Places & Stories

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Places & Stories in Greenville & the Upstate of South Carolina

by Flavia Westerwelle Greenville, 2012

Places! & Stories in Greenville & the Upstate of South Carolina

Although the accuracy of all the information and stories provided have been thoroughly researched by the author and have been prepared with all possible care, there are no absolute guarantees regarding the authenticity of the information. We can not guarantee that they are free from error, or that they contain every pertinent point. Since information is ever changing the author is also not responsible for any out of date material.

All content in the publication has the copyright of ŠFlavia Westerwelle and may not be reproduced, transmitted, distributed or displayed in any way without the express consent of Flavia Westerwelle.

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Places & Stories in Greenville & the Upstate of South Carolina

Places! & Stories in Greenville & the Upstate of South Carolina Edition I / Volume I 57 Pages 47 Stories & more than 200 Pictures Graphic Design, Text & Photography by Flavia Westerwelle Publisher: Flavia Westerwelle Greenville, SC / U.S.A. 2012

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Places & Stories in Greenville & the Upstate of South Carolina

Page 4 - 5 ...... Greenville Information & Pictures Page 6........... Peace Center Page 7 ........... West End Historic Area and Westend Market Page 8 .......... Saturday Market Page 9 .......... Greenville County Museum of Art Page 10 ..........Cherrydale Page 11 .......... Kids Planet Page 12-13....... Falls Park & Liberty Bridge Page 14 ..........Montebello Page 15 .......... Greer Station Page 16 ......... The Children’s Garden Page 17 ......... Morgan Square in Spartanburg Page 18 ......... Campbell’s Covered Bridge Page 19 .......... Cliffs Valley Page 20 .......... Fine Arts Center Page 21 .......... The Upstate Shakespeare Festival Page 22 .......... Cool Splash!

Page 23 ..........Cliff’s Cottage @ Furman University Page 24-25 ..... The International Festival Page 26-27 ..... The Blue Ridge Parkway Page 28 ......... Hagood Mill Page 29 .......... Farmers Hall Page 30 ......... The Art Bomb Page 31 ......... Lake Robinson 2

Page 32 ...........Anderson Art Center Page 33 ......... Gassaway Mansion Page 34 ......... The Upcountry History Museum Page 35 ......... Mice on Main Page 36 ......... The Markley Carriage Paint Factory Page 37 ......... Table Rock State Park Page 38-39 .... Artisphere Page 40 ......... The Kilgore Lewis House Page 41 .......... Catawba River & Landsford Canal Page 42 ......... The Pettigru Street Historic District Page 43 .......... Rudolf Anderson Memorial Page 44 .......... Step into the Past in Collins Ole Towne Page 45 ......... Lake Keowee Page 46 .......... The Children’s Museum of the Upstate Page 47 .......... Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum & Baseball Library Page 48 ......... Walnut Grove Plantation Page 49 .......... The Duncan DuPre House Page 50 .......... Liberty Building Page 51 ......... Falls Cottage Page 52 .......... BMW Zentrum USA Page 53 ......... The North Carolina Arboretum Page 54-55 ..... Greenville the Tranformation of a City Page 56 .......... Swamp Rabbit Trail Page 57 .......... QR code to map & Publisher / Author Information 3

Greenville,SC Greenville is located in the northwest ern corner of South Carolina, halfway on I-85 between Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA Greenville and the surrounding areas are commonly referred to as the Up state or the Piedmont region.

Located in the rolling foothill s of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with the first ridge of the mountains approximately 20 miles to the northwest and on an elevation between 800 to 1,100 feet above sea level the climate for Green ville is pleasant year-round, with spec tacular seasonal changes during the year.

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The weather in Greenville is moder ate with an average low temperature of 48 degrees F and an average high temperature of 78 degrees F, peaking sometimes in the 90’s.

Greenville is an inviting upstate city on the banks and waterfall s of the Reedy River with beautiful tree-lined streets.

Greenville’s emergence as a cosmopolitan city is reflected in the variety and sheer number of great places to eat.

Downtown is home to more than 90 restaurants, and there are more than 600 restaurants in the immediate area.

Downtown attractions are the Bi-Lo Center, a 16,000 seat sports and entertainment arena, The Peace Center for the Performing Arts with a 2,100 seat concert hall that features Broadway, dance and orchestral music, several theaters, an Art Museum, a History Museum, a Children’s Museum, retail shops, galleries, hotels, the Governors School of Art and the Reedy River Falls Park with a 60-foot natural waterfall, walking trails, public garden and a spectacular pedestrian bridge.

There are more than 5 0 golf courses in the area. The Upcountry offers superb hiking, camping, boating, fishing, hunting, biking, horseback riding and more.

Because Greenville offers tremendous advantages in every aspect of today’s businesses, Greenville is the number one choice for new, expanding, and relocating companies. In addition to an

excellent business climate and a qual ity labor force, Greenville supports a broad range of cultural, educational and recreational activities which cre ates a rich quality of life.

The areas beautiful mountains, dra matic waterfalls, and numerous lakes and rivers and North Carolina’s moun tain region serve as a wonderful setting for all types of outdoor adventures. In less than an hour drive you can visit Asheville, Chimney Rock Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Caesar’s Head, Jones Gap, Paris Mountain, Table Rock, Ke owee, Jocasee, Whitewater Falls, Ra ven Cliff and much more.

The South Carolina coast with sandy beaches, historic places, Plantations of the Old South, Myrtle Beach, Charles ton, and the Low country Islands, Georgia’s historic South, Metro At lanta, or Charlotte, NC are also great places to go for a day trip.

In addition there are numerous festi vals, concerts, and different events in downtown Greenville throughout the year.

The Upstate is also home to more than 250 international firms and has the highest level of foreign capital invest ment per capita in the nation. There are international companies from more than 25 countries, including the headquarters of BMW, Michelin, Hitachi and Bowater in the greater Green ville area located.

Greenville can easily be reached by car, train or plane. Interstate I-85, I-385 and I-26 connects Greenville to Atlanta, Charlotte, Charleston and the Port of Charleston. Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is located about 10 miles outside downtown Greenville.

Factbox: Greenville, South Carolina Founded: 1831 Location: 34 ° 50’40 “North, 82 ° 23’8” West (34.844313, -82.385428) GR1 Greenville is the county seat of Greenville County Area 28.6 sq miles / 74.07 km ² Greenville City Population: 58 000 Greenville Metro population: 450,000 Spartanburg - Greenville - Anderson Metro population: 1.2 million The population density in the city: 2,037 per sq. miles Economy: Michelin, BMW, GM, GE, Lockheed Martin, 3M, Honeywell, Bowater, ScanSource, CU-ICAR More than 70 international companies have offices in the Greenville area.

Greenville,SC

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The Peace Center for the Performing Arts The Peace Center in Greenville, SC is a beautiful performing arts center in the middle of downtown Greenville.

It consists of the 430-seat Gunter Theatre, the Peace Concert Hall featuring 2100 seats, state-of-theart acoustics and a hydraulic or chestra pit, an Amphitheater overlooking the historic Reedy River and a restored Huguenot Mill.

It is a landmark in the middle of Greenville’s celebrated downtown, a landmark in Greenville’s history and a symbol of Greenville’s vi sion and courage to tackle difficult challenges.

In the early 1980s, when down town and Main Street was on the verge of dying, with many stores and buildings closed and boarded up, a group of visionaries from private and public sectors stepped up with a dream to build a performing arts center in the middle of downtown. With the help of a unique public-private fundraising partnership, a $10 million pledge from the Peace Family, a $3 million pledge from Dorothy Hipp Gunter and community projects l

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like the “88 Keys Campaign”, the five year effort was finally crowned with the celebration of the com pletion of the complex. Built on a six-acre former site of three dilapidated factories The Peace Center for the Performing Arts incorpo rated the renovated and restored historic Coach Factory, C.F. Sauer Factory (Duke’s Mayonnaise), and Huguenot Mill buildings. The cen ter was designed by Craig, Gaul den, and Davis with support of Larry Kirkegaard, a nationally rec ognized acoustician and the theatrical design firm Jerit Boys.

Just recently in 2012 the Peace Center and Gunter Theater received a contemporary facelift and the Amphitheater has been renovat ed. The facilities are home to the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, South Carolina Children’s Theatre, Carolina Ballet Theatre, and Inter national Ballet. The Peace Center offers year-round exciting entertainment, from clas-

sical music and dance, to Broadway hits, internationally well known artists, comedy shows as well as a multitude of venues and meet ing spaces for private or corporate events.

Committed to the arts, the Peace Center also offers continuing education through curriculum-based performances and nationally-rec ognized professional development programs for teachers, as well as workshops, master classes, lec tures and other events to explore the arts.

Location: 300 South Main Street Greenville, SC 29601

The West End Historic Area and Westend Market is located at the South end of Main Street at Augusta Street in Greenville, just across the Reedy River from downtown.

It has a long and interesting history. After earlier settlements in the 1830’s the Furman University was established in 1852 on fifty acres of land in the West End, where it expanded and remained until 1958.

This development and the arrival of the Greenville & Columbia Railroad in the West End in 1853 led to both residential and commercial development of the area. In the 1890’s this area was called Greenville’s second downtown. This district was full of life and was a place where the people of the city could get their daily necessities.

Cotton and fertilizer warehouses sprang up as well as other commercial activities that supported the farmers from throughout the region. Local farmers began to organize into “Farmers Cotton Alliances” and decided to build a cooperative cotton warehouse.

Erected by Captain Jacob Cagle in 1890, the newly built Cotton Alliance Warehouse burnt down after six months, but was rebuild again

by Jacob Cagle for $3,270. Only six months later Mills & McBrayer built a matching structure with an adjoining wall. In 1893 the Chico ra College, a Presbyterian school for women, was established on “McBee’s Terrace” overlooking the Reedy River. When the textile mills began to re-locate outside the city, the commercial activity in the area shifted from cotton to soft drink manufacturing and bottling. Chicora College moved to Columbia in 1915 and its buildings burned down in 1919. The introduction of the automobile led to the construction of auto agencies and repair shops. During this period new offices and commercial buildings were constructed and the West End was still a very vital commercial and residential area.

Typical of many inner city areas the West End began a period of decline in the mid 20th century, residential areas deteriorated, few

West End Historic Area

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new buildings were constructed and Furman University moved to the countryside. The area had fallen into disuse, with many vacant buildings and a growing problem with crime. The existing historic architecture of the West End reflects its commercial character from the 1870s to the 1930s and the majority of historic buildings date from the 1880s to the 1920s.

