South Carolina 
SC History Greenville County History
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Greenville History Guide
SCIWAY's guide to
Greenville's history is divided into several sections. The first is devoted to the history of
Greenville County and the Greenville area as a whole. It contains broad resources to help you start your historical and genealogical research. Additional sections are devoted to the unique history of the individual towns within Greenville County, South Carolina. In particular, these sections focus on the
history of Greenville, the
history of Cleveland, the
history of Fountain Inn, the
history of Gowensville, the
history of Greer, the
history of Pelzer, the
history of Piedmont, the
history of Simpsonville, the
history of the Slater-Marietta area, and the
history of Travelers Rest.
History of Greenville County, South Carolina
- Brief historical summary
- Greenville historic homes
Historic homes abound in Greenville County; the above link will take you to a collection of the most famous – from Whitehall to Lowndes Hill.
- Greenville plantations
At least one dozen plantations could be found in Greenville County prior to the Civil War. See them here.
- Greenville County historic churches, cemeteries, and graveyards
Greenville County has dozens of historic churches that span all corners of the county.
- Greenville historic schools
This index of 19 historic schools in Greenville County provides extensive research and information – plus lots of great photos!
- Greenville historic sites, landmarks, and monuments
If you are looking for an old building that is not a house or church, this is the place for you. Our guide to Greenville County's historic landmarks includes links to schools, mills, markers, bridges, courthouses, forts, and more.
- National Register of Historic Places in Greenville County
Greenville County has 75 historic sites and districts listed in the National Register.
- Greenville libraries and archives
Numerous historical archives and libraries can be found in Greenville County. Some are associated with colleges and universities, others are public, and still others have collections that available in digital format online.
- Greenville museums
Greenville County is home to an amazing collection of world-class museums, from the Greenville County Museum of Art to the BMW Zentrum Museum in Greer.
- Greenville County historic maps
Check out our collection of historic maps that detail Greenville County. The first map is dated 1825, and the last map is dated 1949.
- Greenville genealogy resources
Locate your ancestors and conduct family research with our guide to the genealogical resources that are available for Greenville County.
- Greenville County Historical Society
History of Greenville, South Carolina
History of Cleveland, South Carolina
History of Fountain Inn, South Carolina
Fountain Inn is located in both
Greenville County and
Laurens County.
History of Gowensville, South Carolina
History of Greer, South Carolina
Greer straddles the boundary line of
Greenville County and
Spartanburg County. It began in 1873 when the Atlanta Charlotte Air Line Railroad established a stop called Greer Station. A bustling business district quickly grew up around the depot, and in 1901, two new railroads, Southern Railways and Piedmont and Northern, constructed competing rail lines through the town. Commercial activity eventually became centered between these two tracks, which both provided merchants with easy access to transportation.
Greer thrived as a transportation and business center. Initially Greer's trains moved
South Carolina's peaches and cotton to markets throughout the Southeast. In the early 20th century, the trains transported raw materials and finished goods for hundreds of textile mills in the nearby South Carolina Upstate.
History of Pelzer, South Carolina
Pelzer is located along the
Saluda River and straddles the border between
Anderson County and
Greenville County. The town's history is linked with that of Pelzer Manufacturing Company, which began textile production in the late 1880s. The company bought the very first generators made by the General Electric Company and was the first factory in the country to have incandescent lights.
History of Piedmont, South Carolina
The Town of Piedmont sits on the border between
Anderson County and
Greenville County. Native Americans used the area as a river crossing because its rock formations jutted into the Saluda River. After the Civil War, Henry Pinckey Hammett also found the riverside to be an ideal location – for a cotton mill.
As early as the 1880s he used hydro-electrical power to run the machinery in his textile mills. From the 1920s until Duke Power expanded into the region after WWII, a water plant on the river also supplied electricity to Piedmont homes.
History of Simpsonville, South Carolina
Simpsonville developed in the 1820s as a stagecoach stop, and throughout its history, was periodically called
Plain. The once-burgeoning town struggled during the
Civil War and
Reconstruction, but in 1885 lots were laid out to surround a new rail line. The Woodside Cotton Mill, established in the early 1900s, was instrumental in the town's growth, as was the installation of a large water main from Greenville.
History of Slater-Marietta, South Carolina
- Historic landmarks in Slater-Marietta
Our guide to Slater-Marietta's historic landmarks will help you identify and locate places of interest to explore whether you are a tourist who is sightseeing or a scholar who is researching Slater-Marietta's roots.
History of Travelers Rest, South Carolina
- Brief historical summary
- Travelers Rest Historical Society
The Travelers Rest Historical Society strives to preserve and encourage others to preserve historical material and property in and around the greater Travelers Rest area. The Society works to bring together people interested in the area's history, broadening historical knowledge among youth and adults.
