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American Spinning Company

Contains photographs of the mill, village, and people of the American Spinning Company from the private collection of Robert “Bob” H. Duke of Greenville. Organized in 1895 by Oscar Sampson, James Orr, and Jacob Cagle American Spinning Company began as a two-story wooden building, but grew rapidly adding a new brick building and other additions […]

Beautifying and Improving Greenville, S.C.

In 1907, the landscape architecture firm Kelsey & Guild, of Boston, MA, prepared a report for the Municipal League of Greenville in which they outlined, “the possibilities for beautifying and improving Greenville and…practical ways to accomplish results.”  This report, presented here in its final published version as well as the typescript version initially submitted to […]

Brandon Mill

Collection of photographs of the Brandon Mill community from the Brandon Historical Society and SC Room Archives. Organized in 1899, Brandon Mill was completed and producing fabric by 1901. Cotton manufacturing boomed in the Upstate and the mill expanded rapidly during the first decade of the 1900s. The mill operated until March 1977. One of […]

Camp Marietta

Camp Marietta opened in 1959 as a collaboration between several Upstate Baptist churches. It closed in 2015 after declining support and participation. This collection includes photographs of both the Girls in Action and Royal Ambassador camps during the first season.

Camperdown Mill

Collection of photographs of Camperdown Mill and community from the SC Room Archives. Camperdown was the first “modern” textile mill to be opened within city limits. Organized by Oscar Sampson, George Hall, and George Putnam in 1873, it began operation in the old Vardry McBee Mill, but was later expanded to a second building built […]

Chicora College Yearbooks

In the first part of the 20th century, Greenville South Carolina was home to two colleges for women, Chicora College and the Greenville Woman’s College. This collection of materials includes yearbooks dating from 1901 to 1914 for Chicora College, which provides insights into both the everyday life and the academic world of young women of that […]

Conestee Mill

Conestee Mill, also known as Reedy River Factory, is located approximately 8 miles outside of the city along the Reedy River. It is the second textile mill on this site and operated from the mid-nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth. Today the mill complex is home to a nature park and wildlife sanctuary.

Dunean Mill

Collection of photographs of the Dunean Mill and community from the private collection of Marshall Williams. Owned by Ellison Adger Smyth, Dunean Mill opened in 1912 to produce cotton goods. The mill was named after the Irish village where Smyth’s ancestors lived. In 1935 Dunean switched to rayon and other synthetic fibers. For many years […]

Estes Plant

Collection of photographs of the Estes Plant from the Piedmont History Collection. The Estes Plant opened June 1964 by J.P. Stevens and shortly replaced Piedmont Manufacturing production. The old Piedmont Manufacturing buildings were converted into warehouse space. In 1986 the Estes Plant was sold to the Delta Mills Marketing Company. Today Griffin Thermal Products produces […]

Green Avenue Neighborhood

Photographs of the Green Avenue neighborhood, which encompasses Jenkins, Casey, Lincoln, Nelson, and McLeod Streets, plus part of Anderson Road. Traditionally an African American neighborhood, the city of Greenville has been revitalizing the area since 2001 including the demolition and construction of homes, building new parks, and streetscape work. Original photographs from the Green Avenue […]

Greenville Civic and Commercial Journal

The Greenville Civic and Commercial Journal (later the Greenville Journal) was a publication of Greenville’s Chamber of Commerce. In addition to articles showcasing local businesses and the activities of Chamber committees, the magazine included stories about the history of Greenville and biographies of local individuals as well as photographs of buildings of note in Greenville. […]

Greenville’s Woodside Building

When the Woodside Building was constructed in Greenville in the early 1920s, it was a symbol of the city’s prosperity and ambition. At 17 stories it was the tallest building in the Carolinas, and could be seen on the horizon from miles away. This collection of photographs documents the building’s construction from – literally – […]

Greer

Collection of photographs and postcards of Greer from the South Carolina Room Archives and the Greer Heritage Museum. Greer owes its creation to the Southern Railroad. James Manning Greer owned a 200-acre farm where the heart of Greer stands today. In the mid-1800s, he traded a few acres to the railroad company and sold the […]

Greer Textiles

Collection of photographs of the Estes Plant from the Piedmont History Collection. The Estes Plant opened June 1964 by J.P. Stevens and shortly replaced Piedmont Manufacturing production. The old Piedmont Manufacturing buildings were converted into warehouse space. In 1986 the Estes Plant was sold to the Delta Mills Marketing Company. Today Griffin Thermal Products produces […]

Little Texas

Little Texas was an African American community located between Elford Street and Lavinia Avenue. In the late 1960s, neighborhood homes and property were purchased and razed to make way for the Bon Secours Wellness Arena (formerly Bi-Lo Center) 30 years later. Historical marker was dedicated August 12, 2017.