With the donation of three historic buildings to the City of Greenville, a plan was developed to revitalize the area into a shopping, arts, and entertainment district.

In 1994 the City of Greenville meticulously renovated the Alliance Cotton Warehouse into The West End Market, 1 Augusta Street. Today the building contains favorite shops and restaurants, like Mellow Mushroom, Smoke on the water and several eclectic stores.

As a result of the West End Market project, this area is once again a bustling commercial district, a shopping and tourist destination.

West End Market

The West End area is now enjoying a resurg ence in popularity with an increase of new businesses, entertainment facilities, art galleries, restaurants, residences and since 2006 the newly opened West End Field Ballpark.

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Saturday Market

The Greenville Saturday Market is providing the finest in-season produce, gourmet foods and fresh-cut flowers to downtown Greenville each week on Saturday.

The Saturday Market is an open-air downtown farmers’ market for the sale of locally grown farm products, arts, and crafts.

In addition the market features live music and inter active events that appeal to a wide variety of interests.

Shoppers can also learn an array of lifestyle tips from weekly chef’s demonstrations or educational pieces at 10:30 a.m..

There are also special market events and fun-filled activities like Club Day, Touch-aTruck Day, Autumn Harvest and Holiday Harvest. The 8

Saturday Market is located on Main Street.

Saturdays, May - October 8 am - Noon Rain or Shine Location: Main Street - between Court and Washington Street

The Greenville County Museum of Art

Mostly hidden by great oaks, the Greenville County Museum of Art boasts an unequaled col lection of Southern paintings, an outstanding collection of contemporary American art, four floors of exhibition space, an auditorium and theatre, art school, classrooms and studios in a large, modern building.

Beginning with colonial por traiture from the early 1700s, the collection contains at least one example from every major movement in American art. The museum is noted for its collections of work by Andrew Wy eth and Jasper Johns, as well as a contemporary collection that features such notables as Andy Warhol, Georgia O’Keeffe, and others.

It boasts the finest collection of Andrew Wyeth watercol ors including his most recent works plus features the highly acclaimed Southern Col lection which presents works from the 18th Century to the present day.

The permanent collection is complemented by over fifteen changing exhibitions each year.

Some exhibitions focus on an important artist or period in art history, while others feature the work of the most original contemporary artists.

The museum was designed by Craig Gaulden Davis and con structed in 1974.

The multi-story, trapezoidal structure nestles comfortably between Heritage Green’s existing structures, accommodates

the dimensions of a difficult building site, and preserves the campus’s signature green space.

The museum offers art classes, gallery talks, Sunday afternoon programs and special events, like a Holiday Party for Chil dren. Visitors will find beautiful gifts, catalogs or fine art books, memorabilia, and much more at the Museum Shop.

Location: 420 College Street, Greenville SC 29601 864-271-7570

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Cherrydale

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In 1852, George Washington Green purchased 350 acres of land “on the waters of Richland Creek and Reedy River” for $1,500. There he built “Green Farm,” a modest onestory dwelling that is now the rear wing of Cherrydale. On March 2, 1857, Green sold that land and an additional 100 acres to James Clement Furman, President of Furman University for $7,000. This $5,500 price difference suggests that Green constructed the house between 1852 and 1857.

Between 1857 and 1860, Furman and his wife, Mary Glen Davis Furman, remodeled Green Farm, adding four rooms and a new entrance with a front porch, four GreekRevival-style columns, a threebay portico and were calling the renovated house “Cherrydale.”

The Cherrydale farm was three miles from downtown, where Furman University was then located, so James Clement Furman kept a separate residence near the university while

school was in session. Furman retired as president in 1881 and lived his final years at Cherrydale writing and preaching.

He died in an upstairs bedroom of the house in 1891.

Furman willed Cherrydale to his wife, Mary, who sold much of the surrounding land but continued to live there until her death in 1911. Mrs. Furman’s will transferred ownership of Cherrydale and the remaining property to her children. The daughter, Mrs. Goldsmith lived there until the mid-1930s, when she moved to New York. In 1939 she sold Cherrydale, together with 55 acres of surrounding land.

The buyers, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene E. Stone III, discovered the house to be in terrible condition, with no electricity, heat or water, a sagging front veranda, and an open porch along one side. They modernized and restored Cherrydale to be their home, and in 1976 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Stone family retained posses-

sion of Cherrydale and it was extensively and carefully renovated in 1997 as a corporate guesthouse.

When AIG Baker bought the plant site from Umbro International in 1998 with plans to construct Cherrydale Point shopping center, it also purchased the Cherrydale property. Together the Stone family and AIG Baker donated the house to Furman.

On March 7 and 8, 1999, Expert Movers of Virginia used their engineering skills to move the huge home three miles along Poinsett Highway to its present location at the highest point of the Furman campus. During homecoming that same year, the university dedicated Cherrydale as Furman’s Alumni House.

Cherrydale is available for events and use by any group, however preference will be given to those affiliated with Furman. To inquire about reserving Cherrydale for a special occasion, please call the Furman Alumni Association.

Kids Planet

@ Century Park

Kids Planet is a beautiful playground nestled in Century Park in Greer. It is a wonderful spot to gather, relax, meet and play for all ages. Surrounded by wooden picnic areas and pavilions, you will find two amazing play structures and a paved walking track.

This gorgeous playground was built by the community of Greer, for all children of the Upstate.

The design of the playground was inspired by dreams of children from the community and these ‘dream’ plans were carried out by more than 3,000 volunteers with hammers, saws and drills.

At the second distinctive playground, every apparatus is 100% accessible by children and adults in wheelchairs and allows children and adults of all abilities to play side-by-side.

Kids Planet draws families and special need groups from Greer, Greenville and from across the Upstate. Kids Planet is of great benefit for every child in the community by providing a free safe haven to play, climb, run, jump, laugh and have fun.

The surrounding pavilions may be rented for private parties between March and October for two hour time periods.

Small shelters are $10 Large shelters are $20 For further information call the Greer Recreation Department at: 848-5384.

Kids Planet is located at Century Park, south of Downtown Greer.

Location: 3605 Brushy Creek Road, between Hwy. 14 and Buncombe Road, Greer

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Falls Park & Liberty Bridge

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Falls Park on the Reedy River is a 26-acre historic park in the heart of downtown Greenville. The Reedy River, a tributary of the Saluda River, flows through it and first drops over a spectacular forty foot waterfall into a rocky gorge. Confined on one side by the steep, rocky and heavily wooded Camperdown Bluff, it creates a pond and afterwards plunges into a secondary set of falls while further down stream its rapids meander through rocky shallows. This area, with the waterfalls of the Reedy River, was and still is the geographical and the historical center and the cradle of Greenville.

Long before European settlers arrived, this area was home to the Cherokee Indians and part of the Cherokee Nation’s protected grounds after the treaty of 1763.

Richard Pearis, an Indian trader, ac quired about 10 square miles along the Reedy River from three Cherokee chiefs around 1770. He set up his “Great Plains” Plantation and built a house, a trading post, a smoke house, stables, a dairy, a blacksmith shop, slave quarters, a sawmill and started and operated the first grist mill in the area. Shortly before the American Revolution Richard Pearis, a Tory-Loy-

alist, was forced to leave the area hurriedly, and his home, the mill and store were burned by patriots.

The next owner, Lemuel Alston, who had laid out a plot for the develop ment of the town of “Pleasantburg” in 1797, remained in control of this land until 1815. He established a corn and grist mill at the Reedy River Falls in 1812, built the “Prospect Hill” mansion and the town of Pleasantburg, later renamed as Greenville, was founded.

The continuing growth attracted further industries and several other mills were built along the falls during the early 1900s to use the power of the

waterfalls to grind cornmeal, and flour or to use the power of the water for textile manufactories. In 1870 Cam perdown Mill was constructed and with it came a decline of the falls and the erosion of the banks below the mills. Due to the bordering textile in dustry the water often changed color depending to what fabric was being dyed in the mills along the river. These mills heavily contributed to the pollution and deterioration of the Reedy River in the late 1900’s. In 1852 Fur man Institution, which is now Furman University, bought land from Vardry McBee along the Reedy River and Furman University moved to Greenville from Edgefield, SC. Furman University opened the college department in 1852 on the scenic hill above the Reedy River Falls and remained at this location until 1958. The first steps to restore the area to its natural beauty began when Furman University opened a botanical garden and arboretum sur rounding the falls in the early 1930’s.

After Furman University moved to its present location near Travelers Rest, the Carolina Foothills Garden Club started efforts to reclaim the long neglected site of Greenville’s birthplace.

With the support of the City of Greenville, the donation of the original six acres by Furman University and sev eral other property owners, the Gar den Club and the City of Greenville reclaimed 26 acres in 1967 and con tinued to protect, expand and develop the area. In 1975 the Garden Club also

acquired and restored the Falls Cot tage overlooking the falls. Over the next 45 years the City of Greenvill e and the Carolina Foothills Garden Club have worked tirelessly to clean up the river, restore the Falls Cottage and to further develop a beautiful park. With generous support from foundations, corporations, and individuals a mas ter development and beautification project started in 1990 to demolish a six-lane highway bridge which crossed over the falls and to transform the park into a regional attraction.

Falls Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Pl aces and today encompasses 26 acre of nature trails, the Swamp Rabbit trail, six landscaped garden areas, scenic overlooks, picnic areas, a River Lodge (a picnic shelter), ruins of the Vardry and McBee mills, a wall from the original 1776 grist mill, the old Furman University botanical gardens and arboretum, a pond, his toric information plaques and markers, an outdoor stage for the Shake speare Festival and other events, an amphitheater, two designated areas for weddings, and an exceptional pedestrian suspension bridge - the Lib erty Bridge. The Main Street entrance to the park is accentuated with the bronze sculpture “Lake, Falls, Lake” and the adjoining Overlook building offers a beautiful view of the falls, refreshments, dining and other visi tor amenities. Across the river from the main entrance the red sculpture ‘Untitled 2002-2003” by Joel Shapiro

greets the visitors with a contempo rary touch.

Today, shops and restaurant, on Main Street border to the northwest side of the park, the Governor’s School for the Arts & Humanities to the south side and office buildings to the northeast. Falls Park and the Liberty Bridge have received national and interna tional recognition for excellence from several organizations and are now a popular destination for residents, visitors and all kinds of activities as well as private and public events.

