Joel Bruce built what is now known as Gilreath's Mill as a corn mill sometime between when he bought the property in 1801 and the first contemporary account of the mill in 1839, with tradition giving a date of 1814. The property would pass on to John Heller, and then Washington Taylor in 1840. Washington Taylor was P. D. Gilreath’s father-in-law, and was part of the family that settled Taylors, SC. In 1890, P. D. Gilreath took over the mill property and began producing wheat flour in place of corn flour. The mill would remain in the Gilreath family until transferred to the Gilreath Mill Foundation in 2007, with the rest of the property subdivided and sold off over the years.
Located on the old Indian boundary line in Greer, South Carolina, Wood's Fort served as the first line of defense against Indians for the pioneers in this area and was commanded by then-captain Joseph McJunkin. The fort also served as a shelter for the surviving pioneers during the Hampton Massacre of 1776 in this part of Greenville County. At some point after the massacre, the fort fell out of use by the state militia and the land it sat on was sold to a man named Elisha Thompson. He then renamed the blockhouse Thompson's Station. Nothing more is known about the fort after this.
This small building was the original location of Marchant's Pharmacy before it moved to the famous corner Greer Drug location. Though we do not yet know the exact dates of its location here, it appears in a photograph from about 1904. In the photograph, Marchant Pharmacy appears on the right of the Post Office; that building is now Smith & James. The building to the left of the post office was W. M. Miller's Jewelry Store; that building no longer remains, having been replaced by the larger structure that now houses Chelsea's and Cafe on Trade [2023].
An architectural resources survey of the City of Greer, South Carolina for the Planning and Zoning division of the Building and Development Standards Department and the South Carolina Department of Archives and History (SCDAH). The objective of this survey was to add to the inventory of recorded historic architectural resources within the City limits (survey area) that retain sufficient integrity to be included in the South Carolina Statewide Survey of Historic Properties (SSHP) and to identify those properties and districts that are eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
1955 — Residence of Mrs. Josie H. Hendricks and Tapp Broadus.
1956 — The 1956/57 Greer Telephone Directory lists the Greer Citizen at 105 Victoria Street.
1957 — Now the location of both the Greer Citizen newspaper and the office of radio station WEAB (which did not appear in the 1956 directory). However, Tapp Broadus is also listed as a resident at this address. We have not identified this reference; there is no Tapp Broadus listed in the 1956/57 Telephone Directory.
1959-1971 — Greer Citizen newspaper, and the office of radio station WEAB.
1973–after 2010 — Between the 1971 and 1973 directories, WEAB offices are moved and Greer Citizen newspaper becomes the only listed resident.
2013 — Prior to the end of 2013, the Greer Citizen had moved out of this location.
The Louie James House is a Colonial Revival frame house on a brick basement foundation, built in 1923 for William Louis James. The L-shaped house features 5 chimneys and has a Roman Doric style porch with a terra cotta-tiled terrace along the entire width of the house. Interior features include Roman Doric columns, decorative mouldings, pilasters and an arched vestibule. The majority of the interior light fixtures are original to the house.
This home was built in 1921 for Clara Davenport, widow of businessman Malcolm Davenport and daughter-in-law of D.D. Davenport, owner of the Greer Oil Mill Company. The home remained in the Davenport family through much of the twentieth century. The 6,000 square foot home sits on 2.5 acres. It has a one-story glass-enclosed porch on the east and porte cochere on the west. There is a three-bay coach house and pool house, and a brick and timber pergola in the garden.
