Greenville, South Carolina

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Greenville, South Carolina
Location in South Carolina
Coordinates: 34°50′40″N 82°23′8″W / 34.84444°N 82.38556°W / 34.84444; -82.38556
County Greenville County
Founded 1831
Government
 - Mayor Knox White
Area
 - City 67.7 km2 (26.1 sq mi)
 - Water 0.2 km2 (0.1 sq mi)  0.23%
Population (2000)
 - City 56,002
 - Density 829.4/km2 (2,148.1/sq mi)
 - Urban 302,194
 - Metro 601,986 (2,006 est.)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
Area code(s) 864
Website www.greenvillesc.gov

Greenville is a city in and the county seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States,[1] in the state's upstate region. One of the principal cities of the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), it had a population of 56,006 at the 2000 census,[2] and the metropolitan area had an estimated population of 601,986 in 2006.[3] Greenville is the largest city of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Combined Statistical Area (CSA) which has a 2006 estimated population of 1,203,795. The CSA, an 8-county region of northwestern South Carolina, is known as "The Upstate". Greenville is located approximately halfway between the cities of Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina along Interstate 85, and its metropolitan area is further serviced by Interstates 185 and 385.

Contents

[edit] Geography and climate

Greenville is located at 34°50′40″N 82°23′8″W / 34.84444°N 82.38556°W / 34.84444; -82.38556 (34.844313, -82.385428),[4] centrally located between Atlanta (120 miles southwest), and Lexington, North Carolina.

Greenville is in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains; therefore, the city and county contain many hills and knolls. The highest point in South Carolina, Sassafras Mountain, is located nearby in the northern part of Pickens County, which is adjacent to Greenville County to the west. Paris Mountain, home to many of the area's television and radio station towers, is the second most prominent peak in the area, and overlooks the downtown area from less than 7 miles (11 km) away. According to the United States Census Bureau, Greenville has a total area of 67.7 km² (26.1 mi²). 67.5 km² (26.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water.

[edit] Geology and seismology

Gold and other minerals have been mined in Greenville since the early 1800s. Rubies, amethysts, garnets, tourmalines, unakite and emeralds occur within 60 miles (97 km) of the city, likely washed down from the nearby mountains.[citation needed] Granite abounds in the area and is mined in Greenville as well as in neighboring counties.[citation needed]

Greenville sits on the associated faults of the Brevard Fault, a mostly quiet system which has, nonetheless, experienced some earthquakes of up to 6.0 on the Richter scale in the past 50 years; however, local earthquakes usually measuring not more than 3.0 are more the norm. Most of the city sits on various fault lines which seem to come together around Paris Mountain, a monadnock below which sits the city. This activity could be connected with the construction of Lake Hartwell.[citation needed] Since 1990, Greenville has experienced fewer than 15 noticeable quakes, mostly centered in the Sandy Flats area.[citation needed]

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rec High °F 79 81 89 93 97 100 104 103 96 92 85 76
Norm High °F 50.2 54.8 62.7 71 78.2 85.1 88.8 87.1 81.1 71.4 61.3 52.7
Norm Low °F 31.4 33.9 40.5 47 56.2 64.3 68.7 67.9 61.7 49.7 41 34.3
Rec Low °F -6 8 11 25 31 40 54 52 36 25 12 5
Precip (in) 4.41 4.24 5.31 3.54 4.59 3.92 4.65 4.08 3.97 3.88 3.79 3.86
Source: USTravelWeather.com [1]

[edit] Law and government

Main article: Government of the City of Greenville, South Carolina

The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976. It is also the county seat of Greenville County.[2]

[edit] History

The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families already had settled just within the boundary, and White traders regularly crossed the area. The first White man to settle permanently in the area was Richard Pearis, who settled at the falls of the Reedy River, sometime after 1770, which are now located in what is downtown Greenville. Paris Mountain, overlooking the city, is named for him.