The Liberty Bridge in Falls Park is a pedestrian suspension bridge with a single suspension cable attached on the outer zone of the curvature. The bridge spans 345 feet across the Reedy River falls and offers stunning views of the waterfalls and the Falls Park. Constructed over a period of 12 months

by Taylor and Murphy Construction Co of Asheville, designed by architect Miquel Rosales of Boston and en gineered by Schlaich Bergemann of Stuttgart, Germany, the bridge was completed in 2004. While similar bridges have been built in Germany, and Spain the bridge’s geometry is unique to the USA. This beautiful, ul tra lightweight bridge is considered the best pedestrian bridge worl dwide and received numerous national and international awards.

Location: South Main Street & Camperdown Way, Greenville, SC Costs: Free

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Montebello

Montebello is an upscale, gated community where the homes are situated in the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains, yet right on Greenville’s Doorstep.

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Enhancing the natural beauty and sweeping vistas of Montebello the homes are inspired by the architecture of the Tuscan Hills of Italy and the French countryside.

In addition to embracing a European spirit and charm, Montebello is rich with the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

This pristine site of about 350 acres, located on the pinnacle of Piney Mountain, offers homeowners rare and beauti-

ful sweeping mountain vistas only minutes from one of the Southeast’s most desirable and bustling downtown areas.

Homeowners are surrounded by free flowing creeks & waterscapes, natural rolling greenbelts & pathways, and untouched fields of giant hardwoods.

The community accommodates different lifestyles and offers homes, villas, town homes as wells as condominiums. To complete the European spirit there is also a small village the ‘Villaggio di Montebello’ nestled into the Montebello community.

Inspired by Italian art and architecture, this pedestrian-friendly neighborhood invites residents to enjoy the intimacy of a village community.

Residents can experience the quaint spirit of Montebello and its European village, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains but are located only five minutes from bustling downtown Greenville with its eclectic shops and numerous restaurants .

Location: Montebello State Park Road Greenville, SC

The Greer Downtown Historic District is significant for its numerous intact examples of earl y twentieth century commercial architecture. These commercial buildings characterize Greers ex pansion from an agricultural market place to an industrial and as well as manufacturing economy.

In 1873 the Atlanta Charlotte Air Line Railroad established a flag station along its railway as “Greer’s Station”. The bustling business district quickly grew up around the depot and Greer officially incorporated in 1876.

Downtown Greer prospered dur ing the late 1870’s through the 1890’s predominantly in the cot ton trade. A wide variety of busi nesses such as general stores, physicians, and other essential services lined the streets. Many of these early businesses were wood frame buildings grouped around the Public Square and along Trade Street. After the construction of two new railroads around 1902, the commercial activities focused particularly between the two railroad tracks.

With the boom of the textile in dustry in the early twentieth century, downtown Greer al so expanded with new commerce focused on supporting the new industry. This new industry changed the face of downtown Greer as it replaced the older wood frame buildings with brick commercial structures. Today the area contains forty-six properties, forty of which are considered contributing to the character of the historic district and are listed on the National Historic Register.

The contributing properties rep resent the development of the downtown as the center of commerce in Greer, and were con-

Greer Station structed from ca. 1900 to ca.

1940, with the majority con structed between 1910 and 1930.

Downtown Greer Station was the center of commerce, business and entertainment for the com munity well into the 1960’s. Due to the growth on Wade Hampton Boulevard (US Highway 29) businesses in Greer Station be gan to decline in the 70’s. After the formation of the Partnership for Tomorrow (PFT) in 1998 and its ongoing partnership with the City of Greer, the Greer Commission of Public Works, the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce, and the Greer Development Cor poration downtown Greer began to reverse this decline and started a major transformation.

The partnership started to re shape the future of downtown Greer and envisioned the down town area again as a City Center and the focal point of the com munity. Since then Greer Station has entered into a new era. More than 40 new businesses and res taurants are now located in the downtown area.

New street-scape improvements and restoration efforts are revitalizing the downtown area.

Numerous events & festivals held in downtown Greer are attract ing visitors from all around the Upstate. Greer Station is finally again a destination point for business, shopping and entertain ment.

Location: Trade Street between E. Poinsett Street and Railroad tracks Greer, SC 15

The Children’s Garden at Linky Stone Park The Children’s Garden at Linky Stone Park is probably one of the most well kept secrets in Greenville.

It is a wonderful interactive, multi-themed garden especially designed for children of all ages.

Located at Linky Stone Park between downtown Greenville and the revitalized West End it occupies 1.7 acre greenspace along the banks of the Reedy River.

The garden provides a wealth of experiences only found in nature. It enriches children’s intelligence, creativity, physical and mental health and wellbeing through exploration and discovery and encourages children to experience the outdoors in a fun, hands-on environment.

The park offers various Children’s themes and ample sit16

ting and playing areas for kids of all ages. At this fairy tale themed park you can enjoy an ‘ABC Garden’ with flowers and herbs taking children through the Alphabet, a ‘Greenville History Garden’, celebrating Greenville’s history in textile; a ‘Historical Plants Garden’, a ‘Reflection Garden’, a ‘Five Senses Garden’, a ‘Canvas Cave’, a ‘Fairy Tale Forest’, a ‘Storybook Garden’, ‘Sculpture Garden’, ‘Science Gardens’, outdoor classrooms, a Hansel & Gretel Cottage, and a ‘Native Plant Garden’. Walking through this themed park enables the visitors and children to learn about Greenville’s history, and experience the plants and flowers with every letter of the alphabet. The park also features enchanting artwork and sculptures including a 6-foot statue of Winnie the Pooh.

Location: Greenville’s Children Garden at Linky Stone Park 24 Reedy View Drive Greenville, SC 29601 Costs: Free Hours: Dusk to Dawn

Morgan Square Spartanburg

Morgan Square in Spartanburg is the place of the original courthouse village, which was established in the 1780’s. The place of the first courthouse and jail near a spring eventually became a square which was named after Daniel Morgan, the general who commanded the American forces at the Battle of Cowpens.

In 1880, a opera house with a clock tower was built at Morgan Square. Many of Spartanburg’s music events were held between 1880-1906 in the Opera House, which could seat 800 people. In addition Spartanburg’s city hall occupied the first floor of the Opera House. The Opera House and clock tower was torn down in 1907.

The statue of Daniel Morgan was placed on the square in

the spring of 1881 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Cowpens. The courthouse, shops and the Merchant’s Hotel, later known as Spartan Inn bordered Morgan Square. Trues Department store opened in 1905 and operated the first elevator in Spartanburg. The oldest existing buildings still standing on the square today date to the 1880’s. During the 1960’s suburban shopping centers drew shoppers away from traditional downtown stores, or hotels. The center of downtown and Morgan Square declined.

Within the last decade Spartanburg’s downtown district has been revitalized and Morgan Square remodeled. A number of historic structures have been restored and several businesses and

company headquarters relocated to Morgan Square and downtown Spartanburg. Morgan Square is now again the city’s primary downtown hub and a thriving center for daytime commerce and vibrant nightlife.

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Campbells’ Covered Bridge

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Campbell’s Covered Bridge is the only remaining covered bridge in South Carolina. It is a well-preserved piece of the Upcountry history and it’s pic turesque setting attracts tour ists, history enthusiast and photographers alike. Built in 1909, this solid and gabled structure bridges the narrow and lovel y, meandering Beaverdam Creek.

The bridge on Campbell’s Bridge Road is located in northern Greenville County, near Tiger ville and Gowensville.

The pine structure is 35 feet long and 12 feet wide and is an excellent example of a four-span Howe truss design featuring diagonal timbers and

vertical iron rode. It was built by Charles Irwin Willis and named after Alexander Lafayette Campbell (1836-1920), the owner of a former corn grist mill about 50 feet downstream and owner of 194 acres which were located near the bridge. Foundations of the old mill and a house built by Joseph Daniel Smith in 1938 are visible downstream of the bridge. Campbell’s Covered Bridge was the largest and most sophisticated of four covered bridges in northern Greenville County. The construction of this bridge connected several rural communities and small towns in the immediate vicin ity, so that a full day trip was

shortened to about an hour.

The bridge has been restored twice since completion, and is now closed to motor traffic. In 1979 a scene for the movie, ‘A Day of Judgement’ was filmed at the bridge by E.O. Produc tions. The bridge site and sur roundings have been trans formed into a 17 acres passive park and is owned by Greenville County Recreation District. The bridge is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Location: 1214 Pleasant Hill Rd., Landrum, SC 29356 17 acres (Historic Site)

The Cliff’s Valley

The Cliffs Valley is an incredible golf community nestled in a valley and along the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. With spectacular mountain views and rolling hills this mountain retread is located within minutes of cultural and commercial centers, like Greenville and Hendersonville.

The Cliffs Valley offers a luxury community lifestyle with exclusive golf course living in an active, outdoor recreational paradise.

The Parkland-style Valley Golf course, home sites and more than two hundred acres of private parks and trails are bordered by thousands of acres of forests. The Cliffs Valley golf course is the home course of the BMW Charity Pro-Am and ranked among the nation’s “Best New Courses” in the Golf Digest.

The Cliffs Valley is the center of outdoor activities and its ame nities include an inviting club house in European Old World

Style, a 15,000-square-foot Wellness Complex with sauna and indoor pool, workout facilities, tennis courts, Nature Center and Outdoor Wellness Coordinator, event fields for sports, children’s playground, private 300-acre Panther Mountain Park and extensive hiking trails.

Location: Cliffs Valley, Travelers Rest, SC 19

The Fine Arts Center

The Fine Arts Center of Greenville, SC (The “FAC”) is a very unique arts school for students gifted in the literary, visual and performing arts. It was established in August 1974 as the

first specialized arts school in the state of South Carolina.

The Fine Arts Center provides advanced and comprehensive arts instruction to artistically talented high school students who would like to take inten sive pre-professional studies.

The Center offers instructions in dance, theatre, visual arts, creative writing, music and music engineering, jazz gui20

tar, video, digital filmmaking & editing, photography , metals, painting and more. The students attend classes either in the morning or afternoon, five days a week and spend the

remainder of their time in other academic courses at their home high school.

Every year around 400 students attend the Fine Arts Center in Greenville and more than 90 % of Fine Art Center Graduates go on to higher education.

The Fine Arts Center is open to students from grades 9-12 who demonstrate exceptional ability in their art forms.

All high school students can audition to attend the Fine Arts Center and are selected on the basis of talent, interest, motivation, and commitment to their discipline.

Interested students need to fill out an appl ication, which re quires nomination by a teacher.

Selected students will receive a notification for an audition/interview and will be evaluated in their art area. The review process will help the faculty to determine the student’s class placement.

A few years ago a new building was erected and the Fine Arts Center moved from its former location at 1613 W. Washing ton St. to its new facility at 102 Pine Knoll Drive. The new exceptional educational Center features a 2,800-square-foot dance studio, a recital hall, a black box theatre, a dance studio, a television & film studio, a recording studio, and the Fine Arts Center Gallery.

