Greenwood, South Carolina

History

In 1823 John McGehee and his wife Charlotte built a summerhouse called "Green Wood" midway between the cities of Abbeville and Cambridge in order to have cleaner air. Nearby, a village named Woodville was formed in 1837 with a post office. By 1850, the village designation was changed to the name Greenwood. The town grew with the first railroad, the Greenville & Columbia Railroad built in 1852. Greenwood was incorporated in 1857.

Starting in 1872, the American Missionary Association (AMA) founded the Brewer Normal Institute in Greenwood; a segregated school for African-American students. The Brewer Normal Institute was initially a private boarding school, and by 1925 it became a public school which closed in 1970. The AMA also built the Brewer Hospital in Greenwood in order to help fostering community racial integration. It was dedicated on May 24, 1924.

Greenwood primarily served as a railroad and agricultural town until 1890 when William L. Durst opened the Greenwood Cotton Mill, and after which moved into local textile manufacturing. In 1904 Lander University moved from Williamston to Greenwood, and in 1966 the Piedmont Technical College opened.

Geography and Climate

Greenwood is located slightly northwest of the center of Greenwood County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 42.3 km2, of which 42.0 km2 are land and 0.3 sqkm, or 0.72%, are water.

U.S. Routes 25, 178 and 221 pass through the eastern side of the city, bypassing the downtown area. US 25 leads north 51 mi to Greenville and south 63 mi to Augusta, Georgia, US 178 leads northwest 42 mi to Anderson and southeast 29 mi to Saluda, and US 221 leads northeast 26 mi to Laurens and southwest 23 mi to McCormick.

Lake Greenwood, a reservoir on the Saluda River, is 8 mi northeast of the city at its nearest point. The lake has 212 mi of shoreline, covers 11000 acre, and is almost 20 mi long. Lake Greenwood State Park, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, is 14 mi east of the city on the south shore of Lake Greenwood and includes two boat ramps, a campground, trail and playgrounds, and many picnic areas. The area around Greenwood is locally billed as the "Lakelands", due to several lakes for recreational fishing and diverse terrain for hiking trails.

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Demographics

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2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 22,545 people, 8,772 households, and 4,878 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census 2000, there were 22,071 people, 8,496 households, and 5,174 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,612.1 PD/sqmi. There were 9,373 housing units at an average density of 684.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 50.10% White, 45.51% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 2.41% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.52% of the population.

There were 8,496 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.5% were married couples living together, 21.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 15.2% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,284, and the median income for a family was $32,573. Males had a median income of $26,477 versus $21,476 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,347. About 22.2% of families and 40.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.4% of those under age 18 and 18.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The most common employment sectors for residents of Greenwood are manufacturing, retail trade, and healthcare and social assistance.

In 2015, the Greenwood educational institution with the largest number of graduating students was Lander University, with 494 graduates.

The median property value in Greenwood grew from $86,800 in 2014 to $87,800 in 2015.

67.4% of the city population over the age of sixteen is in the civilian labor force.

As of September 2017, the unemployment rate in Greenwood County was 4.0%.

Arts and culture

South Carolina Festival of Flowers

Greenwood's first South Carolina Festival of Flowers was held in the summer of 1968 to coincide with the 100th anniversary celebration of George W. Park Seed Company. The festival was the brainchild of what was known then as the Tourist and Conventions Committee of the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce. Chamber Director Al Parker and committee members recognized that Park Seed Company hosted "grower days" each year and that hundreds of professional flower growers would come to Greenwood to meander through Park Seed's famous trial gardens (the gardens closed in 2013). The committee thought it would be a good idea to capitalize on having those visitors see other venues in Greenwood.

Dick Stowe, chair of the Tourist and Conventions Committee, served as the first Festival Chairman, and Judy Funderburk of Bennettsville was crowned Princess of Flowers. During the festival's early years, admission was free to most events, including the Park Seed gardens and open house, arts and craft show, photo exhibit, military band concerts and other popular attractions.

Since then, the festival has grown to include a wide array of activities, many added under the leadership of Frank Cuda, who was Festival Director from 1992 to 2006. In 2007, the festival celebrated its 40th anniversary and welcomed Kay Self as the new executive director.

In 2008, the South Carolina Festival of Flowers introduced a new logo celebrating its Carolina roots. The logo features yellow jessamine (the state flower) encircling the words "Festival of Flowers" with two Carolina wrens (the state bird) perched below.

Also in 2008, the Topiary Project was launched, which has become the signature event. Presently, there are 42 topiaries on the square in Greenwood.

Then in 2009, the festival gained regional recognition by winning four Excellence Awards at the Carolina Showfest Convention. The awards were for "Best Merchandise", "Best Website", and "Overall Event of the Year" for South and North Carolina, and Executive Director Kay Self was recognized as "South Carolina Director of the Year".

