Pretty awesome historic home In Spartanburg, SC. Unclear why someone would give it less than 5…read morestars. It's a private residence, no tours. The people who own it keep it up and pay taxes on it. It's beautiful and marvelous. Make sure to drive around its very expansive lot to soak it all up.

It was the historic marker that caught my eye and then I took a look at the beautiful house…read more Unfortunately, the house is closed to tours but it is still work checking out. The marker reads, "According to family tradition, this house was built in 1854 by the Bivings family, local textile pioneers. In 1869, the house was purchased by John H. Evins (1830-1884), Confederate Lieutenant-Colonel, state legislator, mayor of Spartanburg, and US Congressman (1877-1884). The house was placed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1970." The house is a two-story white clapboard structure in the Greek Revival style. double piazzas with massive Doric order columns and notable balustrades. Also on the property are the original kitchen, slave quarters, smokehouse, and well. It is not far from downtown Spartanburg. [Review 13643 overall, 962 of 2020, number 601 in South Carolina.]

I will admit that I did not know the "name" of this bridge despite having walked across it…read morecountless times, although it has only been known by this name for the past couple of years. It's not the expansive Liberty Bridge that is most commonly associated with the Reedy River downtown, but it is a convenient and heavily foot-trafficked crossing just up the river that many people recognize. It's located parallel to Main Street and can be accessed by stairs on either side. The bright green bridge connects with the Swamp Rabbit Trail on one side and the sidewalks that go through the Wyche Pavilion and Peace Center amphitheater on the other. The bridge crosses over the Reedy right where there are concrete structures, looking somewhat like a dam, that are part of an old railroad trestle. The water spills over here providing lots of white noise, especially in combination with the other nearby water features and wall fountains.

This bridge was an educational experience for me. But not until the first time I finally paused to…read moretake in the signage. Eugenia Duke began her path to fame in 1917 by making sandwiches in her home kitchen to sell to the army during WWI. Her sandwiches were good but it was all about the Mayo. Years later at the urging the of those soldiers, she began bottling it in 1923. Knowing this makes me an even bigger fan of Duke's mayonnaise. Oh, wait. The icon bridge is pretty cool, too.

It's a cute bridge that is behind a fence on private property. I opted not to risk trespassing and…read morephotographed the bridge from the road. It is open to traffic in the neighborhood, apparently. The bridge was built in 2000 by Don Spann and covers a drainage ditch near Look Away Farm. It got the name from the sound it makes as you drive over the bridge. [Review 20004 overall - 1089 in South Carolina - 979 of 2023.]

Staunton Bridge is Greenville Rec's newest community center. Summer day camp and after school…read moreprogramming will be offered at the center through ADWAS (A Different World After School) which is a community based non-profit organization. Future programming will include a Senior Club for ages 50+, adult enrichment classes, and teen programming. Community Center is also available for rent if you need to host an event and has a kitchen inside so providing meals is no problem.

This community center has no funding and no budget.. Its too small and no paid staff to support…read moreprogramming. Only one group can met at a time only one small meeting room for meeting in the entire building. When school is out and the children program is all day. The seniors have no place to meet except at night. during the summer months. It's a shame this community deserves better. On the bright side the senior program is thriving due to a strong president and volunteers.

This massive structure near downtown Spartanburg was completed in 2023 and has 340,000 square feet,…read morecontaining 16 courtrooms that serve the Circuit, Family, Probate, and Magistrate Courts of the County. In addition, area is provided for the many Clerk of Court operations including Sheriff security and holding spaces, office space for the Solicitor, Public Defender, Probation & Parole, Juvenile Justice, and Guardian ad Litem, and such. The largest courtroom on the second floor has seating for 241 people. Spartanburg County was created in 1785, though there were settlements in the area as early as 1761, primarily Scotch-Irish from Pennsylvania and Virginia. The city was known only as the "court-house village" until it was incorporated in 1831 and Spartanburg was created. It is in the geographic center of the county. The current structure replaces the fourth courthouse which had been built in 1891. The first three were in Morgan Square. There is a huge parking lot though many of the best spaces seem to be reserved for court employees and police. Once you do find parking, expect the usual security to enter the building. Cell phones are not permitted. [Review 202 of 2025 - 1257 in South Carolina - 23766 overall]

Located along State Road 49 (which continues north to Charlotte and beyond), this marker is in…read morefront of a small church and cemetery. It points out some of the Colonial Era history of the area. It reads, "1.5 miles SW stood the original Fairforest Baptist Church. The members, led by the Reverend Philip Mulkey, came from North Carolina to Broad River about 1759. In 1762, the church moved to Fairforest where, as the first Baptist church in the up country, it established other churches. During the American Revolution, it was in a Tory controlled area." This is marker number 44-4 and it was erected in 1975 by the Congregation of Lower Fairforest Baptist Church and the South Carolina Baptist Historical Society. There is room to pull over to view the marker. [Review 2011 of 2024 - 1147 in South Carolina - 23033 overall]

This marker is in front of The Children's Museum of the Upstate and next to the Greenville County…read moreMuseum of Art. It points out a learning institution that used to be here on this site but has since moved a bit further out of town. The marker reads, "Established in 1854 by the S.C. Baptist Convention, this institution opened as Greenville Baptist Female College in February 1856, on this site originally donated by Vardry McBee to the Greenville Academies. Its name was changed to Greenville Woman's College in 1914. It was coordinated with Furman University in 1933, merged with Furman in 1938, and moved in 1961 to the consolidated campus six miles north of town." This is marker number 23-15 and it was erected in 1975 by Furman University. There is room here to stop and read the marker. [Review 2216 of 2024 - 1186 in South Carolina - 23234 overall]

A small square on Main Street in downtown Greenville is a tribute to a great man. There is a…read morestatue, a plaque and a historical marker. The front of marker reads, "Born in Charleston, S.C., educated in this country and Great Britain, he travelled widely in Europe and Asia before returning to a distinguished career. He served South Carolina in the state legislature, 1816-1820; 1830-1832; and as Chairman of the Board of Public Works 1818-1820. He represented S.C. in Congress 1821-1825, was first American Minister to Mexico 1825-1829, and Secretary of War 1837-1841." And the reverse, "Planter. Writer. Botanist. Diplomat. Statesman. Joel R. Poinsett had a summer home near here dividing his time in later life between it and his plantation on the Peedee River. He brought the lovely poinsettia to this country from Mexico. His cultural interests and scientific pursuits earned him the title "Versatile American." He died December 12, 1851, at Stateburg, S.C., and was buried there at the Church of the Holy Cross." The plaque reads, "Joel Roberts Poinsett. 1759-1851. Statesman * Diplomat * Naturalist Founder, National Institution for the Promotion of Science, forerunner of the Smithsonian Institution. * First United States Minister to Mexico * United States Secretary of War * While serving as Minister to Mexico in 1825, Poinsett introduced to America a species of the Euphorbia plant later named Poinsettia pulcherrima in his honor." Another marker points out the history of Poinsett's Spring and Poinsett's Bridge. The marker is number 23-11 and it was erected in 1968 by the Greenville County Historical Society. [Review 1438 of 2025 - 1362 in South Carolina - 24989 overall]