Location: Fine Arts Center 102 Pine Knoll Dr. Greenville, SC 29609

The Upstate Shakespeare Festival is the Warehouse Theatre’s Community Outreach program and brings the magic of Shakespeare and other classic plays to Greenville, SC. This free summer festival, which focuses on high quality and entertaining performs two to three different plays during the season. The Warehouse Theatre incorporates actors from all around the Upstate community and presen ts its free summer festival in a beautiful outdoor setting in Falls Park on the Reedy River.

The Upstate Shakespeare Festival

All performances are Thursday through Sunday starting at 7 pm.

Bring your picnic, lawn chair or blanket and come early to find your perfect spot.

Location: Amphitheater in Falls Park Greenville, SC Costs: Free - although donations are greatly appreciated 21

Cool off, play and splash in downtown Greenville. Kids love to play and cool off in the beautiful water fountains at River Place in downtown Greenvil le.

The railroad-themed fountain with painted meandering tracks was created in remembrance of the Swamp Rabbit Train which was build in 1888. It crossed the Reedy River at this location and connected Greenville, SC with Travelers Rest, Marietta and River Falls, SC. The fountains are choreographed to the sounds of a train as it approaches the water jets. Benches for adults are con veniently placed in close prox imity along the Reedy River to watch the children, ducks and to enjoy the river view. The Foun tain can be found at River Walk along the Reedy River.

Location: 171 River Place, Greenville, SC Costs: Free 22

Cool Splash!

The 3,400-square-foot Cliffs Cottage at Furman University, a Southern Living Showcase home, opened in June 2008 for public tours to educate about living stylish but also eco-friendly.

It was Southern Living magazine’s first ‘green’ sustainable Showcase Home and was built as a model of environmentally responsible design, sustainable building techniques and materials, and energy-saving systems.

From solar-panel systems to engineered wood, Bamboo flooring, stocked with energyefficient appliances and even capable of generating power rather than draining it, to the insulated windows, this residential home has all the latest technological innovations in sustainable living. The commitment to sustainability has also been applied to the landscaping, the gardens, the rainwater collection systems, driveway and walkways surrounding the home.

Located close to the Bell Tower on the Furman lake and overlooking the lake, it is surrounded by beautiful gardens, and a 1/4 acre organic garden called Furman Farm.

Southern Living featured The Cliffs Cottage Showcase Home and gardens in several issues of its magazine. The Cottage is now the home of the David E. Shi Center for Sustainability.

Cliffs Cottage

Furman University

Location: Furman University 3300 Poinsett Highway, Greenville, SC 23

The International Festival celebrates Spartanburg’s international community.

More than 100 international businesses are located in Spartanburg county and people from more than 70 countries reside in Spartanburg. To celebrate this diverse community the City of Spartanburg hosted its first International Festival in 1985 and expanded its international participants and reaches an even more global audience.

The Festival is held each Fall in Spartanburg’s downtown Barnet Park.

Thousands of people attend to celebrate and explore the diverse cultures of our world 24

through food, music, dance, folk art souvenirs and more.

You can enjoy diverse music and dance that spans the globe at the International Festival.

Catch strolling performers or take a seat in front of one of the festival stages throughout the day in and around Barnet Park. The Festival is a showcase for cultural dance and music and visitors can enjoy an array of entertainment on several stages throughout the Festival grounds.

Stroll through the International Folk Art Market, which features artists and cooperatives representing artists from across the globe.

The International Boulevard of

Foods offers a variety of foods from China, Germany, Japan, Jamaica, Greece, France, Kenya, the Middle East, Laos, and much more.

Browse through exotic spices or authentic souvenirs at the booths of the Fair Trade exhibitors and other vendors at the International Trade Zone.

They display a variety of souvenir goods and items from the global trade market, and imports from China, Ireland, Japan, Indonesia and more.

The Avenue of Nations of fers visitors to travel as ‘tourists’ from Austria to Vietnam in just a few minutes. It is the perfect place to ask questions, learn about different cultures

The International Festival or to take a trip “back home” and reconnect with your heritage.

The booths of the Global Interest Groups offer a variety of information about special interests related to different cultures or international issues.

At the International Kid’s Zone children can learn about other

countries from around the world with hands on activities.

There is also a Global Sports Zone to watch and enjoy different kinds of sports activities.

Each year since 2007 a country or continent has been selected to be the honored country of the Festival. The honored

country is featured with special booths at the entrance of the park and its cultures are represented in various ways throughout the festival.

International Festival Barnett Park, Spartanburg, SC Date: each year in October Admission: Free

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The Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway was originally called the ‘Appalachian Scenic Highway’. The project of the “Blue Ridge Parkway” placed under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, started in 1935 and took over

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fifty-two years to complete.

It runs from the southern terminus of Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive in Virginia to U.S. Route 441 at Oconaluftee in the Great Smoky Mountains National

Park near Cherokee, NC. The Parkway has no direct interchanges with interstate highways, offers overlook and picnic areas, and commercial vehicles are prohibited. The roadway is not maintained during the wintertime and several sections which pass over higher elevations are often impassable and therefore closed from late fall to early spring.

Because the lush Blue Ridge Mountain range puts on one of the longest-running leaf

color displays in the country, October is the month to enjoying nature’s grand show and the numerous events and art festivals in the Blue Ridge Mountains and in our area.

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Hagood Mill is a g rist mill located on Hagood Creek just off Highway 178, on Hagood Mill Road, Pickens.

It is a good example of the simple, functional building style of SC upcountry pioneers in the first half of the nineteenth century.

Built in 1845* by James E. Hagood, Hagood Mill is one of the oldest mills still in existence and producing grain products in South Carolina while the gristmill and wooden water wheel remain as originally constructed with no additions or alterations.

Hand hewn logs are notched and pegged together to form the framework. The two-story clapboard building is mounted on a fieldstone foundation and is unpainted. The mill was once part of an early commercial complex which also included the Hagood Store.

The mill and store were gathering places for the locals to have their grain ground and to purchase supplies. The grist mill continued to run commercially until 1966.

The mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 11, 1972 and donated together with the surrounding property to the Pickens County Museum Commission in 1973 by the James Hagood Bruce family. The mill was restored and is back in business since 1996. Since that time the mill has operated the third Saturday of every month. In addition there are many festivals of traditional arts, folklife and music.

Since the opening of the mill in 1996 the mill site has grown. Several historic Pickens County log cabins were relocated to the mill site, a blacksmith shop and a cotton gin building, and large outdoor stage for the musical events was built. The County’s last steel bridge was installed over the creek on the back of the mill site’s property and the Hagood Mill Historic Site & F olklife Center expanded from 15 acres to 50 acres.

Open the 3rd Saturday of every Month 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is also a free minifestivals of music, folklife and traditional arts every month. People demonstrate blacksmithing, moonshining, flint knapping, woodcarving, beekeeping, weaving, spinning, basket making and much more.

Location: 138 Hagood Mill Road Pickens, SC 29671 Phone: (864) 898-2936 * National Register of Historic Places says it was build in 1826

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Hagood Mill

The historic Farmers Hall Society building was built in 1826 in the classic Greek revival style.

This beautiful building is located on the southwest corner of the village green in downtown Pendleton.

It was planned as the District’s Court House, but when the South Carolina Legislature divided the district and created two new courthouse towns the seat of government was moved before the building was completed.

The local Farmers Society purchased and completed the building as the Pendleton Farmer’s Hall Society building in 1828. The Pendleton Farmer’s Hall Society was formed in 1815 and included notable members of the Pend leton society including Thomas Pinckney, John C. Calhoun, and Thomas Green Clemson. It is the oldest Farmers Society building still in continuous use in the US and Pendleton’s beautiful centerpiece.

The first floor was used as the U.S. Post Office and the second floor as the meeting hall. At a meeting in the Hall John C. Calhoun’s, sonin-law Thomas Green Clemson, one of the Society’s presidents, and the Farmers Society first discussed plans for the funding of Clemson College and successfully campaigned for the Clemson University establishment. A distinguished restaurant is located on the first floor today.

The Guard House, in the back ground, was build ca. 1860 on the former old town jail and serves as the magistrate’s office.

Pendelton Townsquare is the site of many events, including the Pendelton Spring Jubilee, a juried arts and crafts festival.

Pendelton was build in 1790 when the town became a popula r summer destination for rich Charles ton plantation owners looking to escape the Lowcountry heat.

Farmers Hall

Pendelton was listed as Pendleton Historic District on the Nation al Register of Historic Places in 1970. The historic district includes the town of Pendleton and its immediate surroundings, covers an

area of 6,300 acres and includes Woodburn, Ashtabula, and Old Stone Church and Cemetery.

Farmers Hall Location: Village Green Pendleton, SC 29670

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The Art Bomb

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The Art Bomb is a non-profit organization providing working studio space for local artists. Its purpose is to promote visual arts in the South Carolina Upstate area.

The historic building in West Greenville served as the company general store for Brandon Mill, where the baseball legend Shoeless Joe Jackson worked and played. After Diane Kilgore-Condon started the Art Bomb Company in 2001, the group of artists converted and renovated the old Brandon Mill store into working artist studio space.

The Art Bomb opened in 2003 and offers working studios for painters, metal smiths, photographers and potters.

Currently there are fifteen artists working in this space including potters, photographers, painters and metal smiths.

Since it is primarily a studio space solely devoted to working artists, the Art Bomb is normally not open for visitors, but it offers exhibition events for the public and the artist studios can be visited during the Open Studio weekend every November.

Location: 1320 Pendleton Street Greenville, SC 29611

Lake Robinson

Lake John Robinson nestled between Greer, SC and the beautiful Blue Ridge Moun tains is a man-made, 800 acre fishing lake on the South Tyger River. The lake is operated and owned by the Greer Commis sion of Public Works, which also owns Lake Cunningham a few miles away.

Because it is a protected wa tershed, boat travel is limit ed to those with less than 10 horsepower, ensuring a serene experience amid beautiful wilderness.

Public access is provided by a public boat ramp and fishing pier. Boats up to 18 feet long with motors up to 10 horsepower are allowed on the lake.

All watercraft must have a reservoir boat permit as well as a state vessel registration.

If you would like to fish you will need a reservoir fishing permit as well as a state fish- Creel limits: 10 largemouth ing license. There is no fishing bass, 30 non game fish per day allowed around the dam area. per person, no limit on non game fish.

