in the country. As a result of its success, the building became known as the Liberty Building. Liberty moved to another location and leased the building until 1977. The building has been used for a number of purposes since then, including classroom space for North Greenville College and Clemson University. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Standing prominently in Court Square in downtown Greenville, the Chamber of Commerce Building was one of the city's first skyscrapers. Constructed in 1925, it was built in the midst of a prosperous period for Greenville, whose economy was driven by the thriving textile industry. The building's Neoclassical design reflects this period and the optimism the city had for the future. The ten-story building features a Flemish brick bond exterior, classical stone detailing, tall arched windows on the tenth floor, and a prominent metal cornice at the top. In 1982, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It appears to be an office building today.

Chamber of Commerce Building

Restored Reedy River Industrial Complex           While its history as a country is very limited, the United States had been known as one of the most industrious countries on the planet. In just a few centuries. It has emerged as an industrial power on the World Stage as a result of the ambition and hopes of its countrymen to outweigh their competitors both on a national level and on the world stage. One representation of America’s early industrious beginnings includes the Reedy River complex situated on the river banks of the Reedy rover in Greenville, South Carolina. While this old abandoned building may now serve as merely a remnant of a time now past, this very factory served multiple purposes during its’ time among the town of Greenville. To be specific, the complex was once the base of the largest carriage production in the United States, a feat that would be followed in 1925 when it was bought out by a new owner who changed its’ products from carriages to mayonnaise. Even despite not being used as a base for industry, the complex itself is now still helping to bring more people to the town of Greenville because of its use as a cultural center for the city that boasts a theatre and a restaurant that hosts concerts, parties and festivals.           While the complex is the main focus, it should be taken into account the community that brought it into existence. Prior to the arrival of the European settlers within the territories of what was to become South Carolina, these lands originally belonged to the Cherokee Native Americans. Living in towns that were autonomous, the natives divided each other into two groups-the Ayrate (Claw) and the Ottare (Mountainous) peoples. By the late seventeenth century, these autonomous communities became part of a confederacy under the leadership of an individual known as the “First and Beloved Men.” Although each town contained six thousand warriors that was equivalent to the seven thousand combined white and African American population already in South Carolina. In the year 1738 a small pox epidemic suddenly broke out that quickly reduced the native population to half that original number to 2,750 fighting men out of a total population of 13,500. While there was interaction between the natives and the Spanish colonists throughout the sixteenth century, it was the expeditions of the British that were to change their destinies. The British had already been established as a colony in the territories close by the Cherokee natives whom they often traded with at least among the natives whom they often traded with at least among the natives of the lower caste villages for over fifteen years. However throughout the years, the British tried unsuccessfully to obtain Cherokee lands until February 12th, 1747 when an Indian agent George Prowley and native leaders from the lower towns signed a deed which opened Cherokee hunting lands for settlement which was paid for in ammunition. “The Immediate effect of this cession was to open land along the Indian path…it marked the first time that Greenville land was mentioned in negotiations between a British providence and the Cherokees”[1] For almost eighteen years following the signing of the deed between the natives and George Prawley, there was a decent amount of cooperation between the natives and the English settlers but in September of 1765 the issue of settlers’ boundaries was again raised. During the course of events that took place Governor Thomas Boone brought into question that the South Carolina boundary should be determined through cooperation with the Cherokee leaders and on October 19th of that year, the chiefs ceded to the British all land south of Dewitt’s Corner using the Reedy River as a boundary mark between North Carolina and South Carolina. On June 2nd, 1766 Governor Boone established the boundary line and proclaimed it “strictly enjoy[ing] and require[ing] all persons whether who have either willfully or inadvertently seated themselves upon any lands in this providence…reserved to the Indians to remove themselves from such settlement.”[2] Following the establishment of the boundary line for North and South Carolina. Throughout the course of the 1760s settlers began to settle in the area that would eventually become Greenville, the first being Richard Pearis. Because he was married to a Cherokee woman, he was given several tracts of land by the Cherokee natives. Yet it was also during this period that settlers began to move into the back country of the Catawba lands only to later return after only a short period of time away. Following the return of settlers to the Catawba lands, many groups of people including the residents of Cherokee Spartanburg and York counties, claimed to have grants from both North and South Carolina. North Carolina wanted the boundary to run from the Catawba Nation West to the Reedy River but South Carolina challenged its claim. This debate eventually went to the Board of Trade in London.           