During the American Revolution, the Cherokee (and Pearis) sided with the British. After a campaign in 1776, the Cherokee agreed to the Treaty of DeWitt's Corner, ceding territory that includes present-day Greenville County to South Carolina.

Greenville was originally called Pleasantburg. Greenville County was created in 1786 from Spartanburg District (now Spartanburg County), but was called Greenville District from 1800 until 1868. Greenville is probably named for American Revolutionary General Nathanael Greene, or Lord Grenville. Greenville is the mother district to Pendleton District (now Anderson County), Pickens District (now Pickens County) and Oconee District (now Oconee County).

During World War I; Greenville served as a training camp center for Army recruits. This eventually fostered the development of Donaldson Air Force Base, built during World War II, which was very important to the economy of the City of Greenville. Donaldson served as a military base until the early 1960s, when it was returned to the City of Greenville. The former air base has been developed into a business park. It contains historic military-style barracks which are used now by various businesses.

From 1870 to the late 1950s and early 1960s; Greenville had a strict segregationist code. Racial tensions were great enough to result in sporadic lynchings of African-Americans who were perceived to stress the imposed social boundaries. In 1949, the alleged rape of a white woman by a black man spawned the creation of a vigilante lynch mob. The mob seized the jail as well as the jailer; the suspect was then hung and a fire built beneath him. No semblance of a trial occurred.[citation needed]

Blacks in the area were subject to the standard segregationist restrictions; they were limited to the back of city buses, were not permitted to stay in hotel or motel rooms which had white customers, and had to sit in the balcony of movie theaters. Especially significant was the restriction of Blacks from use of the public library, which partially motivated the activism of the library-denied Jesse Jackson. Jackson, working through the NAACP, organized a sit-in at Greenville's "F.W. Woolworth's Five and Dime" store, and quickly emerged as a prominent civil rights leader. Compared to similar events in locations such as Birmingham, the protests were considered peaceful.[citation needed]

[edit] Attractions

As the largest city in the Upstate, Greenville offers many activities and attractions. Greenville's theatres and event venues regularly host major concerts and touring theater companies. Four independent theaters present several plays a year.

[edit] Notable event venues

[edit] Shopping

Greenville is the main shopping destination of The Upstate region.[citation needed] Downtown Greenville is home to many specialty shops and boutiques. The Haywood Mall is a major mall in the area.

[edit] Landmarks

Falls Park on the Reedy
View of park from foot bridge showing cascades.
Pedestrian activity on Main Street during "Fall for Greenville"
Greenville's tree-lined Main Street

[edit] Notable annual events

[edit] Downtown renewal

Initially, Greenville's buildings were demolished and rebuilt fairly frequently. Greenville has one of the last Frank Lloyd Wright homes ever built.

At one time the retail center of the region, Greenville's downtown district began to languish in the 1960s as shopping centers lured the retailers and customers to the suburbs. It was a moribund downtown in the midst of a growing region. In response, the City started a downtown renewal project.

It initially focused on improving its image through streetscape and traffic improvements, including narrowing main street from four lanes to two lanes; installing free, angled parking, trees, flowers and light fixtures; and creating parks and plazas throughout downtown. This began in the 1960s and later under Mayor Max Heller who settled in the United States from Austria. The downtown streetscape renovation was designed by Landscape Architect Lawrence Halprin.

In the 1980s, Greenville turned to laying the foundation for their downtown vision and providing an example of business potential to encourage business re-location to downtown (Greenville Commons/Hyatt Regency). The city worked with consultants to develop and implement a downtown master plan and facilitated public-private investment partnerships which resulted in the city's first luxury convention hotel on Main Street.

Through the 1990s Greenville continued to strengthen its public/private partnerships to create strong anchors throughout downtown. The city redeveloped a languishing industrial area into an arts complex that incorporated historically significant buildings. It stabilized a stagnant historic district with the renovation of the WestEnd Market, a mixed-use project of shops, restaurants, and offices, which in turn encouraged residential use of vacant upper stories and former church classrooms.