To enjoy the lake year round there is the Lake Robinson Recreation Area and several lake communities on or near the lake, like Still Water or Blue Ridge Plantation. Stillwater offers Charleston-Style southern charm and is brimming with amenities, like Nature Trail, Botanical Garden, Farmer’s Market or Lake House.

Stillwaters of Lake Robinson offers the sanctuary of gated, low-maintenance living with an abundance of nearby cul tural opportunities.

Blue Ridge Plantation’s Lake side Community is a custom home community offering

homeowners wooded lots, a lakeside picnic area, exterior home accents, and lakefront lots.

The Lake Robinson Recreation Area offers two wooden piers with tee sections, one boat ramp, restrooms, and picnic area open to the public.

The boat ramp is located on Mays Bridge Road.

Location: Off of County Road 92, above SC Highway 290, northwest of Greer, SC

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The Anderson Art Center

The Art Center is focused on vi sual arts and offers comprehensive art programs and art classes for all ages, Summer Arts Camps, community based public art projects, an Annual Arts Auction, lo cal and national art exhibits, Art on the Town, Art Fun Fridays (no grown ups allowed), parties, beer & wine tastings, juried art shows and much more. They also offer ‘Arty Birthday Parties’ which in clude hands on arts activities and offer their creative facility filled with art work as an unique venue to rent for events.

The Anderson Arts Center Ware house also features the Bay3 Artisan Gallery with original artwork from sixteen artists.

Location: Anderson Art Center 110 Federal Street Anderson, SC 29625 Phone 864.222.2787 Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Friday 9:30am – 5:30pm

The Art Center was established in 1972 to stimulate, advance and promote the practice and appre ciation of the arts in Anderson County and the surrounding ar eas.

The Anderson Arts Center is now located in a renovated warehouse and includes an artisans’ center, classrooms, studio space, a per manent collection gallery and rotating gallery space. The reno vated two story warehouse was originally build in 1901 and was used as a freight depot. When the City of Anderson purchased the building in 2000 it had big holes and had to be stabilized and weatherized immediately. Any thing what could be saved from

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the original building was reused, including wiring, lights and old outside lights.

The renovation of the 100 year old P&N warehouse building was a five year project and the Art center could finally open its doors in 2005.

The beautifully renovated build ing now features 33,000 square feet of open floor plan, beautiful hardwood floors, an atrium with plenty of skylight for natural lighting, classrooms, a multipur pose events room and two galleries with each about 2,400 square feet.

The Arts Center building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Gassaway Mansion This anachronistic stone castle, called today the Gassaway Man sion is one of Greenville’s most astonishing buildings. This truly unique building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and strangely blends sev eral architectural styles repre senting Greenville’s wealth in the 1920s. The massive structure could be mistaken for a Greek Revival church which was added to a medieval castle. A Neo-Gothic castellated tower was combined with a Neo-Classical Revival por tico featuring typical southern doric columns. The blend of NeoGothic and Neo-Classical styles, massive chimneys, two roof top patios, an enclosed arcade with leaded glass, and a massive portecochere additionally contribute to the eclectic appearance. It is said that the building has been designed by Minnie Quinn Gassaway after taking a correspon dence course in architecture.

The mansion was built between 1919 and 1925 by Walter L. and Minnie Quinn Gassaway for $790,000. The outside was com posed in part of stones salvaged from the old Vardy McBee grits mill in 1919. The grits mill was located in downtown Greenville along the Reedy River and dates back to 1776. Additional stones were brought in and were specifically treated to match.

Prominent interior features of the mansion include a grand, sweeping mahogany staircase, Waterford crystal chandeliers, rich cherry woodwork, wood paneling and flooring from New York, tiles from Italy, and stained glass windows from Tiffany’s.

With 22,000 square feet, five floors, and 40 rooms the Gassaway Mansion is the largest

house in the Upstate. Walter L. Gassaway was a store clerk and cashier who became one of the prominent members of the Upstate textile industry, president of the Isaqueena Mills, and lat er in the 1920’s a stock broker and speculator. His wife Minnie Quinn Gassaway managed the Ottaray Hotel, which was locat ed where today’s Hyatt stands.

They lived in the Ottaray hotel for several years before the mansion they named “Isaqueena” was completed.

Due to the 1929 stock market crash, Walter Gassaway lost ev erything and shot himself on the front lawn of the Gassaway Mansion. During the great depression the mansion was divided into apartments and afterwards came into county hands due to delinquent taxes.

The Greenville Art Association purchased the house in 195 8 to use it as the art museum.

When the house could no longer accommodate the growing art collection in the 70’s, the Art As sociation built a new Art Museum on Heritage Green and moved into the new building on College Street in spring 1974.

After the Art Museum moved out, the Mansion was first rented out to private citizens and was later sold to a Jewish group and used as a church school by the Emanuel Temple. After a few years the group sold it and it is now privately owned and func tions as an event facility for weddings.

Location: 106 Dupont Drive Greenville, SC

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The Upcountry History Museum

Committed to preserve Greenville’s, and the Upstates rich history a group of civic leaders together with the Historic Greenville Foundation had the vision to create a regional history museum. After generous land and monetary donations the vision began to take shape.

In 2002 the museum’s building was completed and five years later, the Upstate History Museum opened its doors for the first time to the public. The exterior incorporates distinctive features of typical Upstate 34

historical architecture, like the clock tower of Greenville’s Old City Hall, original cobblestones or typical elements of textile industry buildings and the “Textile Hall”. Interactive exhibits demonstrate and convey the rich and diverse history through touch screen displays, multimedia presentations, oral histories or replicated buildings. I n addition the museum is hosting numerous cultural events and student programs to provide learning opportunities for everyone.

Location: 540 Buncombe Street Greenville, SC 29601 864-467-3100 Hours: Tuesday- Saturday: 10:00am to 5:00pm Sunday: 1:00pm to 5:00pm Costs: $5 Adults, $4 Seniors, $3 Children (4 to 18)

Nine hidden little bronze mice are a special attraction for children and a sort of scaven ger hunt on downtown Greenville’s main street. Children of all ages are invited to search for these mice, which are hid den on both sides along a nineblock stretch of Main Street between the Hyatt Regency & the Westin Poinsett Hotels.

Mother Maggie, father Mar vin, Marvin Jr., Marcley, Millie, Mitch, Melissa, Millfin and Miles are all placed on or above ground level.

To find the mice you can get the ‘Mice of Main’ book or a list of clues. The adorable tip sheet with cute little mouse illustrations will be the mark of a ‘mission accomplished’ for younger kids.

It is a fun activity of discovery for both kids and adults and a unique way to explore down town Greenville.

This wonderful idea was a school project of a local high school student, Jim Ryan, and is based on the popular chil dren’s book ‘Goodnight Moon’.

Mice on Main Street The nine mice were sculpted by the local artist Zan Wells, who also illustrated the “Mice of Main” book.

Start with the first mouse, Mr. Mickey and the bronze version of the favorite book ‘Good night Moon’. They are mounted on the fountain in front of the Hyatt Regency hotel.

From there stroll along Main Street and challenge the kids to find the scattered mice.

If you would like to use the hint sheet you can pick it up at the Greenville Visitor Center at 206 S. Main Street.

Location: Main Street / Downtown Hours: Dawn to dusk Costs: Free

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The Markley Carriage Paint Factory

This two-story brick paint shop building located directly on the Reedy River in the central busi ness district of Greenville was built by J.E. Sirrine in 1904 as part of Markley Carriage Factory and hardware complex (Green ville Coach Factory). The CoachMarkley Carriage Factory and the Huguenot Mill complex is repre sentative of Greenville’s historical development into a leading manufacturing and textile center.

The Greenville Coach Factory, Paint Shop and Blacksmith buildings were built in 1846 as a part of a 13-building complex on the Reedy River. In 1856 the Green ville Coach Factory employed one hundred men and was described as the largest carriage factory below the Potomac. Due to the rise of the automobile the production of the wagons and carriages declined and Mr. Markley sold the Coach Factory in 1911, bringing the seventy-six year old company to a close. Mrs. Eugenia Duke, a Greenville mother, perfected her unusual recipe for mayonnaise 36

and sold homemade sandwiches with a unique taste. When de mand grew Mrs. Duke decided to buy the old carriage factory paint shop and altered the building’s interior to accommodate Duke’s Production Company. The build ing became the first factory for the production of Duke’s mayonnaise in 1925. Duke’s mayonnaise was sold to C.F. Sauer in 1929, but still operates under the same name. A larger Duke’s plant was built in 1955 off Laurens Road, and the two-story brick paint shop building has been vacant since 1958. Today, this unique open-air brick structure is renovated, now called Wyche Pavilion and serves as a favorite locale open-air ven ue for events. It is part of the Peace Center for the Performing Arts. Rather than demolish the historic complex, the architects decided to restore the buildings and incorporate them into The Peace Center. The former Coach Factory building houses the Shirley Roe Cabaret Theatre, the Founders’ Room, a private dining

room, and a full-service restau rant. The adjacent Amphitheater, located on the Reedy River pro vides an ideal setting for outdoor concerts, festivals, and parties.

The Peace Center also includes the Peace Concert Hall, and the Gunter Theatre. The Markley Carriage Paint Factory is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Location: Japanese Dogwood Lane Greenville, SC

Table Rock State Park is located in the northern section of Pickens County, between Table Rock and Cherokee Foothill Scenic Highway. The park was built in 1930 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a New Deal Program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The land came from donations in large parts from Pickens County, and Greenville county, as well as through purchas es from various landowners

Table Rock State Park and a donation from Elizabeth Ellison. Its 3,083 acres features hiking trails, several creeks, two lakes, a campground, mountain cabins, picnic areas, shelters, playground, meeting facilities, a store and its historic, renovated lodge. Several of the Park cabins and buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Table Rock State Park serves as a trailhead for the 80-mile long Foothills Trail through the wilderness along the Blue Ridge Escarpment and an upcountry retreat at the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Activities: Fishing, boating, swimming, picnic, camping, hiking trails.

Location: Welcome Center 158 E Ellison LN Pickens, SC 29671 Phone: (864) 878-9813

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Artisphere Artisphere is Greenville’s fa vorite 3-day free outdoor fes tival to celebrate the performing and visual arts.

The annual Artisphere festival attracts and entertains thou sands of visitors from around the world and throughout the region each year on a long weekend in May. Exhibitions and performances take place on Greenville’s Main

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Street overlooking the beau tiful Falls Park on the Reedy River, around the Peace Cen ter and Riverplace Plaza, ex tend throughout the West End Historic District as well as in many art studios, museums, theaters and schools.

Each year, out of hundreds of applicants, 120 artists are in vited to present their fine art on both sides of Main Street.

