As noted in Greenville: The History of the City and County in the South Carolina Piedmont, “Thomas O. Lowndes of Charleston was attracted to the area by the climate. Lowndes settled on a hill east of the village of Greenville. This hill was called Lowndes Hill.”

SCIWAY thanks Joseph Baker of Summerville for contributing this picture, taken in 2005, as well as the accompanying information. Joseph also sent in this lovely story about visiting the home: “As I sat on the porch steps of the old house and looked down the tree-lined driveway, [I realized that] before the houses were built, you could see all of downtown Greenville. You could imagine what beauty brought Mr. Lowndes to this particular area in the upcountry.”

Much of the masonry and stone work was salvaged from the old Vardry McBee Mill at the Falls of the Reedy River. From the late 1950s until the early 1970s, it was an apartment complex. It also served as the Greenville County Art Museum. Today, the home is privately owned and used as a wedding and reception facility.

SCIWAY sends a big thank you to Joseph Baker of Summerville for contributing this picture, taken in 2005, as well as the accompanying information.

Fred Symmes gave the chapel to the YMCA so that its campers could enjoy its beautiful view all summer long. Camp Greenville spans 1,600 acres and serves as a summer camp, conference center, and environmental education facility. Symmes Chapel is a popular wedding venue and worship site, and visitors are welcome except when it is in use for events. It is strongly advised to call ahead and check the schedule before planning a visit! Visit the Pretty Place webpage to find news and events going on at the chapel.

The falls are fed by Wildcat Branch Creek, one of the tributaries of the South Saluda River. The upper section provides a beautiful 10-foot free fall, while the lower section cascades 20 feet down an exposed slab of granite into a shallow pool. Wildcat Falls is located between two extremely popular state parks, Caesar’s Head and Jones Gap, which have many waterfalls and cascades within their boundaries as well.

Another site not to be missed when visiting Wildcat Falls is the unmarked scenic overlook, known as the Bald Rock Heritage Preserve and sometimes Shining Rock, pictured below.

SCIWAY contributor Barry Gooch says that the easiest way to find the Bald Rock Heritage Preserve is to “head south from Caesar’s Head on US 276 (Greer Highway). Drive about four miles and you will pass a road to the left called Persimmon Ridge Road. Drive another 0.5 miles, and Club Terrace Drive will be on the right. I don’t know if either of these roads are marked. The overlook will be another 0.1 miles on the left. It isn’t marked and the bald is obscured by trees. There is no parking lot, though enough people stop at the overlook that a makeshift parking area exists on the left side of the highway near the path to the bald. It’s an easy 50 yard walk from the highway and is well worth the time and effort. Be careful though, the rocks can be slippery!”

]]> http://www.sciway.net/sc-photos/greenville-county/wildcat-falls.html/feed/ 0 http://www.sciway.net/sc-photos/greenville-county/peace-center.html http://www.sciway.net/sc-photos/greenville-county/peace-center.html#comments Mon, 09 Jul 2012 12:59:14 +0000 SCIWAY http://www.sciway.net/sc-photos/?p=16147 The Peace Center is a world-class performing arts center located at 300 South Main Street in downtown Greenville. It frequently plays host to a wide variety of famous musicians and Broadway shows.

SCIWAY thanks Charles K. Hardin of Greer for contributing this photo taken in 2012.

Have you seen some great shows at the Peace Center? Comment below and tell us some of your favorites!

For more information about tickets and shows, make sure to visit the Peace Center’s website.

After Bates lost his leg, his uncle carved a wooden peg for him to use since Bates was determined to continue dancing despite his disability. He despised people pitying him, and strove to be better than most two-legged dancers. Bates began doing shows in carnivals and minstrel shows, and his success eventually landed him spots in vaudeville circuits by the age of 15.

Known for his mix of acrobatic moves, powerful tapping rhythm, and gracefulness, Bates quickly established a successful career as a tap dancer. During the 1930s he was a featured dancer in Harlem nightclubs and lit up the Broadway stage with his unique take on classic tap steps. Bates broke down many racial barriers while he was touring, and famously made over 20 appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show during the 1950s and 1960s (see a video of Peg Leg Bates dancing).

