Text
Current structure built circa 1920.
1898: small office
- The May 1898 Sanborn Fire map shows what is primarily an empty lot, with a very small single-story office building on the south edge of the lot. At the time, it was numbered 221 Trade Street.
- There was a wooden structure to its north (vancant store), numbered 222, and larger wooden structure right beside it to the south, described as a general store and numbered 200.
1904: Restaurant
- The January 1904 map shows the same small building on a primarily open lot; it is now labeled as a restaurant.
1911: Harness Store and Tailor
- The February 1911 map shows the small building has become a tailor's shop. In the open space, a new store has been built; it is a single-story wood building labeled "Harness."
- The building to the north has been replaced with a new building listed as a restaurant; the grocery store remains to the south.
1919: Efird's Department Store
- Efird's Department Store opened in this location in 1919. The October 1922 map shows that everything has changed on this block; all prior structures were removed and replaced with the row of brick buildings that form the basis for today's streetscape.
- The fire map notes that this is a 2-story brick building supported by wooden posts. This building was still numbered 221 Trade Street.
- To the north is a Firestone Tires store; to the south is the Ideal Theater.
1930: Efird's Department Store
- The 1930 and 1951 maps simply lists the use as a store.
- The 1930 map notes that a small wooden side structure has been added to the back side, labeled as an "A." (unknown meaning), and the street side of the building is marked as having an iron face (the only building in downtown shown as such); this could have been a decorative element such as a railing.
- Effird's later moved into a smaller building at 218 Trade Street.
Late 1930s: The Leader
- In August of 1939, Alta Cunningham purchased this lot and building from W.M. Thompson. A newspaper article about the transaction in the Greenville News states that it was the current home of The Leader Department Store. We assume they outgrew this location and moved to their well-known location in the Bailey Building, 201 Trade Street, on the corner of Trade and Victoria.
1940–1993: Alta Cunningham Store
- The 1951 map shows the side structure is removed to make space for the extension of the building to its north. The street numbers have changed by this map, and this building is shown to occupy the 104 and 106 spaces.
- Miss Alta Cunningham started working at a millinery shop in Greer at age 16, and in 1926 opened her own shop upstairs over another store. That business boomed, so she then opened one on the main floor on Trade Street, likely on the west side of Trade Street in the block between Victoria and Randall. She purchased this lot from W.M. Thompson (owner of Thompson Ford) in August of 1939; after some renovation she opened the Alta Cunningham Store there. A Greenville News article describes the store as offering “absolutely desirable fashion merchandise” — high grade merchandise at moderate prices. Alta owned and operated the store until her death in 1977.
- Alta Cunningham's Store was best known for fine women’s clothing. "Miss Alta" visited New York annually to choose the latest fashions.
- Alta Cunningham Store was a major shopping destination for years in Greer. See the Museum exhibit of Alta Cunningham artifacts.
- While Miss Alta passed away in 1977, the store remained in operation, listed in city directories through 1992. It closed in 1993.
1993: Computer Dynamics (storage overflow)
Current: The Offices at 104 Trade
- As of January 2019, the building is listed as "The Offices at 104 Trade" which leased office space to a variety of companies, including the Deere Employees Credit Union.
Part of 104 Trade Street