Arts patrons have the opportunity to meet exhibiting art ists, and to purchase original works of art from around the nation and the Upstate. In ad dition there are numerous indoor fine art exhibitions and a juried art show. Performing arts, entertainment, concerts, ballet, theater, orchestra and many spontaneous perfor mances highlight the broad spectrum of the arts. Besides some of the best visual, per forming and cultural arts in

the Upstate, the festival also offers several excellent musical performances.

Children can get hands on and creative at the Kidsphere to create artwork or star at the stomping ground.

Visitors are also able to sample a wide range of regional and international food. Some con certs and performances do re quire a ticket, but most events are free.

Additionally there is always a kick-off party starting the festival with an Opening Night Gala.

Location: Main Street Greenville, SC 29601 (864) 271-9355

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Kilgore Lewis House

The copper-roofed, Palladianstyle Kilgore Lewis House was originally built in 1838 on a site near Buncombe Street Methodist Church in downtown Greenville, SC. It is one of only a handful of wooden re sidential buildings in Greenville that predate the mid nineteenth century. Local tradition says that Josiah Kilgore gave it to his daughter Mary Keziah as a wedding gift when she mar -

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ried John Stokes. Her wedding ceremony was held in the front parlor of the newly built home.

The Kilgore Lewis House remained a private home for over 130 years and accommodated several generations of the family. After the la st resident downsized to a smaller house, the Methodist Church used it as a Sunday school facility, but soon realized, that the house was not adequa te for their needs and decided to tear it down. The Greenville Council of Garden Clubs stepped in to save the house from demoli tion. After negotiations to lease a lot from the city on Academy Street and a variety of fundraising projects the Kilgore Lewis House was moved to the new lot on North Academy Street.

Since the move to its new location on April 24, 1974 the house has been renovated, furnished and is serving as the headquar-

ter for the Greenville Council of Garden Clubs. This magnificent, copper roofed house with hand-blown glass windows, and wood peg construction is now surrounded by 3.5 acres of elegantly charming gardens with a serene pond, and a restored spring in the back of the property. The building and the spring are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The property not only provides the place for the Councils activities but is also a favorite and picturesque location for events, like weddings, celebrations or business meetings.

Location: 560 North Academy Street, Greenville, SC

C a t awba R i ver & L an d sford C a n al S tate P a rk The Landsford Canal is South Carolina’s best preserved 19th century river canal. It is the uppermost of four canals constructed on the Catawba-Wa teree river system from 18201835, to bypass the Catawba River rapids.

The 460 acre park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and includes historic ruins of canal-culverts, stone bridges, locks, an historic mill site and a lock-keeper’s house.

The site is also associated with the Revolutionary and Civil War, as British and American troops under Lord Cornwal lis and Thomas Sumter crossed the Land’s Ford before and after pivotal battles. In addition this state park offers a spectacular natural show during May-June of each year. During this time, from mid May to mid June the rocky shoals of the Catawba River are covered with the worlds largest populations of rare rocky shoals spider lilies.

Location: 2051 Park Drive, Catawba, SC

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The Pettigru Street Historic District

The Pettigru Street Historic District is located east of downtown Greenville, around Pettigru Street between E. North Street, E. Washington Street, Broadus Avenue and Carolina Drive. The area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and con tains 390 acr es with 88 properties, built between 1890 and 1930.

It is the large st historic district in Greenville and represents the residential growth of the industrial Greenville area prior to 1930. The Pettigru Street Historic District is unique for Greenville because of the evolu tion of style s from the Victorian era to 1930 and its wide range of architectural styles of Queen Anne, Victorian, Colo nial Revival, Craftsman, Bungalow, and local vernacular townhouses. They are mostly of frame and brick construction with com mon setbacks. This area was once largely unsettled and part of the James Boyce and Rowley family estates. Only after sections of the Boyce estate were subdiv ided in

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1900 and again the “Boyce Lawn� in 1907 a residential development began on a larger scale. The area between E. North Street and E. Washington Street was subdivid ed in a largenumber of lots, streets were established and named after faculty members of the Furman Theological Seminary.

The homes on serene, tree-lined streets were built and inhabited by many prominent business men and mill owners of Greenville. Even today about half of the area remains residential, the other half is commercial. Some of these properties are now used as Attorney Offices, there is a Bed & Breakfast and the newly reno vated Greenville Upstate Forever office. It is just a brief stroll from the Pettigru District to downtown Main Street with eclectic restaurants, shops, theaters, Falls Park and the BI-Lo Center.

Location: Pettigru Historic District Downtown Greenville, SC

Strolling through Greenville’s Cleveland Park you will discover this F-86 Sabre Jet near Ridge land Drive. This F-86 Sabre Jet is a memorial, dedicated to Maj. Rudolf Anderson Jr. on May 19, 1963. Commonly nicknamed “Dog Saber”, “Dog” and the “Honey Bucket” by its aviators, the Sabre Jet was one of the last military jets to be flown manually by a single pilot and Rudolf Anderson’s favorite airplane to fly.

Maj. Anderson, a Greenville na tive and Clemson graduate, be came the only combat casual ty in the Cuban Missile Crisis when his plane was shot down while overflying Cuban airspace.

While on a thirteen mile high reconnaissance mission over Cuba, Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr., a U-2 pilot, was shot down by a Soviet, SA-2, surface-to-air missile, during the Cuban Mis sile Crisis, on October 27, 1962.

He was the only person of any nationality to lose his life in this conflict. Some of the wreckage of Major Anderson’s U-2 can be found in three museums in Cuba.

Since no surplus U-2 aircraft was available at that time to build this memorial a North American Sabre fighter jet was mounted on a plinth instead, because Major Rudolf Ander son, Jr., flew F-86 Sabres in the Korean War. Location: Cleveland Park Swamp Rabbit Trail Ridgeland Drive Greenville, SC

Rudolf Anderson Memorial

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Step into the Past in Collins Ole Towne Take a trip down memory lane by visiting this small town and hidden treasure off the beaten path.

The couple Pat and Roy Collins recreated their own small village on their family homestead near Central, SC. All buildings at the village were constructed on site, with material form demolished and renovated homes around Central and timber from trees on the property, sawed at the saw mill of “Ole Towne”.

The recreated village depicting the period of the 1930’s features a little red school house, a well stocked general store, a barber shop, a sawmill, the Issaqueena Mill and the Col lins Hill Inn with a large dining room. Just recently Roy started to build a chapel as the newest addition. All buildings are lov ingly decorated and outfitted with memorabilia, furnishings, collections and materials to bring back the atmosphere of a bygone era.

The school with its be ll and bell tower, old school desks, old books and a wood burning heater provide an authentic feeling of school in session and students which just left their desk for recess.

Pat and Roy Collins collected all items, memorabilia, furniture, and collections in and around Central or during their travels through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.

Each year Collins Ole Towne comes to life with two spe cial events, a molasses-making event in October of each year

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and a Christmas Open House, when the small town is deco rated for an old-fas hioned country Christmas.

Location: The little village is located at 228 Lawton Road off S.C. 93, is open year round and can be visited by appointment only.

Roy and Pat Collins 228 Lawton Road Central, SC 29630 Phone: 864-639-2618

Lake Keowee is a man-made reservoir created by the Keowee Dam and Little River Dam, impounding the Keowee River and the Little River. It was constructed by Duke Power Company to be used as cool ing water for three nuclear reactors located at the Oconee Nuclear Generating Station which are owned by Duke En ergy Corporation. The outflow of the falling water also generates hydraulic power and flows into the Seneca and Sav annah River.

The name ‘Keowee’ is a name in the langu age of the Lower Cherokee Nation and means, roughly translated, “Place of the Mulberries”. The la ke has been named after the capital of the Lower Cherokee Nation, Town Keowee, which is now submerged beneath the waters of Lake Keowee. The first European to visit Town Keowee was the Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto when he passed through the area in 1540. The site of the Fort Prince George, built in 1753, is now also submerged in the water of the lake.

Lake Keowee with its moun tainous surroundings is now a popular destination for boating, fishing, water-skiing, swimming, camping and pic nicking with 18,370 acres of water, a 300-mile shoreline, several State Parks and a campground.

Location: Lake Keowee is lo cated in the northwestern section of South Carolina, predominately in Oconee County, but also extends into Pickens County.

Lake Keowee

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The Children’s Museum of the Upstate The Children’s Museum of the Upstate is a wonderful place for all children to discover the wonders of the Earth’s most abundant resources, the full continuum of flight, the speed, power and controls behind Formula I racing, a realisti c farm complete with chicken coop and garden, a construction site, a children’s test kitchen, a Children’s hospital, a television and music studio and much more.

The Children’s Museum began with one mother’s vision to create a place for children to learn and to be inspired in an

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informal, hands-on environment.

When the former Greenville County Library building and the surrounding land was donated by local benefactors in December 2003 to the Children’s Mu seum, her dream began to take shape in reality. Six years later the Children’s Museum at Heritage Green opened it’s doors in August 2009.

With three floors of indoor exhibits, the 79,000 sq foot facility is one of the largest children’s museums in the United States.

Throughout the year, The Children’s Museum will also offer many special events, like the BOO!seum, The Chocolate Soiree, Two for Two Thursdays or Birthday Parties.

Location: 300 College Street Greenville, SC 29601 Phone 864.233.7755

Shoeless Joe Jackson

Museum & Baseball Library Joseph Jefferson Jackson “Shoeless Joe” was born on July 16, 1888 in Pickens county and in early 1901 moved with his family to the Brandon community in West Greenville, SC. He started playing base ball in the Brandon Mills men’s team when he was thirteen and played semi-pro ball with the Greenville Spinners in 1908.

During a game against the Anderson Electricians he took off his new spikes, because of blisters on his feet and a fan of the opposing team shouted: “You shoeless son-of-a-gun!”.

Although it was the only game Joe played shoeless the name stuck.

In August 1908 he signe d with the Philadelphia Athletics, in 1910 was traded to Cle veland and in 1915 to the Chicago White Sox. After being accused of conspiring to throw the 1919 World Series and acquittal in a court of law, Joe Jackson and seven other White Sox players were banned from playing professional baseball.

After his professional baseball career ended, Joe Jackson first moved to Savannah and in 1932 back to Greenville. He operated a barbecue restaurant and a liquor store and died in 1951. Joe Jackson’s house was dismantled in 2006, moved and reassembled on Field Street across

the new Fluor Field baseball stadium in Greenville’s historic West End. The museum opened in June 2008 and displays artifacts, photographs, films, records and other items associated with the life and career of Joseph Jefferson Jackson “Shoeless Joe”.