When he wasn’t lighting up the stage, Bates spent time with his wife and child. He also owned and operated the largest African-American resort in the country – the Peg Leg Country Club in Kerhonkson, New York. The popular resort catered to black clientele and often featured many jazz musicians and tap dancers. Peg Leg Bates eventually sold the property in 1989, but continued to spread his philosophy of overcoming adversities by speaking to children and handicapped groups.

Bates received the Flo-Bert Award in 1991, the Distinguished Leadership in the Arts award in 1992, and the Order of the Palmetto award in 1998. Peg Leg Bates passed away in the December of 1998 in his hometown of Fountain Inn.

Many thanks to photographers Travis and Adelle Graham for submitting this picture they took in March 2011.

Constructed from locally quarried stone, the Poinsett Bridge was one of three stone bridges along the stretch of State Road referred to as the Saluda Mountain Road. The bridge features stepped parapet sidewalls and is marked by a 15-foot Gothic arch which forms the passage for Little Gap Creek, a small tributary of the North Saluda River.

At the time of the bridge’s design, Poinsett was the director of the South Carolina Board of Public Works. It is speculated that Robert Mills, architect of many South Carolina buildings as well as the Washington Monument, may have designed the bridge. Learn more about the Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve.

Cherokee Indians lived in what is now Greenville long before any European settlers arrived. In 1773, Richard Pearis – one of the first white settlers to the area – purchased land along the Reedy River from the Cherokee chiefs so that he could operate his grist mill there.

Furman University bought the land in 1852, and three textile mills were built along the river during the early 1900s. Unfortunately, these mills greatly contributed to the pollution and deterioration of the Reedy River.

The Carolina Foothills Garden Club bought the land in 1967 and turned it into a 26-acre park. The Garden Club and the City of Greenville worked with corporations as well as state and federal agencies to clean up the river and park, and to restore the historic Falls Cottage. In 1990, public landscaped gardens and the Liberty Bridge were added, which transformed Falls Park into a regional attraction.

Martin LaBar took this photo in the summer of 2006. He says that the tree seems to be quite healthy which is great news!

Check out Mosley Hardy’s neat interactive gigapan of the Medusa Tree!

View more pictures of other renowned South Carolina Trees.

The university has had three different homes in South Carolina, its first being in Edgefield where it was founded as an academy and theological institute. In 1850, it became a university and moved its campus to Greenville. Furman’s theological institute broke away from the academy in 1858 and became the Southern Baptist Seminary, which is now located in Kentucky. Furman University merged with the Woman’s College of Furman University in 1961, and moved to a larger campus north of Greenville.

Furman severed its formal ties with the South Carolina Baptist Convention and became an independent university in 1992. Today, Furman offers a wide variety of majors, but it has always been a liberal arts college first and foremost.

This proud university has produced some of our most successful American citizens including two governors, two US Congressmen, 17 Truman Scholars, six Rhodes Scholars, a Nobel Laureate, and a Pulitzer Prize winner!

Furman University’s mascot is a knight on a horse. The athletic teams are called the Paladins, which is defined as a “paragon of chivalry; a heroic champion; a strong supporter or defender of a cause.” The nickname was first used by a Greenville sportswriter in the 1930s who used the word “paladin” to describe Furman’s basketball team. The student body voted in 1961 to make the nickname official.

Calvin Kelley, Sr of Mauldin took this picture late at night in June 2009. He says, “This tower has a story behind it that was recently told to me by my dentist. The story is, if you kiss your girl in the tower, she will become your bride.”

We have even received stories that have backed up this local legend!

Don Lloyd from Marion County remembers spending many nights strolling the Furman campus with his future wife during their high school years in Greenville. He writes: “The lake and bell tower was (and probably stillis) the best date spot in Greenville. The lake is incredibly beautiful and always seemed to impress a date. Of course, no visit would be complete without an excursion to the tower. I suppose that my attempts to be romantic were not the real reason she married me. I now know it was the power of the tower.”

Furman alumnae Laura Godfrey says that “in the spring of 2007, my senior year at Furman University, my boyfriend Mike kissed me in the belltower. I am so happy to tell you that we are getting married next summer in Furman’s Daniel Chapel. I guess the story is true!”

If you have a personal experience to back this local legend up, please write us and let us know!

See more pictures by Calvin Kelley.

See another beautiful photo of the Furman Bell Tower.