The only remaining covered bridge in the State of South Carolina, this 38 foot long pine structure…read morespans Beaverdam Creek. The bridge and the area around it is part of a passive park owned by Greenville County. It was built in 1909 by Charles Irwin Willis (1878-1966) and is a four-span Howe truss, featuring diagonal timbers and vertical iron rods. It is named for Alexander Lafayette Campbell (1836-1920) who owned and operated a grist mill here. The foundations of the mill and home site are still here to be explored. Ample parking and several picnic tables in the shade make this into a great stop for lunch. When the water isn't running to quickly, there's nothing wrong with dipping your feet into the creek to cool off. There are several signs about so that you can learn about the area. [Review 14940 overall, 442 of 2021, number 811 in South Carolina.]

super cute and small little park all centered around the bridge! I probably wouldn't go an hour out…read moreof my way to come, but if you are passing through, it's pretty neat. Make sure your kids wear clothes they can get wet! The little river under the bridge is unique with lots of smooth rock. FYI, it only gets mid calf deep, so it's not really a swimming hole.

Completed in 1979, the Spartanburg Clock Tower stands in downtown opposite Morgan Park. When it was…read morefirst built, the clock tower was the centerpiece of the Main Street Mall, which occupied Main Street from Liberty Street to Church Street. The clock and bell were originally in a different building before they were moved to the courthouse on Magnolia Street in 1907 and then moved here in 1986. At the feet of the tower is a detailed plaque with history and background that I won't try to repeat here. The highlights are "Symbolic of the heartbeat of the city and its constant change, the "Old Town Clock" above was first installed near the center of Spartanburg in January, 1881. It continues to serve today as an important reminder of the historic significance of our community." The town council purchased this Seth Thomas clock to install in the new opera house at a cost of $8,900 during the administration of intendent (mayor) L.P. Walker. This is the same bell as was installed at that time. [Review 2243 of 2024 - 1206 in South Carolina - 23261 overall]

The bridge gets a 5 because the view from it is *not* ruined by an unsightly 85 foot mess-tangle of…read moreindustrial waste. In fact, the wreckage of that object is instead lying on the ground nearby. THAT is actually something to gaze joyfully upon. I tried extraneously, even frantically, to convince Bridgeway Station management (Hughes Investments), the local government, and merchants located at Bridgeway that installing this piece would be damaging to the community. Management said that "art was in the eye of the beholder." Local merchants claimed my concern had nothing to do with their businesses. Of course, if people avoid Bridgeway because of an unsightly spectacle, that would have "something" to do with them. The negative public response is predictable, based on the response to another sculpture by the same artist, placed in Ossining, NY in the 2010s. It is only half the size of the one that was planned for here. Ossining is 50 miles north of NYC, where bizarre & provocative art is as well-received as it is anywhere in the world. Ossining funds its own sculpture park; the people there are receptive to experimental art. But when this piece appeared in a riverfront-park area, local reaction was overwhelmingly negative. The reaction in Upstate SC to a piece different from that one only by being more than twice the size would most probably be worse. Nonetheless, Hughes Investments went forward. The result was the sculpture broke while it was being installed. Oh joyous wonder--the local community will be spared the blight! But this reflects terribly on management, along with local governing authorities, who are effectively mutually responsible. One must ask: Why didn't the installation of this piece receive the prominent preceding promotion that every other major event to take place at Bridgeway Station has? (They've been most aggressive in their media presence as a general rule.) Based on chatter on TikTok and Reddit, this was actually supposed to be the Bridgeway Station logo that was to be placed. If true, then it would have made sense for there to have been furtive fanfare about it, but it received next to no media coverage at all. Maybe management did realize, too late to undo the deal, that there was reason to be concerned about negative public reaction to the sculpture. Instead of cancelling the installation--the best thing for the community--they downplayed it to the hilt and decided to just endure the backlash once it was up. We actually end up with the best possible result, but no thanks to "the powers that be." Perhaps now all contributors to this debacle (including the sculptor) will act for the greater good. For Hughes Investments, the most obvious action is to offer monetary compensation to people who live within a certain radius of BridgeWay Station. These are only rough guidelines--the local residents who have been so affected will have to set specific terms, and of course will have to make their voices heard to bring it about. I would offer credits at BridgeWay Station-based businesses, but also include another option for people who may consider BridgeWay too "fu-fu." There's clearly a culture clash between the development and the pre-existing community. So besides credit at BridgeWay, prepaid debit cards or gift cards for a locally accessible department or grocery store should also be offered. A lesser payout for that option would be OK--say $50 credit at BridgeWay would be $40-$45 elsewhere. I would suggest 10-20 miles as a geo radius, or maybe just include every adult in Greenville, Mauldin, and Simpsonville. I am putting forth ideas on how the sculptor can redeem himself in a review for Bridgeway Station Logo Sculpture. I have just added that location and it is appearing now, but if you can't find it, try looking for the same location on Google Maps; the review also appears there. Meanwhile, definitely do go to the bridge and look at the view--it's a 5!

