This two-sided historical marker is adjacent to an empty lot and a couple of buildings that look…read morelike small warehouses. It recalls a more recent history that has passed along. On the front side, "Barnett Brothers Circus, 1929-1945. This site was the winter quarters of the Barnett Brothers Circus, briefly known as the Wallace Brothers Circus, from 1929 through 1945. Founded by Ray W. Rogers (1889-1946), the circus was one of the first to travel by truck instead of by train. That freedom helped it succeed during the Depression and World War II. It began its tour each March or April with a performance in York, then returned in November." And on the back side, "Barnett Brothers Circus, 1929-1938. A highlight of the York Christmas parade was Santa Claus riding an elephant. In 1929 five sons of C.P. and Olive Bennett, living nearby, started their own circus with encouragement from Ray Rogers, who loaned them his big top and a few animals. All six Bennett sons and two daughters participated, along with other local children. Their circus performed in York, Rock Hill, Clover, and Sharon through 1938." It must have been quite a sight. [Review 13887 overall, 1209 of 2020, number 647 in South Carolina.]

Very cool urban "archaeological" find...nobody but locals "in the know" seem to be aware it's even…read morethere! Found out about it from the very nice & informative bartender at Dust Off Brewing (check out doing to the YoCo Brew Trail; check into 6 breweries on the app & get a t-shirt). He couldn't quite remember how to get to it, but after some intensive research, found the geo coordinates. That was honestly the only way to find this place, plus a little guts & guesswork. You can quasi see some portion of the rockwork of the ruinous remains from the paved Riverwalk trail. The "easiest" way to get to the ruins is to follow the Riverwalk Piedmont Medical Center Trail to just before mile marker 1.25; you will see this steep wooden thing with awkwardly placed planks. You basically have to rock-wall climb your way up. From there you are on a mountain biking trail. Follow the arrows for just over a quarter mile and you will see some indicators of the ruins before they open up in front of you. You will most likely have the place to yourself. Really cool to wander around and take it all in. Just be careful with holes and don't walk on or within the actual ruins as they are pretty sketch & unsteady. There are spiders, snakes, and flying insects galore, so put on repellent and stay vigilant cuz it is deep woods! You can either get back down the way you came; I found this gray rock slope that I found easier to navigate than sliding down the wood thing I climbed up. Either way, really neat find and I'm so glad I explored to find it! The paved walkway along the Catawba is also a nice walk to and from!

This is a cute place to go for relaxation and peace with beautiful scenic views of the lake. There…read moreis also plenty of seating and a small area with sand. I am definitely going back again.

This park is fantastic. There are great playground areas for kids and some nice relaxing recliner…read morechairs for the adults. The little beach at the lake is also a wonder place for kids to play in the summer time. This is a great weekend park to visit, especially if you're a local!

It's been awhile since I saw this masterpiece by Cerny a few years ago, and I found the perfect…read moreopportunity to go see it again... We went with some friends to check out this event, Metalmorphosis @ Whitehall with CSO Roadshow (and food trucks). What a fun idea! Surprisingly, it wasn't packed when we first got there, but gradually all the seats filled up. First of all, the Metal head was working (which is dicey!)...Thank God! I did wonder why it couldn't spew water from its mouth. THAT would be so spectacular! Still, the head did spin around, and segment into different pieces too. So amazing! It made a great backdrop for the CSO roadshow, which featured many pop songs over the decade. Surprisingly good...even for cheesy numbers like "Living La Loca" and "YMCA"!! The funny thing is...this corporate park is located near the airport, so there were many, many planes that flew over during the concert. Luckily, we were still able to hear the orchestra pretty good. The food truck was a bit disappointing though. Only 3 vendors...and the vendor we chose (King of Fire) was so slow, I almost gave up! More on that on another review. The sculpture looked so out of place...too majestic for such a common corporate park. In any case, I took several pictures of the sculpture this time. Hope they feature many more events here in the future.