Following the return of settlers to the Catawba lands, many groups of people including the residents of Cherokee Spartanburg and York counties, claimed to have grants from both North Carolina and South Carolina. North Carolina wanted the boundary to run from the Catawba Nation West to the Reedy River, but South Carolina challenged its claim. This Debate eventually went to the Board of Trade in London. Following this meeting of the board that the Privy Council were recommended to send a few commissioners from the two providences to survey the land whom then drew up the present boundary between the southwest of Charlotte to the eastern boundary of Greenville county as the old Indian boundary line north of the Reedy River was laid off as Greenville now lay in South Carolina in what became known as the Treaty of Dewitt’s Corner. During the course of the 19th Century, Greenville began to grow as a community. However, it was not until the last two decades of the antebellum period 1840-1860 that Greenville began to flourish, specifically, with the coming of the railroads; as well as its’ reputation as a center for higher education. In addition to these traits the town became known for its growth in industry, one of which that became known for its growth in industry, one of which that became the most prominent was the Gower and Cox Wagon and Carriage Factory that was situated on the Reedy River.           Founded by partners Ebenezer Gower and Thomas Cox, their business which specialized in the manufacture and production of functioning carriages soon became one of the most successful companies in the town of Greenville. By 1851, the company added on to its repertoire with a dry goods store as well as a partnership with HC Markely in 1853 which further expanded its operations. By 1856, the Greenville Coach Factory below the Potomac that had sold carriages worth up to eighty thousand dollars. Furthermore, by the last decades of the nineteenth century, production in this complex, had out sourced all other production carriages became a need for citizens throughout the region even during the course of the Civil War that happened in the 1860s. The factory continued to manufacture carriages well into the initial years of the 20th Century under the name of the Markley’s Carriage Factory after partner H.C.Markley who joined in 1853. However, by the year 1911, the automobile industry had begun to overtake the demand in the transportation industry and therefore the new owner Mr. Markley sold the company after seventy six years in business. Following the downfall of the carriage production industry, by the year 1925 the factory was reopened this time with the production of mayonnaise as Mrs. Eugenia Duke bought out the company with the success of her recipe for mayonnaise two years prior.The product of Mrs. Duke’s mayonnaise soon became a beloved New South brand that was sold in grocery stores throughout the south. By the year 1929 however, Duke sold the factory to C.F. Sauer of Richmond, Virginia but while he now held ownership, he continued to operate the company under the name of “Duke.” It was during this time that grocery store promotions featured several sales pitches to help sell Dukes product such as impressive pyramids of Duke’s Mayonnaise in grocery stores, clean cut attractive middle class white salesmen and women posing with bottles of Duke’s mayonnaise. The campaigns to get the product sold emphasized taste, convenience, efficiently and more importantly “purity” as it tried to appeal to the white population particularly stay-at-home mothers. “Labeling a food product with a southern touchstone of the white Confederate past was a savvy move for market-conscious manufacturers and advertisers who recognized the monetary value of good story.”[3] When all was said and done, the product of Duke’s mayonnaise was as much a social product as it was a popular condiment. After 29 years of operating in the complex on the Reedy River, the company opted to move production to a much larger facility off Lauren’s Road in 1955 and by 1958 the entire Reedy River complex had been abandoned.Following the end of its run in heavy industry, the Reedy River Complex remained vacant until 1979 when the US Department of the Interior nominated to designate the complex on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, now called the Wyche Pavilion, the remains of the complex now serve as a restaurant called the “Founder’s Room,” as well as a place to hold special events including weddings, festivals, parties and outdoor concerts. In addition to special events, the pavilion is a place of the arts as a member of the Peace Center for the Performing Arts in which the Shirley Roe Cabaret Theatre hosts performances. While the complex may not still be useful in terms of its use in industry, it continues to remain as an important piece of the community of Greenville that not only brings its’ residents together but also reminds them of their community’s past and the developments which were made throughout the ages.  [1] Greenville: The History of the City and County in the South Carolina Piedmont, Archie Vernon Huff, pg.8.[2] Greenville: The History of the City and County in the South Carolina Piedmont, Archie Vernon Huff, pg. 10.[3] The Editable South: The Power of Food and the Making of an American Region, Marcie Cohen Ferris, pg.195.

