Previously home to the Cherokee Indians, Greenville, South Carolina, was briefly used as a campsite for an Indian trader, Richard Pearis. The parcel occupying Pearis' homestead was eventually acquired by its post Revolutionary War land owner, Thomas Brandon.
Brandon's tract of land and adjacent property totaling 11,023 acres were then purchased by Lemual Alston and was known as the Village of Pleasantburg. Renamed "Greeneville", it soon thereafter took the current name and spelling of Greenville. Alston's dreams were not totally realized, and the entire property was sold to Vardy McVee of North Carolina.
Through McVee's efforts the Village became a town with harness and saddle makers, brick makers, a mill wright, carriage makers and home builders. In addition, land was given to every church denomination so as to allow the construction of the buildings used by parishioners. Greenville soon became a trading center for surrounding counties. It was also known as a a health resort for the low country people who were escaping the malaria and humidity of the coastal regions.
In 1831, the Village became an official town with an elected City Council which advocated the planting of trees along downtown streets. To protect their trees, they voted to fine those citizens who even tied their horses to them while on business in downtown. Only a handful of the homes erected before 1850 survive today. The few that do remain are currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The 1850's marked a time of growth for the Town of Greenville. A women's college was constructed and grammar schools were built. The first railroad, the Greenville and Columbia Railroad, built its terminal in the West End area.
After the Civil War, reconstruction efforts were headed up by Major John W. DeForest. At the turn of the century, the town became a City and was referred to as the "Textile Center of the South". The influx of businesses and people brought with them electric street cars, Southern Bell telephone service, Coca-Cola and American Cigar production, and the building of the Ottaray Hotel.
Although the City of Greenville was affected like the rest of the nation during the Depression, construction and growth resumed after WWII with the establishment of Donaldson Air Force base located just south of the town.
In the 1970's, the economy of the city was furthered by the establishment of The Little Theatre, the Greenville County Library, the Greenville County Museum of Art and the Greenville Symphony Association. In the late 70s, a Downtown Revitalization Project was undertaken. The Hyatt Regency and Commons Garage "became an anchor to the effort which led to additional growth and benefits in the downtown area".
With the welcome of a new millennium came the reopening of the Westin Poinsett Hotel. It was brought back to life with all of the charm and opulence it possessed when it first opened in 1925. Adding to the beauty of downtown Greenville was a revitalization plan that included the redevelopment of Falls Park on the Reedy River and the construction of the Liberty Bridge which was dedicated in 2005. Not content with its accomplishments, the City took on the challenge of building a baseball stadium in downtown Greenville modeled after Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Socks.
For more information on the City of Greenville, CLICK HERE.
Comments