Last time we were out here visiting looked up some art to see. Came across the Metalmorphosis Giant…read moreHead sculpture and thought that would be cool to take my grandkids out to see. It was a bit of a drive to get here and the sculpture is located tucked away around some office buildings. The day we came it was empty and we had the whole grounds to ourselves except for security, lol. This sculpture is really cool and I liked how it rotated around. It was really awesome to see how someone's vision can come to life with determination.

This marker is located not far from downtown York. It is in quite good condition and points out the…read morebirthplace of one of the city's success stories. On the front side, "David Edward Finley, Jr. (1890-1977), first director of the National Gallery of Art, was born in this house. Finley moved to Washington, D.C. as a child when his father was elected to Congress and was educated at the University of S.C. and George Washington University Law School. He practiced law, served in World War I, then worked for Secretary of the Treasury Andrew W. Mellon." On the back, "Finley and Andrew W. Mellon worked for years to establish a national art gallery with Mellon's collection as its nucleus, but Mellon died in 1937 just as the project began. Finley directed the construction of the National Art Gallery and was its director 1938-1956, building it into "a treasure trove of art." He was also chairman of the National Trust for Historic Preservation 1950-1962" [Review 13894 overall, 1216 of 2020, number 654 in South Carolina.]

This two-sided marker is not far from the Rock Hill Police Department and a branch of the York…read moreCounty Library. Of course, the railroad line is also nearby. On the front side, it reads "Rock Hill Depots. The first of six railroad depots was built here in 1851 on the Charlotte & S.C. RR, after the citizens of Ebenezer objected to a new railroad yard proposed there. The town that grew up here was named Rock Hill after the flint hill found when the railroad bed was excavated. The six depots built here between 1851 and 1912 served passengers and freight for a combined 122 years. The two-story brick depot built nearby in 1912 was a local landmark until it was torn down in 1973." On the back side, "Rock Hill Street Railway. From 1891 to 1918 a street railway connected Railroad Ave., the depots, Main St., and Winthrop College. Nicknamed "Rock Hill Electric Railway," it was pulled by mules named "Lec" and "Tric" for 21 years, then ran on battery power. Its rails were salvaged during World War II. Railroad Ave. was renamed Trade St. by 1920, as the largest retail center in the area. Trade St. was all but eliminated by urban renewal in 1973. Erected by the Culture & Heritage Museums of York County and the City of Rock Hill, 2008." The markers are in great condition and are highly legible. [Review 14064 overall, 1386 of 2020, number 679 in South Carolina.]

This two-sided marker is located on the grass in front of the City Hall and details the founding of…read morethe town, the early colonial times and post-Civil War history. The marker could use some repainting but is otherwise in good condition. If you're visiting the city offices, stop by. On the front side, "Formerly known as Fergus's Cross Roads, later Yorkville, this county seat was established in 1785 on land originally granted to John Miller in 1767. According to Robert Mills, the town in 1826 had eight stores, five taverns, a male and female academy, post office, printing office, and about eighty houses. The coming of the railroad in 1852 brought prosperity, which was reflected in fine homes, public buildings, and educational institutions." And on the back side, "During the Reconstruction period, turmoil in this area resulted in the sending of Federal troops under Col. Lewis Merrill to Yorkville and the declaration of martial law in 1871. Merrill was stationed at nearby Rose's Hotel. During this time the agricultural economy of the area suffered greatly, but Reconstruction ended in 1876 and recovery gradually took place. In 1896 textiles came to the town, whose name was changed to York in 1915. Erected by York County." [Review 13892 overall, 1214 of 2020, number 652 in South Carolina.]