Location: Joe Jackson Museum 356 Field Street Across from Fluor Field Historic West End Greenville, SC 864-235-6280

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Walnut Grove Plantation

Walnut Grove Plantation was established ca. 1763 by Charles Moore. When this area was still on the western frontier, he received a grant for 550 acres along the Tyger River by England’s King George III. Later Charles Moore received additional grants bringing his total acreage to about 3,000.

Charles and his wife Mary Moore built the clap boardover-log plantation home in 1765, a school building in 1770 and operated the first school in Spartanburg County. They raised 10 children on the prop erty, all of whom liv ed to adulthood. The plantation was named for the walnut trees planted on the prope rty by their first child, Kate Moore Barry. Their ninth child Andrew 48

Barry Moore was the county’s first college-trained physician.

In 1961 descendants of Charles and Mary Moore still owned the house and propert y and donated the plantation home along with eight acres to the Spartanburg County Historical Association.

The historic site of Walnut Grove can be visited and por trays the living conditions in Spartanburg County prior to 1805. The existing manor house is the original structure built

by Charles and Mary. There are also a number of other buildings on the property, like one of the first schools in the area, a blacksmith’s forge, a meat house, a separate kitchen, as well as Dr. Andrew Moores reconstructed doctor’s office.

Location: Walnut Grove Plantation 1200 Otts Shoals Road Roebuck, SC 29376 Phone: 864-576-6546

The Bishop William Wallace Duncan Dupre House This Spartanburg landmark serves as an exceptional architectural piece of Spartanburgs’ past.

This stately home in the Queen Ann style reflects fine design and craftsmanship. It is sided with clapboard, cedar shingles, has six chimneys for twelve fireplaces, a slate roof and holds origi nal fixtures. The DuPre House was built in 1885-86 on Church Street by Methodist Bishop William Wallace Duncan. He and his wife Medora Rice Duncan had three children. Their daughter, Caroline Duncan DuPre, and her husband, Warren Dupre took ownership of the home after Mr. Duncan died in 1908 and the home became known as the DuPre House. The house continued to be lived in and maintained by the family until the 1970’s. The house originally resided at 249 North Church Street in Spartanburg and was moved in the fall of 1999 to the current lo cation on Howard Street by the Renaissance Park developers instead of razing it. The Edward Via Col lege for Osteopathic Medicine acquired the 20-acre pr operty at 350 Howard Street to build a new campus and also purchased the Dupre house. The house now sits abandoned on the campus of the new school but plans to restore it as close as possible to its historic origin are underway. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Location: Howard Street, Spartanburg, SC

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Liberty Building

The Liberty Building was built as Greenville’s Chamber of Commerce building in 1924/25 and stands at historic Court Square on the lot where the former Greenville County Courthouse/ Record Building was located.

The historic square comprised of Main Street, East Court Street, and West Court Street was the center of the original town of Pleasantburg, later renamed to Greenville.

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The Chamber of Commerce building was erected at the same time as the Poinsett Ho tel across the intersection. With 10 floors the Liberty Building stands 132 ft tall, has two elevators and was one of the first skyscrapers in Greenville. The structure which is crowned by an elaborate cornice cost $250,000.

During the great depression the Chamber of Commerce building became the headquarter of the

flourishing Liberty Life Insurance Company, which became the most successful life insur ance company in the Southeast.

The former Chamber of Com merce Building is now a special historic landmark in downtown Greenville and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Location: 135 South Main Street Greenville, SC 29601

The Dyer Cottage or Touchstone House today called Falls Cottage Listed on the National Register of Historic Places this charming two-story brick house, now called Falls Cottage, is overlooking Falls Park - the birth place of Greenville.

House, the Chicora College for young girls was chartered and built across the street, with spacious administration and class room buildings, auditorium, dormitories and a president’s

The National Register of Historic Places calls the structure the Dyer Cottage and some sources state that it was built in 1838 by George Beule Dyer and Ann L. Hurst Dyer. It is said that the couple moved from Charleston to Greenville, purchased the land and built the cottage in 1838. The building was used in the following years as a Tailor Shop, a Cobbler Shop and as a school by Mrs. Dyer.

Other sources claim that the cottage was built in 1893 by W.E. Touchstone and his wife Matilda. Shortly before they moved into the Touchstone

home and three years prior the ‘Cotton Alliance Warehouse’ had been built in the West End. W.E. Touchstone was the su perintendent of the Camp erdown Mills, located on the banks of the Reedy River. After Touchstone resigned in 1894 he left for Alabama, but his family remained for three more years in Greenville until they also moved and Matilda Touchstone sold the house in 1897.

The Touchstone House subsequently served as a rental property and pr ivate residence to several families until 1918.

When auto related businesses were growing and the West End became Greenville’s first “Motor Mile” the residence was turned into Curry’s Gasoline Station in 1920 and later became People’s Service Station. After 1960’s the building stood vacant, neglected and dilapidated for several years until plans emerged to begin the revitalization of Falls Park and the Touchstone Residence.

The house was in a terrible state of deterioration when the Carolina Foothills Garden Club acquired it in the early 1970’s. The structure underwent renovations to look as original as possible. When the renovation was finished, the Carolina Foothills Garden Club named it ‘Falls Cottage’.

For several years the Cottage housed the Metropolitan Arts Council (founded in 1973), later on the Greenville Artists Guild Gallery, Tours Around Greenville and the office for fundraising for the Peace Center for the Performing Arts.

The beautiful stucco-covered house played an important role to the beautification of Falls Park and is now known as Falls Cottage. Beautiful renovated and overlooking Falls Park and Reedy River Falls, today it is owned by the City of Greenville and is operating as a charming restaurant and special event site.

Location: 615 South Main Street Greenville, SC 51

BMW Zentrum USA

BMW’s past, present and fu ture come together in this ex hibit and state-of-the-art build ing. This 2,800 sqft building is BMW’s visitor center, museum, exhibition, meeting and events center, part cafe, gallery, and time machine. The exhibition showcases BMW’s heritage of engineering and innovation, its history in automobiles, motor cycles and aircrafts. In addition there is a very unique “Virtual Factory Tour”, which provides a look into the manufacturing process and shows how a BMW is made.

Visiting the exhibit of the cars, the virtual tour, the speed and the innovation in the only 52

BMW museum in the Ameri cas is free. Since BMW installed 400 solar panels that produce 96 kilowatt of energy the oneof-a-kind building is now fully solar powered and also operates three electric-vehicle charging stations.

The Zentrum is located next to the only BMW manufacturing plant in the US and not only of fers exhibits, a virtual tour, and a gift shop but also functions as the starting point for tours of the BMW factory.

Location: 1400 Hwy. 101 S Greer, SC 29651 I-85, exit 60 and follow the signs

The North Carolina Arboretum The North Carolina Arboretum is a public institution, es tablished in 1986 to serve as a statewide as well as national resource and cultivator of education, economic development, research, conservation and gar den demonstration. It is locat ed adjacent to the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, at Milepost 393, near Asheville and nestled in one of the most botanically di verse and beautiful natural settings in America.

The Arboretum offers 434 acres of natural beauty, engaging outdoor, indoor and traveling exhibits that provide opportu nities to cultivate connections with plants and explore how

plants are important to our world. With 65 acres of cultivated gardens, ten miles of biking and hiking trails, a unique Bon sai Exhibition Garden, a inno vative Production Greenhouse, exhibits, many activities, educational programs, special events and plant shows the Arboretum offers activities for all ages.

Location: 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way Asheville, North Carolina 28806-9315

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Greenville - The Tranformation of a City Each time I visit Greenville I am amazed about the change in downtown Greenville during the last 15 years ( 1997 - 2012).

A dormant, lifeless downtown, where shops and restaurants were boarded up, homeless people slept in aban doned, empty hotel ruins and long lines formed in front of the Welfare Department is now an elegant, almost Italian-style, green metropolitan city.

Differently designed urban and green spaces, sometimes furnished like a living room, offer entertainment, relaxation and almost daily free cultural events.

When we first arrived in 1997 all this was very different. It was a hot muggy summer day, when we travel ed from Spartanburg on Wade Hampton Bou levard into Greenville for the first time.

Before reaching Greenville we passed through Spartanburg and were al ready petrified. Spartanburg presented itself as a stale old textile town, which looked like it had been frozen in time. The city and the Morgan Square were nearly abandoned. Many shop windows were sealed with boards.

A completely antiquated and moldy furniture store offered furniture that looked like it was left over from the sixties. A wig shop and a nearby clothing store did not look much better.

In this bleak environment, there was, however, a single gem, a little more modern-looking gallery-restaurant, which was set up and run by a German lady. The dishes were healthy, fresh and very tasty.

The shock of the sight of Spartanburg was still intense, and the following 30 mile ride on Wade Hampton Bou levard towards Greenville didn’t give us much hope for a better situation in Greenville. Dreadful old warehouses, dilapidated sheds and supermarkets stuck in the fifties and sixties, lined the path.

But when we turned onto Main Street in Greenville, the city presented a surprisingly pleasing picture.

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Trees and bushes were planted on both sides of Main Street. A jazz band played in front of the Hyatt, a large crowd enjoyed beer and wine to the music, the beautiful weather and at mosphere. The first block, up to the next intersection, had been renovated. There were a few restaurants, a European bistro, cafes and shops that did not look quite so old-fashioned.

Further down the road there were a few nice restaurants and near the Reedy River was a beautiful ensemble of theater, concert hall and outdoor stage. But at that time most other buildings were dilapidated, not updated, boarded up, and many buildings as well as the Poinsett Hotel, were stil l vacant and abandoned.

The former Woolworth department store building was neglected and practically vacant but gave shelter, on its damp and musty ground floor, to a collection of small arts and crafts booths offering old-fashioned, out dated art and crafts from local arti sans. It was difficult to comprehend that in the Sixties this place, the diner in the old Greenville Woolworth De partment Store, was the place for the first sit-ins by local African-American teenagers. Organized by Greenville native Jesse Jackson, among others, they protested and demanded access to public libraries and the admission to the white schools of Greenville. However nothing of the hustle and bustle of a department store or the agitation of the former civil rights movement could be felt in the dilapidated build ing in 1997.

At that time the Social Security Office was still located at the corner of Main Street and E. McBee Street, and all Greenville welfare recipients had to pick up their checks at this location.

Most weekdays there were long lines in front of the building and the homeless slept on park benches in the vicinity. In the ruins of the old “Poinsett Hotel�, which once was one of the finest hotels in the city, the windows were

smashed and covered with cardboard and the homeless spent their days and nights in the building. It was neither pleasant nor worth it to walk down Main Street south of McBee Street.