Although the majority of Greenville residents live in the suburbs, the last 5–10 years has seen a major boom in downtown living and working as new luxury condos, apartments and lofts go up and more and more businesses are moving their offices to the now thriving downtown.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded Greenville with the Great American Main Street Award in 2003. Since then it has been featured in numerous publications, including Southern Living Magazine.

[edit] Education

Furman University is in Greenville

Greenville's public elementary and secondary schools are part of the Greenville County School District, which is the largest district in South Carolina. Greenville is also served by a number of private and religious schools. One important landmark of education, the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities, is located in Greenville overlooking the Falls Park on the Reedy.

Greenville County has a total of 16 official public high schools:

Greenville is also home to many private schools as well, including:

Greenville city and county are home to several colleges, universities, and technical schools:

[edit] Economy

Greenville's economy was formerly based largely on textile manufacturing, and the city was once known as "The Textile Capital of the World." In the last few decades, low wages and favorable tax benefits have lured foreign companies to invest heavily in the area. The city is the North American headquarters for Michelin and sole manufacturing location for BMW in The Americas. Recently, the International Center for Automotive Research has been created

When the former Donaldson Air Force Base closed, the land became the Donaldson Center Industrial Air Park, and is home to a Lockheed Martin Aircraft and Logistics Center, as well as 3M and Honeywell.

Also, General Electric company has a gas turbine and wind energy manufacturing operation here.

The Thomas Creek Brewery was founded on Piedmont Hwy in 1998.[5] The company produces a range of beers,[6] including Mobius, a lager containing taurine, ginseng, caffeine, and thiamine.[7]

[edit] Hospitals

Greenville is a respected medical center and has two main health systems.

Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, which includes ST. FRANCIS downtown, ST. FRANCIS eastside, St. Francis Outpatient Center and Upstate Surgery Center, is ranked among the best hospitals in the nation by HealthGrades for heart surgery and overall orthopedic services.

The extensive Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center is a non-profit academic medical center which, with five campuses, including Patewood Memorial Hospital, is one of the largest employers in the region.

Additionally, Greenville Shriners Hospital exclusively treats pediatric orthopaedic patients free of charge.

[edit] Transportation

Greenville is located on the Interstate 85 corridor, approximately halfway between Atlanta and Charlotte. The northern terminus of Interstate 385 is located downtown, and the area is also served by Interstate 185 and U.S. Highway 123 (Calhoun Memorial Highway). Other major highways include U.S. 25, U.S. 29 and U.S. 276.

There are several airports servicing the Greenville area. The largest in the region, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), is the second busiest in the state and is served by most major airlines. The Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU), capable of landing private jets, helicopters, and other aircraft, is the third-busiest in the state. Greenville serves as a freight hub for FedEx Express, Air Canada, Lufthansa, and British Airways.

Amtrak's Crescent train connects Greenville with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans. The Amtrak station is situated at 1120 West Washington Street. Additionally, Greenville is a part of the proposed Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor, which will run from Washington, DC to Birmingham, AL.

Public transit in Greenville is handled by the Greenville Transit Authority (GTA). GTA runs a bus system that serves the Greenville area and much of Greenville County. In preparation for the future, city leaders are in the early planning stages for a comprehensive transit system that will help ease the high traffic volume on interstates and roadways. Considerations for the expansion of the current GTA bus routes, creation of a tram-trail running from Travelers Rest to Downtown Greenville, and discussions on the future potential for commuter rail and light rail transit systems will connect suburban commuter stations with urban destinations, office parks, and retail centers.

[edit] Sports teams

Spectators at a Greenville Drive game

Greenville has hosted several minor league sports teams:

Furman University:

  • The Furman Paladins. Furman competes at the NCAA Division I level. (Note: Furman football is a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.) Furman athletic teams compete on-campus in various venues, including Paladin Stadium, Timmons Arena, and the Eugene Stone Soccer Stadium. Furman is a member of the Southern Conference.