Murray's Mill is easy to find from I-40. The gristmill was built in 1913 and the Murray & Minges…read morestore from the 1890s is also open. When you arrive, find a spot to park on either side of the street. Then go into the Murray & Minges General Store to pay for your self-guided tour. You will receive a binder to read through of the history and photos of the equipment and what it does. You can tour all three levels of the mill as there are stairs to the top floor and stairs to the basement. The mill used the barter system to grind wheat and corn. The water wheel is 28 foot high and 4 foot wide. the buckets on it have rusted so they are raising money for the needed repairs. The water wheel is attached by a shaft to a gear on the wall and powers everything in the mill except the lights. The mill is still operational and grinds on the 3rd Sunday of the month when it is warm enough. The stones weigh 2400 pounds and were used to cut corn and wheat. Leather belts were used and were pieced together to make them long enough. They could make 300 pounds of flour an hour which was much less than what modern mills could produce. 10 sets of pins are needed to make flour and roller mills are used to crush the wheat. Each screen has an elevator and each set basically sifts the flour to get it to where it needs to be. Making flour creates a white dust and that dust is explosive. If you are looking for a historic mill to visit this one is a great one to visit and learn how the mill operated.

A fun historical site, preserved so well & well worth the $7. Remarkable how industrious & sharp…read morethis family was. From a time when attention to detail was valued, all the chutes are made of wood with beveled edges & beadwork because...some of it is furniture quality. Pay your way & get the 3-ring binder of pics/info & step back in time. This is the heartbeat of America. "1965-1966 - Lloyd & brother Ernest run the milling operation by themselves to cut cost. In 1966 Lloyd let Ernest go & ran the whole mill on his own. Ernest went to work for Southern Furniture. 1967 - The mill closes due to government taxing. In 1964, the federal government levied a grain tariff that heavily taxed corn & wheat. Small mills were put out of business by larger industrial mills. Lloyd Murray had been working by himself for the last year, he locked up the mill & went home for the last time. He goes to work for Pinnacle Furniture Company. 1980/81 - With help from NC Preservation Fund & Stewart Family, the Catawba County Historical Assoc. purchases Murray's Mill, the General Store, & the Wheathouse for $68,000. 1982 - John Murray dies one month shy of his 105* birthday. At the time he had 10 children, 20 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, & 3 great-great-grandchildren. 1986 - Murray & Minges General Store reopens to the public. 1988, April 30 - Murray's Mill reopens to the public after a $2M restoration". That's just a taste of the recent info, go get a history lesson...wheel is still in the process of being replaced

For fans of The Hunger Games films, this is a must-see!…read more We stopped in on a beautiful spring day. We were given an informative tour by Donavan, who was hilarious and full of knowledge. After the tour, we were free to explore the 78 acres. It's a beautiful place and we had a great time looking at the mill homes and the surrounding terrain. They also offer a military discount which is always appreciated! Great place!

Excellent self guided tour, was very cool to see........however.......there are NO SIGNS stating…read moreit's "more of a museum" and that you have to pay to walk thru. That being said the guy that runs the place was very rude to me and my elderly mother!

We took a tour of the Moore Plantation today and loved it. Our guide, Kevin, was very informative…read more The house isn't big and some parts you can't go into due to safety issues, but it was well worth the time and money to see it. Not all out buildings are original, but they are reproductions to what the originals were. This is a pleasant hidden gem and a part of American history. We would go back and bring friends and family with us so they can see what people went through back in the late 1700's.

A National Treasure and a South Carolina gem, this 1765 plantation is set in an idyllic location…read moreminutes from Spartanburg. I planned my visit there, but most of the visitors seemed to have stopped in spur-of-the-moment while traveling through the area. Most plantations available for tours are mid-1800s and grand, but this modest home dates back to 1765, its inhabitants playing key roles in the Revolutionary War. The guided tour takes close to an hour, and the guide went in depth and detail describing the implements used on a daily basis during colonial times on the plantation. Most of the outbuildings on the property are replicas, but at least two of them are vintage. The furniture and decor in the house is made up of a combination of period pieces and very well-made replicas. The up-close detail you can view on the home reveals just how amazing it is that the structure is still there! A nice trail takes you to the family cemetery about a quarter mile from the house. The grounds are picturesque and the outbuildings are in close proximity to the house.