Ellesor G. Holder took the helm in 2011 for the 44th Festival of Flowers. She rebranded the festival with a more distinctive and contemporary logo which symbolized the diversity and floral history of the festival. Under Holder's leadership, the festival received the SC Festival & Event Association's Excellence Award, 2013 Event of the Year. She also garnered two Silver Awards for the festival's 2013 TV ad and mobile application/website at the International Festival and Events Association Conference.

The South Carolina Festival of Flowers continues to be named one of the Southeast Tourism Society's "Top Twenty Events".

Attendance at the festival has steadily grown, reaching a record of over 80,000 visitors in the past few years. In 2016, the economic impact of the Festival of Flowers was $3,300,000.

The South Carolina Festival of Flowers is a division of the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce and shares the same board of directors.

Festival of Discovery

The South Carolina Festival of Discovery is sponsored by the Uptown Greenwood Development Corporation. The event started in 2000, celebrating the history, culture, food, arts, crafts, music and people of South Carolina and Greenwood County.

The Festival of Discovery's "Blues Cruise" celebrates the sound of the blues, with numerous musical artists performing at Uptown Greenwood restaurants and venues, while the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) BBQ and Hash Cook-Off focuses on the rich tradition of Carolina barbecue.

Registered historic sites

The Barratt House, J. Wesley Brooks House, Lander College Old Main Building, Magnolia Cemetery, Mt. Pisgah A.M.E. Church, Old Greenwood Cemetery, Old Greenwood High School, James C. Self House, Stony Point, Sunnyside, Tabernacle Cemetery, and the Vance-Maxwell House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Government

Greenwood is governed via a council-manager system. The mayor is elected at-large. The city council consists of six nonpartisan members who are each elected from one of six single-member district wards. The current mayor of Greenwood is Brandon Smith. Mr. Smith was sworn in on Monday, November 19, 2018. He won election for the office vacated by Mayor Welborn Adams who decided not to seek re-election.

Leath Correctional Institution, a South Carolina Department of Corrections prison for women, is located in unincorporated Greenwood County 5 mi north of the center of Greenwood.

Education

The city of Greenwood is a part of Greenwood County School District 50, and offers public schooling up to the secondary level, including career and technology education.

Greenwood District 50 consists of the following schools: :High (with enrollment): :* Greenwood High School (1,700) :* Emerald High School (950) :Middle: :* Westview Middle School :* Brewer Middle School :* Northside Middle School :The three middle schools take portions of the city, and Emerald and Greenwood highs have attendance boundaries with portions of the city. :Elementary: :The following elementary schools take portions of the city limits: :* Lakeview Elementary :* Mathews Elementary :* Merrywood Elementary :* Eleanor S. Rice Elementary (formerly Oakland Elementary) :* Pinecrest Elementary :* Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary School (formerly Springfield Elementary) :* Woodfields Elementary :(Hodges Elementary School does not have an attendance boundary including sections of the Greenwood city limits)

Private schools:

• Greenwood Christian School
• Eastside Christian School
• Palmetto Christian Academy
• Cambridge Academy

Post-secondary:

• Lander University
• Piedmont Technical College

Greenwood has a public library, a branch of the Greenwood County Library System.

Infrastructure

The city is served by Greenwood County Airport.

Notable people

• Gaines Adams, former defensive end for NFL's Chicago Bears
• Pinky Babb, coached Greenwood High School for 39 years
• Robert Brooks, former NFL wide receiver for Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos.
• Tomiko Brown-Nagin, legal historian and professor at Harvard Law School
• Ben Coates, starting tight end for New England Patriots 1991–99
• Johnny Corley, soul singer
• William Jennings Bryan Dorn, former U.S. and state representative
• John W. Drummond, South Carolina businessman and legislator
• Armanti Edwards, quarterback for Appalachian State Mountaineers football team
• John Gilliam, former NFL wide receiver, four-time Pro Bowler
• Allisha Gray, 2017 WNBA Rookie of the Year
• Keith Harling, country music artist
• Lawrence L. Hester, politician
• Grainger Hines, Greenwood native and actor
• Leroy Jenkins, Televangelist
• William "Hootie" Johnson, former chairman of Augusta National golf course
• Gregg Marshall, head coach of Wichita State University's men's basketball program
• Benjamin Mays, minister and president of Morehouse College
• John McKissick, national high school football leader in coaching victories
• Sam Montgomery, drafted by Houston Texans in third round of 2013 NFL draft
• Josh Norman, drafted by Carolina Panthers in 2012
• Marrio Norman, football player
• George Singleton, author
• Jerome Singleton, Paralympic athlete
• Chino Smith, former Negro leagues player
• D. J. Swearinger, all-SEC conference safety for South Carolina Gamecocks
• The Swingin' Medallions, 1960s beach music group
• Willie James Tolbert, executed for rape in 1949
• Bill Voiselle, professional baseball player.

References

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