If the name “Greenville” sounds familiar, it is because there are Greenvilles in at least 31 states.
Our Greenville is located in the Piedmont region of South Carolina, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The area, commonly referred to as the Upstate, includes six counties (Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens and Spartanburg) and 45 cities, all containing a population of more than 1.2 million people, approximately 25% of South Carolina’s population.
Greenville County is the largest county in the region, with a population estimated at 417,000 people. The
City of Greenville
is the largest city in the region, with a population that exceeds 60,000 people. Like most other major urban areas of South Carolina, the city population is misleadingly small. South Carolina has experienced much population growth and while metro area totals have increased, the city populations have not. This is due to South Carolina's restrictive annexation policy, making it very difficult for a city to annex adjacent unincorporated land. The Urbanized Area of Greenville is a more accurate representation of the city's size, which is similar to Greensboro, NC, and Augusta, GA, both of which both appear larger when looking only at the city population.
Greenville is a diverse community. In the last Census, the City of Greenville’s population 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 persons of any race totaled 3.44% of the population.
Greenville is situated on land formerly belonging to the Cherokee Indians. About 1765, an Indian trader, Richard Pearis built a house, a trading post, a smoke house, stables, a dairy, a blacksmith shop, a grist mill and a sawmill in what is now Falls Park on the Reedy. Unfortunately, Pearis and his Cherokee neighbors chose to ally themselves with the British. Pearis lost all of his possessions during the Revolutionary War.
Following the War, South Carolina offered land – including what is now Greenville County - to Revolutionary War soldiers in partial payment for their war-time service. Greenville County was named for General Nathaniel Greene, a Revolutionary War hero.
By 1815, a North Carolina businessman, Vardry McBee, moved to the area and purchased a portion of the land that had been granted to Revolutionary War soldiers. McBee is known as the “Father of Greenville.” McBee sold real estate, partnered with other newcomers to develop businesses, brought in skilled tradesmen and donated land to build churches.
In 1831, the Village of Greenville was incorporated. The City government included an elected Intendant (Mayor) and four Wardens. The elected officials appointed a Clerk, a High Constable, a Town Surveyor, a Bell Ringer and a Sexton who would care for the Town Cemetery, later to be named Springwood Cemetery. Greenville’s leaders have always recognized the importance of a green living environment. The first Council strongly advocated the planting of trees along down town streets. To protect the trees, they voted to fine those citizens who tied their horses to the trees while on business in downtown.
By the turn of the twentieth century, textile mills began to thrive in the area, and by 1917, Greenville began promoting itself as the “Textile Center of the South.” After World War Two, that slogan was expanded to “Textile Center of the World.” However, in the 1960s, as far-sighted community and business leaders began to see the coming decline of the U.S. textile industry, Greenville began pursuing a more diversified economy, concentrating on increasing foreign investment.
Today, those efforts have paid off. The six-county Upstate, S.C. region has gained a distinct international flavor. Companies such as Michelin
North American and BMW USA are the “headliner” companies located here, but the region contains more than 200 international firms, headquartered in: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada. China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
Greenville has recognized as an outstanding place to live, work and do business. Most recently The Greenville MSA was among the 2007 “
America's
50 Hottest Cities” according to Expansion Management magazine.
To learn more about Greenville, visit these websites:
Upstate Alliance
Appalachian Council of Governments
Greenville County
City of Greenville
Greenville Chamber of Commerce
Greenville Convention and Visitors
Bureau