This marker is along Main Street in downtown Spartanburg in front of what's now a pub/restaurant…read more It points out the history of a doctor who fought for women's right to vote. The marker reads, "Dr. Rosa H. Gantt. Suffrage leader & Physician. A founding member of South Carolina Equal Suffrage League in 1914. Medical offices located on Morgan Square." It is marker number 86 and it was sponsored by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation in 2021. Online, there is more information. "Dr. Love Rosa Hirschmann Gantt (1874-1935) is thought to be the first woman physician in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with her medical offices located on Morgan Square. Born in Camden, South Carolina, she graduated from the Medical College of South Carolina in 1901. Gantt established a private practice working as an ear, nose, and throat specialist in Spartanburg, and was also involved in public health initiatives throughout the state. "As a founding member of the South Carolina Equal Suffrage League in 1914, Gantt advocated for women's right to vote. She was a leader in the fight for suffrage, having been appointed Legislative Chairman of the South Carolina Equal Suffrage League. In 1915, Gantt spoke before the South Carolina House Judiciary Committee to garner support for the submission of a women's suffrage amendment to the state constitution. "Although South Carolina suffragists were unsuccessful at the state level, finally, on August 18, 1920, women across the United States achieved the right to vote with the passage and subsequent ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment." This side of Morgan Square is a pedestrian area but there is plenty of parking nearby. [Review 2246 of 2024 - 1209 in South Carolina - 23264 overall]

This marker is on a street corner in a residential neighborhood and there is plenty of street…read moreparking nearby. The hospital referenced no longer stands. The front of the marker reads, "In 1914, a federal hospital dedicated to discovering the cause of pellagra opened at this site. Run by the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), the 3-story facility had a capacity of 30 patients before being expanded in 1916. Led by Dr. Joseph Goldberger (1874-1929), doctors worked to determine if pellagra was caused by diet, as opposed to bacterial infection. The disease was an epidemic in the South, particularly among mill workers like those in Spartanburg County." The reverse reads, "As part of their research, USPHS staff surveyed local mill workers and conducted experiments here, some on themselves. Their work helped link pellagra to a lack of meat, milk, fruit and vegetables, foods that were often inaccessible to low-income southerners. The hospital treated patients from across South Carolina, providing health food and medical guidance. It closed in 1920. In 1937, niacin deficiency was shown to cause pellagra. Later, the disease was all but eradicated in the United States." This is marker number 42-39. It was erected in 2021 by the South Carolina Osteopathic Society, Spartanburg County Medical Society, and Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. [Review 201 of 2025 - 1256 in South Carolina - 23765 overall]

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]

On a sideroad in Greer which was useful as a bypass from backed up traffic on I-85, this marker…read morepoints out some of the 1767 Colonial Era history of the area. On the front, "In 1766-67 South Carolina and North Carolina negotiated with the Cherokee to establish a boundary between Indian land to the west and new settlement to the east. This north-south line ran past this point to North Carolina and on to Virginia. In South Carolina, it ran north from near present-day Honea Path, crossed the Reedy River near present-day Princeton, and ended at the South Carolina-North Carolina line." On the reverse, "The Cherokee ceded all land east of the 1767 line to the colonies of South Carolina and North Carolina. In 1786, when South Carolina created its first counties, the line from the Reedy River to the South Carolina-North Carolina line south of Tryon, North Carolina was the boundary for Greenville County between both Spartanburg and Laurens Counties. In 1793 the Greenville boundary shifted east to accommodate new settlers south of the Enoree River. [Review 17311 overall - 887 in South Carolina - 829 of 2022.]

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]