Mills Mill

Collection of photographs of Mills Mill and community from the private collection of Marshall Williams. The Mills Manufacturing Co. was organized in 1895 with Otis P. Mills as president. The mill began operation in 1897 and produced fabric until the mill’s close in 1978. In the 2000s, the mill was renovated into the Lofts condominiums.

Monaghan Mill

Collection of photographs of Monaghan Mill and community from the Monaghan Historical Society. Organized by cousins Thomas and Lewis Parker in 1900 and named for their grandfather’s birthplace, Monaghan operated for a century. In the 1910s, the Parker cousins left textiles and the Victor-Monaghan Company was formed. In 1946, Monaghan (among other mills) merged into […]

Neves Family Civil War Letters

The Neves family of the Mush Creek Community in Greenville District sent three sons to fight in the Civil War, William (W.P.Z.F), John (J.P.), and George (G.W.) Neves, as well as a son-in-law, Andrew Waldrop. Some of the letters in this collection were written by these young men and describe life in camp, but the […]

Pelzer Mill

Collection of photographs of Pelzer Mill and community from the Pelzer Heritage Commission. The Pelzer Manufacturing Company was organized in 1880 and began operations in 1882. The mill expanded rapidly during the 1880s and 1890s. During the 20th century it changed hands several times before closing in the late 1990s.

Piedmont Manufacturing Company

Collection of photographs of the Piedmont Manufacturing Company from the Piedmont History Collection. Piedmont Manufacturing Company was established in 1873 by Henry Pickney Hammett along the Saluda River. In 1888 mill #2 opened on the Anderson County side of the river followed by Mill #3. Shortly after the Estes Plant opened in Piedmont in the […]

Poe Mill

Contains photographs of the mill and community of Poe Mill from the private collection of Gary L. O’Steen and South Carolina Room Archives. Established and owned by Francis Winslow Poe, the mill began operations in 1897 producing cotton fabric. The mill changed hands twice over the years and operated until 1977. The building burned in […]

Poinsett Mills

Collection of photographs of Poinsett Mill from the private collection of Alvin Henson. Originally organized as Carolina Mills in a 1900, it was later renamed Poinsett Mills. The mill ceased operations in 1981, but the building still survives as part of the Reynolds Company.

Selected Civil War-Era Pamphlets

The short publications in this collection were selected from the South Carolina Room’s extensive collection of pamphlets and fliers. They offer a variety of perspectives on the Civil War in South Carolina, from the political and social conditions that led up to secession, to the experiences of soldiers fighting the war, to the war’s aftermath […]

Semaphore Magazine

The Semaphore magazine covers the North and South Carolina cities that the Piedmont & Northern and Durham & Southern railways passed through including genealogically relevant information like birth and marriage announcements, plus photographs and articles about mid-20th century economic and industrial development in the cities served by the railroad.

Slater Mill

Collection of photographs from the Slater Hall Citizens’ Committee. Slater Mill was built in 1927 and still operates today. Originally a cotton mill, it later shifted to rayon, fiberglass, and other synthetics.

Steel Heddle

Collection of photographs from the private collection of Bill Karst of Steel Heddle. Steel Heddle of Philadelphia opened a textile equipment factory in Greenville in 1923. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2001 and was bought out in the 2000s.

Taylors

Taylors’ history begins with the opening of the Chick Springs resort community in 1840. Nearby in 1869, Alfred Taylor finished acquiring all the land that would eventually become the heart of Taylors and successfully lobbied for the railroad to be built through his property a few years later. A spur track known as Taylor’s Turnout […]

Trowbridge Family Papers

A collection of the personal and financial documents of Silas F. Trowbridge. Collection consists of probate documents related to the settlement of the W.C. Trowbridge Estate, promissory notes, and financial accounting notebooks from the late-1800s through the turn-of-the-century. Also contains documents related to the Cleveland family, including receipts for home and farm goods, a letter […]

Union Bleachery

Collection of photographs of Union Bleachery and community from the Union Bleachery Historical Society. Union Bleachery began operations in September 1903. After struggling for a few years, the plant began to expand when John White Arrington was hired as manager and later president. Over the years the plant has changed hands several times, but Union […]

United Spanish War Veterans Ledger

This printed ledger book listing the members of Post 7, South Carolina Department of the United Spanish War Veterans. Information recorded in the ledger includes dates and places of birth, dates of service, home addresses and the names of closest relatives. This ledger is held by the Greenville County Library System’s South Carolina Room.

Woodside Mill

Collection of photograph of the Woodside Mill and community from the private collection of John Hall and the SC Room Archive. Organized by the John T. Woodside along with his brothers, the mill began operation in 1903. Within a few years the mill had tripled in size and eventually earned the title of largest cotton […]