There are at least 4 stadiums for football and baseball located within the city, and many outside, with total capacities of 100,000. There are also a number of soccer fields and at least three municipal and many private community swimming pools.

Yachting and boating are also popular in Greenville. Although the city itself is landlocked, nearby Lakes Jocassee, Keowee, and Hartwell afford this activity within 50 miles (80 km) of Greenville.

The Olympic Torch has passed through Greenville several times, and the city is an active participant in the Special Olympics.

During the 2008 Little League World Series it was revealed that Greenville, along with Morganton, NC and Warner Robins, GA, are the finalists to receive the Southeast Regional Headquarters that was originally located in Gulfport, FL.

[edit] The arts

Greenville has a thriving arts community, with a number of venues to support performances. Greenville has been named one of the "Top 100 Arts Small Towns in the United States." [8] The Bi-Lo Center, constructed in 1998, brings national tours of many popular bands to downtown, and the Peace Center for the Performing Arts provides an excellent venue for orchestras and plays.

[edit] Visual art

A number of local artists operate studios and galleries in the city, especially the West End area of downtown. Greenville also provides some notable fine arts museums:

[edit] Music

Greenville has an active music scene, with frequent live performances in the downtown area by local Jazz, Country, and Rock bands.

The city is home to a number of local orchestras, including the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, Greenville County Youth Orchestra, Carolina Youth Symphony, and the Carolina Pops Orchestra. The Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Greenville native Keith Lockhart, regularly performs at the Bi-Lo Center. Furman and Bob Jones Universities offer courses in operatic singing, and BJU has staged a full-scale grand opera each March for more than fifty years.

[edit] Dance and theatre

The Carolina Ballet Theatre is a professional dance company which regularly presents programs at the Peace Center and elsewhere. Their major annual event is the presentation of Tschaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet. Centre Stage, Greenville's Professional Theater is a year-round, 285-seat professional theater producing a full season of music, comedy, drama and special events. Other theatres in the area include the Greenville Little Theater, South Carolina Children's Theater and the Warehouse Theatre.

[edit] Literature

A number of notable writers have lived in downtown Greenville or nearby. Internationally known author and composer William Rowland lives in the city, as does novelist and educator Robert Powell as well as New York Times best selling children's author Melinda Long, and novelists Ashley Warlick and Mindy Friddle. Renowned playwright James Rasheed lives in Greenville, and the late Poet Laureate Carl Sandburg was a frequent visitor.

[edit] Media

The Greenville News is the city's daily newspaper and also the Upstate's largest daily newspaper in circulation and readership.

Greenville Journal: Weekly newspaper dealing with business, economic development, local events, and current issues relevant to Greenville.

GSA Business: Published every two weeks, it covers business news from across the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson metro area.

Greenville Magazine: Monthly magazine which caters to Greenville middle- and upper-class lifestyle.

Upstate Link magazine The Upstate's premiere young reader (20s-30s) newsweekly. The weekly publication began in January 2004. Link continues to be a print publication, but its Web site ceased operation in 2008. Its new Web site is run by Chicago-based Metromix.

[edit] Television

Greenville is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson-Asheville DMA which is the nation's 36th largest television market. See the box below for the local television stations:

v • d • e
Television stations in the Western Carolinas, including Greenville/Spartanburg and Asheville
Local stations

WYFF 4 (NBC) • WSPA (7.1 CBS, 7.2 WX) • WLOS 13 (ABC, 13.2 MNTV) • WGGS 16 (Rel./TBN) • WHNS 21 (Fox, 21.2 WX) • WUNW 27 / WUNF 33 (PBS/UNC-TV, .2 Kids, .3 NC) • WNTV 29 / WNEH 38 / WRET 49 (PBS/SCETV, .2 SC, .3 World) • WNEG 32.1 (UGA/This/A1) • WMYA 40 (MNTV, 40.2 ABC) • WSQY 51 (DS) • WYCW (62.1 CW, 62.2 CBS) • WAEN 64 (A1)
Distant stations
Georgia Broadcast television areas by city:

Albany • Atlanta • Augusta • Chattanooga, TN • Columbus • GSP/AVL, SC/NC • Jacksonville, FL • Macon • Savannah • Tallahassee, FL

See also: Knoxville TV • Charlotte TV • Piedmont Triad TV • Columbia TV • Tri-Cities TV

[edit] Radio

Greenville is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Arbitron Metro which is the nation's 60th largest radio market with a person 12+ population of 813,700. See the box below for the local radio stations:

v • d • e
Radio stations in the Greenville-Spartanburg (Upstate South Carolina) market
By FM frequency
89.3 · 90.1 · 91.1 · 91.5 · 92.5 · 93.3 · 93.7 · 94.5 · 95.5 · 95.9 · 96.7 · 98.1 · 98.9 · 100.5 · 101.1 · 102.5 · 103.1 · 103.3 · 103.9 · 106.3 · 106.9 · 107.3
By AM frequency
660 · 800 · 910 · 950 · 1230 · 1260 · 1280 · 1300 · 1330 · 1360 · 1400 · 1440 · 1490 · 1530 · 1540 · 1580
By callsign
WAIM · WANS · WASC · WBZT-FM · WCKI · WDAB · WELP · WEPR · WESC · WFBC · WGVL · WHZT · WJMZ · WLFJ · WLFJ-FM · WMIT · WMUU-FM · WMXP-LP · WMYI · WOLI · WOLI-FM · WOLT · WORD · WPCI · WPJF · WPJM · WPLS-LP · WRIX-FM · WROQ · WSPA-FM · WSPG · WSSL-FM · WTBI · WTPT · WYFG · WYRD · WYRD-FM ·

Greenville is also home to WMXP-LP, 95.5 FM. WMXP is a low power (LPFM) community radio station owned by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement. It was constructed with the help of almost 200 volunteers from around the state and nation at the eleventh Prometheus Radio Project community radio barn raising.

[edit] Demographics

Location of the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area in South Carolina

Greenville is the largest principal city of the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan area that covers Greenville, Laurens, and Pickens counties[3] and had a combined population of 575,681 at the 2000 census.[2]

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 56,002 people, 24,382 households, and 12,581 families residing in the city. The population density was 829.4/km² (2,148.0/mi²). There were 27,295 housing units at an average density of 404.2/km² (1,046.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 62.12% White, 33.94% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.27% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.37% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.44% of the population.

There were 24,382 households out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.7% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.4% were non-families. 40.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,144, and the median income for a family was $44,125. Males had a median income of $35,111 versus $25,339 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,242. About 12.2% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Notable people from Greenville

Notable figures who were born in, lived in, or are otherwise associated with Greenville.

[edit] Scientists

[edit] Athletes

[edit] Musicians

[edit] Politicians and clergy

[edit] Authors

[edit] Actors and Journalists

[edit] Artists

[edit] Military Figures

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  2. ^ a b c d "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  3. ^ a b METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS AND COMPONENTS, Office of Management and Budget, 2007-05-11. Accessed 2008-07-30.
  4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  5. ^ "Thomas Creek Brewery". www.thomascreekbeer.com. http://www.thomascreekbeer.com/index.html. Retrieved on 2009-07-14. 
  6. ^ "Thomas Creek Brewery". ratebeer.com. http://ratebeer.com/brewers/thomas-creek-brewery/885/. Retrieved on 2009-07-14. 
  7. ^ "Augusta Chronicle, augusta news, augusta weather, augusta sports, augusta golf, augusta georgia". chronicle.augusta.com. http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/112304/bus_PowerBrew.shtml. Retrieved on 2009-07-14. 
  8. ^ The 100 Best Art Towns in America: A Guide to Galleries, Museums, Festivals, Lodging and Dining, Fourth Edition (Paperback) by John Villani (Author)
  9. ^ Bob Jones University Museum & Gallery

[edit] External links

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Greenville County, South Carolina
County seat: Greenville
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