Across the beautiful waterfalls of the Reedy River, the only waterfall in the middle of a downtown of a U.S. city, stretched an old, ugly, crumbling concrete bridge.

At the West End, a few more steps further down Main Street was the only bright spot with the Westend Market which housed several antique stores, eclectic shops, a good restaurant and a sandwich shop. Located at the corner of Main and Augusta Street the for mer Alliance Cotton Warehouse of the City of Greenville had already been renovated in 1994 and occupied since then by unique stores and restaurants.

Across the street of the Westend Market was the oldest continuously oper ated existing business in downtown Greenville, the Army store - and it still is in existence at the same place today.

From there to the west were just ne glected, rundown, old business and warehouses.

Until the early sixties downtown Greenville was a functioning, vibrant downtown, with a large variety of shops, restaurants, hotels, cinemas and theaters.

During the sixties, the suburbs de veloped, homes with spacious living quarters and back yards, and all the stores, malls, restaurants and cinemas followed. The population and busi nesses migrated to the outer areas of the city and thereby deserted the city center. In the seventies and eighties the inner city was not a destination to go out for shopping or strolling.

This decline could be felt until the end of the last millennium, and only since the turn of the millennium the ugly, rundown inner city transformed to a beautiful city where shopping, dining and going out is a pleasure again.

The foundation for this amazing transformation began in the late seventies

when the City of Greenville started a plan for a comprehensive revitaliza tion process.

First, the ‘Heritage Green’, a cultural complex with a theater, ‘The Little Theatre’, a library “Greenville County Library”, the art museum “Greenville County Museum of Art” and a Sym phony “Greenville Symphony Associa tion” was created. The most important factors, however, to revitalize the inner city were to re-design the Main Street, and to recruit a prestigious ho tel to build at a prominent place in the upper Main Street.

Largely responsible for the design to narrow Main Street, to create parking areas, to plant flower beds and trees, to install street lights, as well as parks and town squares was the Austrian immigrant, Max Heller, mayor of Green ville from 1971 to 1979. He brought European city planning features into the renovation project, which eventually was created by a landscape architect.

This comprehensive concept, a federal Urban Development Action Grant of $7.4 million and the successful recruitment of the Hyatt Hotel as an attrac tive focal point for business and leisure travelers in the downtown area in the early eighties, was the basis for a vi sion, which finally brought the shops, restaurants, theaters and residents back into the city center.

Today, when you turn at the Hyatt Hotel from North East Street onto Main Street you will be able to stroll along a one mile stretch of a beauti ful, well maintained and landscaped Main Street strewn with many eclectic, diverse and fine restaurants, bars, bistros, nightclubs, interesting shops, galleries, hotels, theaters and meeting places and can finish your walk at the new ballpark of the Greenville Drive.

There are rickshaw rides, horse-drawn carriages, and in Winter there is a large slide driven by Santa Claus, all to experience downtown, as well as a free trolley which offers the opportunity to ride from the southern end of Main Street to the north end and into the residential area of North Main Street.

The old Woolworth building, as well as the Social Security building have been torn down years ago and have been replaced with new buildings.

Other buildings have been beautifully renovated and interesting shops, such as children’s and toy stores, jewelry stores, or an original General Store provide interesting shopping experi ences.

The ruins and boarded windows have long been forgotten, only a few vacant plots have been waiting for years for a new building. The abandoned ruins of the “Poinsett Hotel” have been reno vated and the ol d glory is back. It is now a Westin Hotel, popular with celebrities and Greenville visitors and to celebrate weddings or other events.

The ugly crumbling concrete bridge stretched across the beautiful waterfall of the Reedy River has been re moved and a unique new pedestrian bridge was build stretching over Falls Park.

The view from the newl y built sus pension bridge over the waterfall is breathtaking and not a minute goes by without tourists and locals stopping by to admire the view of the falls and the newly restored and landscaped Falls Park. Across the falls and the park a modern building the “River Place” was build and is now home to several art ists, studios, trendy restaurants and the only Michelin Lifestyle Store in the U.S. The revitalization process of the inner city did not only consider the interests and needs of the adults but also of the children. On the banks of the Reedy River, adjacent to the ‘River Place’, there is a fountain, in which the children can retrace the ‘Swamp Rab bit Trail’, a former railway line to the mountains, and are able to play in the water of the fountain.

Further down the river there is a spe cially designed garden for children, where herbs, plants and flowers are explained to them.

There are also nine hidden bronze mice placed throughout the entire inner city, which can be tracked based on the book “Mice on Main” or with the aid of a cheat sheet provided by the Tourist Office in Greenville.

At the ‘Heritage Green’ a modern li brary and the “Upcountry History Museum” was built, dedicated to the history of Greenville and surrounding areas. The former building of the city

library was renovated and now houses a hands-on children’s museum.

An Amphitheater right on the Reedy River is integrated into the ensemble of Peace Center, Carriage Manufactory and an old textile factory and offers a variety of entertainment during the warmer seasons.

Beautiful events take place in the re stored brick ruins of the renovated carriage factory, located directly on the Reedy River. This romantic place is especially popular to celebrate wed dings. Hardly a Saturday evening in the summer goes by without a bride and groom starting their first dance as a married couple among their guests while the music is weaving across the river to restaurants, bars, strolling families and children splashing in the fountains.

Across in Falls Park a stage offers a large variation of outdoor entertain ment and during the summer months free “Shakespeare in the Park”. Hun dreds of spectators bring their picnic, relax on blankets or folding chairs and enjoy classical entertainment with wine, food, culture and the scent of grass and flowers.

Further down Main Street the area turns into the art district with eclectic boutiques, art and crafts and numer ous art galleries.

Deciding on a restaurants can be dif ficult, because of the large variety of ethnic restaurants like, Mexican or Japanese, Indian, Persian, South American, Creole or simply hearty American cuisine - there is just everything your heart desires.

On evenings and weekends, countless people stroll up and down Main Street, enjoying their food, their ice cream, the heat, the fine arts, free concerts, live music, live entertainment like ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ or a baseball game at the ballpark.

After a beautiful day in downtown Greenville, spent with stroll ing, shopping, dining, exciting events, free music and entertainment, visits to mu seum and galleries and getting sleepy from so many impressions, you can take the free trolley to ride uphill Main Street and admire again the transfor mations this city has experienced in a relatively short period of time.

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Swamp Rabbit Trail

This beautiful trail for cyclists, joggers and pedestrians meanders through Greenville’s most scenic parks and follows the old railroad bed of the former G & N Railway line. Locally this railway was called the “Swamp Rabbit Railroad” be cause the train used to run ‘hopped’ over a swampy area like a rabbit would.

Today it is a 14-mile multi-use gre enway trail system that runs along the Reedy River and connects Travelers Rest with the City of Green ville.

The railway was originally char tered to build a line from Augusta, Ga to Knoxville, TN. The Carolina, Knoxville & Western Railway was built from Greenville, to Marietta in 1888 and extended to River Falls. With a total of 23 miles, but hampered by lack of funds, lawsuits and solid rock the railway was abandoned in 1899. A revived line, the Greenville & Knoxville Railroad run again from 1907 to 1914. After the reorganization to Greenville & Western and being renamed as Greenville & Northern Railway / G & N in 1920, the line was cut back to Travelers Rest in the mid 1950’s, but some sections were not officially abandoned until

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1970. The G&N was finally bought by the Carolina Piedmont Division of the South Carolina Central Railroad in April 1997. After the last train ran in January 1998 the owner sold the right of way to the Greenville County Economic De velopment Corporation.

In partnership and collaboration with the Greenville Hospital System, the City of Greenville, Green ville County Recreation Depart ment, Furman University, public and private groups and community organizations, the Greenville Hos pital System Swamp Rabbit TramTrail, a rails-to-trails project, was born.

In 2009 the old ties and rails were removed, the railbed was paved and the Swamp Rabbit Trail official opened on May 8, 2009 the first 5-mile section, with several exten sion the following years. It is now one of the areas hottest outdoor amenities and more extensions are planned. More than 350,000 users a year enjoy the 13-foot wide trail, which includes eight feet of asphalt and five feet of rubberized surface for runners and walkers. The trail is straight, hill free and closed to any form of motor vehicles.

Following the trail bikers, runners

and walkers find access to attractions, entertainment, rest areas and trailside restaurants within easy reach of the trail.

To locate amenities, waterfoun tains, restaurants or restrooms the City of Greenville provides an interactive map on the Internet or the ArcGIS “Swamp Rabbit Trail ” App at the iTunes App Store.

Another opportunity to enjoy the Swamp Rabbit Trail is the realworld, outdoor treasure hunting game Geocaching using GPS-en abled devices. Over 60 active Geo caches are located within approxi mately two-tenths of a mile from the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail for treasure hunting.

Scanning this QR Code will bring you to a map showing all places, stories and sites listed in this book.

You will also find this map online at: http://www.photoartcollection.com/placesmap.htm or directly at Google Maps : http://goo.gl/maps/yJnnX

About the Author, Photographer, Designer and Publisher Flavia Westerwelle Born in Germany Hannover University College of Art & Design Bachelor/Master of Communication & Design Major: Graphic Design Minor: Photography Immigrated to US / US-Citizen

* Photographer, Artist * Graphic Designer * Author * Advertising and marketing for Interior Design Industry * Designer of furniture and fabrics * Staging / decorating at European furniture exhibitions * Realtor

Websites: Flavia Westerwelle http://flavia.westerwelle.net PhotoArtCollection http://www.photoartcollection.com Anthrolope http://www.anthrolope.com Greenville Fan http://www.greenvillefan.com Places to purchase this book: http://www.photoartcollection.com http://www.greenvillefan.com

Places! & Stories in Greenville & the Upstate of South Carolina

Although the accuracy of all the information and stories provided have been thoroughly researched by the author and have been prepared with all possible care, there are no absolute guarantees regarding the authenticity of the information. We can not guara ntee that they are free from error, or that they contain every pertinent point. Since information is ever changing the author is also not responsible for any out of date material.

All content in the publication has the copyright of ŠFlavia Westerwelle and may not be reproduced, transmitted, distributed or displayed in any way without the express consent of Flavia Westerwelle.

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Places & Stories in Greenville & the Upstate of South Carolina

Places! & Stories in Greenville & the Upstate of South Carolina Edition I / Volume I 57 Pages More than 200 beautiful pictures and 47 stories Design, Text & Photography Publishing: Flavia Westerwelle

Magazine with more than 200 beautiful pictures and 47 stories of special places, parks or buildings in Greenville and the Upstate of South Carolina.