This marker is at the top of the hill above the Taylors Mill factory that has been converted to a…read moreshopping center. It is on the side of the road in front of one of the few remaining home structures and while the home is private property, you can still see it from the road and right-of-way. Worth a stop if you're heading to 13 Stripes or The Farehouse. The marker reads on the front, "This is one of more than fifty houses built in 1923-24 for employees of Southern Bleachery, a textile processing plant opened at the east end of Mill St. in 1924. The mill village and plant were designed by J.E. Sirrine & Co. The village and nearby area included churches, stores, schools, a gold course, and tennis courts used by workers." And on the reverse, "Housing for the plant's overseers was located here on what became known as "Boss Hill." The house on this corner was home to mill superintendents and was the largest of eight Craftsman-style cedar-shake bungalows and garages built on the hill. Houses in the village were company-owned until 1965, when Southern Bleachery closed after several decades as the largest employer in Taylors." [Review 19506 overall - 1077 in South Carolina - 476 of 2023.]

This interesting three panel display stands in downtown Greenville near the Reedy River park. This…read moreis a mostly pedestrian area but there is street parking nearby. The front three panels read, "Josh White was born in Greenville on Dean Street in 1914. Only a decade later, and after the tragic loss of his father, he became what was known as a "guide boy" for blind musicians. and traveled throughout the south, beginning his own musical journey. During this time, he honed his technique, playing traditional spirituals and later secular music. Developing what would become his signature style. The Piedmont Blues. "By the 1950's, Josh White had established an international reputation having traveled throughout Europe and Scandinavia. His celebrity was reflected in the televised production of the "Josh White Show" in Stockholm, in 1962. "Josh White was an eloquent and powerful voice for justice, equality and civil rights. He performed his music as he lived his life: with tremendous courage and remarkable clarity." And on the reverse, "Joshua Daniel White, September 1, 1950. Testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee. I am proud of the fact that under our system of freedom, everyone is able to speak out -- or in my case sing out -- against what we consider wrong and what we consider right. The love I have for America, the land of my birth which has given me every opportunity, is far too great to permit of any other allegiance. I am solely devoted to the principle of a democracy like ours that stands for the welfare of all of its people regardless of race, creed or color. "America is the best and freest country in the world. It is the kind of democracy that makes it possible to fight injustice and to achieve progress. I got to hate Jim Crow for what it did to me personally and because Jim Crow is an insult to God's creatures and a violation of the Christian beliefs taught by my father. That's how I became a folksinger. Besides the family, I decided that I have a duty to other folksingers and artists in general, especially young people just getting started. They face the same things I did. I hope they will give themselves to good causes as generally I have tried to do. "As long as my voice and spirit hold out, I shall keep on singing of the hope, joys and grievances of ordinary folk. I shall stand shoulder to shoulder with those who are pushed around and humiliated and discriminated against no matter what their race or creed may be." [Review 2225 of 2024 - 1192 in South Carolina - 23243 overall]

Lots of history....lots of promise. the Mill is fenced off but you can still get a good look at…read morethe site and you'll be able to take some nice pics of an Old South Grist Mill. No dedicated parking so you're parking at your own risk on the side of the road.

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]

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.

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]

When seeing similar 19th century monuments across the South, my first thought is that it's another…read moreConfederate memorial. But it's good news that's not so today! Located in downtown Spartanburg, the Daniel Morgan Monument was erected in 1881 and commemorates the centennial of the victory at the Revolutionary War Battle of Cowpens South Carolina and its hero, General Daniel Morgan. Morgan (1736-1802) was one of the most respected battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War. The Battle of Cowpens took place on January 17, 1781 where some 2000 Colonial militia and regulars faced 1000 British troops under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton. The American victory was the worst loss suffered by British units since General John Burgoyne surrendered to General Horatio Gates at the Saratoga in 1777 and helped raise the spirits of the Colonials that the British could be defeated. Atop a 21 foot tall octagonal Doric column made from granite, it stands 30 feet tall and was modeled by John Quinch Adams Ward who said at the time, "I represented him with a drawn sword, advancing with his troops, his attention for a moment attracted by some movement of the enemy on the left." Morgan does not face in any direction that makes sense until it's pointed out that he's facing exactly towards the battlefield at Cowpens. The first plaque reads, "To the American Soldiers who on the field of Cowpens, January 17th, 1781, fought victoriously for The Right of Self Government and Civil Liberty. We enjoy the Result of their toil and sacrifice, let us emulate their fortitude and virtue. This Column is erected by the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and South Carolina. The Old Thirteen States, and The State of Tennessee 1881." There are others. Check out https://evendo.com/locations/south-carolina/spartanburg/landmark/daniel-morgan-monument for more information. [Review 2242 of 2024 - 1205 in South Carolina - 23260 overall]

The Greenville County Courthouse took two years to construct and was completed in 1918 and is in…read morethe Beaux-Arts style, a brick and concrete building with terra cotta trim. It was designed by P. Thornton Mayre who is known for the Atlanta Terminal Station (1905), St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Atlanta (1906), Birmingham Terminal Station (1909), the Randolph-Lucas House in Atlanta (1924) and the Fox Theatre in Atlanta (1929) as well as the Aladdin Theater in Cocoa Florida (1924). This building served as the primary court for the county and was the setting for the infamous Willie Earle trial, which gained international attention when 31 white men were acquitted for the murder of a black taxi driver. There is some limited street parking in front and a larger lot in the back. [Review 204 of 2025 - 1259 in South Carolina - 23768 overall]

A previous reviewer notes that the current courthouse was building was completed in 1918. I want to…read moreadd a correction since this not accurate. The current courthouse was built between 1949 and 1950 and was renovated in 1997 with the addition of a new judicial wing. The previous courthouse was completed in 1918. It was used until 1991 for the Family Court (the SC Family Court wasn't established until 1976). The Family Court later moved into an old movie theatre on University Ridge. In 2021 the Family Court was moved to a facilty on Halton Road.