This area of Greenville includes the former Huguenot Mill (182), Greenville Coach factory (1850s), and Markely Hardware Store and Carriage Factory (1915). The Greenville Coach Factory was once the largest carriage producing factory below the Potomac. During the height of it's years in production it was estimated that the factory held up to a hundred workers. However, due to the rise of the automobile industry in the 1890s, the demand for carriages plummeted and in the year 1911 the owner sold the factory after seventy six years in business. In 1925 the factory was reopened for production after it was bought by Mrs. Eugenia Duke, who shifted production from carriages to Duke's Mayonnaise. In 1929, the building was sold to C.F. Saver but still operated under the name of "Duke." After 29 years operating in the Greenville factory, the company moved production to a much larger building off Laurens Road built in 1955 leaving the original factory vacant by the year 1958. Today, the area has been converted into a historic district that demonstrates the city's transition to industry at the turn of the century. 

Restored Reedy River Industrial Complex

Joe Jackson’s story starts off in Pickens County, South Carolina, where Jackson was born on July
18th, 1888. Not long after in the year 1901,&nbsp;Jackson would move to a small town near Greenville, South Carolina. Jackson was from a large family, and had eight siblings. He was born to the parents of George and Martha Jackson. His father
worked in the local Brandon Mill, while his mother was a homemaker. Jackson
never learned to read or write, but instead took on the same role as his father, working in the mills. Due to working in the
mills at a young age, Jackson was a very weak child. It wasn’t until later in his life that he would grow to be strong, at his full height he would reach 6’1 and weigh 178 pounds. From a young age, Jackson was an
exceptionally good baseball player and at&nbsp;the age of thirteen years old he joined
a mill team. During
his baseball career, Jackson became known for his nickname "Shoeless Joe". He
gained this nickname after playing a major league game during this game, Jackson was spotted playing
bare foot because his new shoes were not yet broken in. A fan from the opposing
team noticed this,and yelled at him saying that he was a “shoeless bastard”, the&nbsp;nickname has been&nbsp;around ever since. In addition to his own personal nickname,
his bat also had a nickname, Black Betsy. This name originated because the bat&nbsp;was often covered
in tobacco juice.

Jackson continued to play mill baseball
throughout his teenage years, until 1908 when he would become signed to the Greenville Spinners baseball team. He quickly became recognized as the best player&nbsp;in the Carolina Association. At the age of nineteen he got his first big
break and was signed by Connie Mack to play for Philadelphia Athletics. Jackson first played in the major leagues&nbsp;on August 25th, 1908. Not shortly
after, he would return home to his wife because he was homesick. Throughout the
next few years, Jackson switched from playing in the major leagues and
playing in Philadelphia. He quickly rose to stardom thanks to his loving personality and excellent baseball skills.During the year of 1915, Jackson
became signed to the Chicago White Sox. This team was considered one of the
greatest during the time period when Jackson was playing. In the year of
1919, the White Sox had the chance for the World Series. Jackson and seven others on the 1919 Chicago White Sox team were&nbsp;accused of fixing the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. The players were promised extra money if they gave up the game to the Reds, instead of taking the title home for themselves. Jackson’s involvement with the scandal is unclear, but he denied all charges put against him. The players&nbsp;were acquitted in court, but Jackson was banned in 1921 from every playing ball again.&nbsp;Jackson spent the rest of life denying he was involved.After the scandal, Jackson moved back to his
hometown of Greenville in the year 1932.&nbsp;He would live here until his death. He went on to&nbsp;own a restaurant
and liquor store downtown, which he operated&nbsp;with his wife Katie. He occasionally enjoyed "outlawed
ball" through his later years. He also taught young children the rules of baseball in his past time.&nbsp;Jackson died at the age of 63 on December 5,
1951 after suffering a heart attack..&nbsp;

Opened in 2008, the "Shoeless" Joe Jackson museum is home to the famous baseball player Joe Jackson. Jackson is most famously known for his involvement with the "Black Sox' scandal of 1919. The museum is located in his original home in Greenville, SC where he lived and died. Inside the museum are an array of displays of artifacts, photographs, films, and other items associated Jackson's life and baseball career. This museum has been locally funded and volunteer operated since its opening. 

Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum

Before European settlers arrived in what is now Greenville, Cherokee Indians hunted in the area and perhaps camped in the summer along the river. The first settler to arrive was Richard Pearis, whose wife was Cherokee. Pearis built a trading post and grist mill next to the falls in 1768 and then in 1774, he purchased 50,000 acres from his son, who by birthright, was a member of the Cherokee Nation. However, Pearis sided with the British during the American Revolution and the state confiscated his business. In 1788, a man named Lemuel J. Alston bought the property and owned it until 1815 when he sold it to Vardry McBee. By then the size of the property was over 11,000 acres. McBee built two mills, one in 1819 and the other in 1829. The remains of the 1829 mill is still visible today. McBee, who also owned a cotton factory and wool and paper mills, contributed significantly to the city's growth. He was also a philanthropist and donated land for churches, schools, and colleges.In 1873, McBee's 1829 mill was enlarged into what was called Camperdown Mill No. 1. Two years later, the owners built a second, larger mill on the opposite (east) side of the river called Camperdown Mill No. 2. A mill village was also built to house workers and their families (children, some as young as nine, also worked in the mills). It appears that Camperdown Mill No. 1 operated until about 1923. Mill No. 2 operated until 1956 when competition from imports forced it to close. It was torn down in 1959. The Reedy River was heavily polluted for much of the 20th century. Beginning in the late 1960s, this began to change. The city acquired 26 acres in 1967 and, with the help of Carolina Foothills Garden Club and other organizations, state agencies, residents, and corporations, began to clean up the park. The park began to be developed into its current form in 1990. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Located in the heart of Greenville, Falls Park is where the city got its start. Today, it is a popular place for recreation, but for several decades it was the site of textile mills that contributed to the city's development in the 19th and 20th centuries. The park is named after the Reedy River Falls, which plunges 50 feet into a rocky gorge. There are several walking paths and a curved pedestrian bridge (the Liberty Bridge) that crosses over the river, giving people a view of the falls. The park also features ruins of mills and public art.



Historic Greenville, South Carolina Driving Tour

Beth Israel Synagogue

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information