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Tour of Historic Plantations & Homes

By prince george winyah church women.

For over 75 years, the Prince George Winyah Church Women have hosted the Tour of Historic Plantations and Homes each spring. In this self-guided tour, visitors have a unique opportunity to tour select historic plantations, town homes, and gardens located in and around Georgetown County, South Carolina. Tickets are required, and we recommend you purchase them in advance. All money raised by the Tour is allocated to community outreach and the preservation of our historic church buildings. The success of the Tour has made a difference in the lives of the poor, the friendless, and the needy in our community, which continues to be our prayerful aim in this endeavor.

Save the Date

March 28-29, 20 25, georgetown, south carolina.

“Phenomenal! The sheer number and variety of homes and plantations we visit is incredible, but it is the irresistible southern hospitality of this community that has me hooked."

Plan Your Tour

While the tour of homes is the main event, we offer several other tour features to enhance your time on tour. 

Founded in 1729, Georgetown, South Carolina, is located in the heart of the South Carolina lowcountry. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the region became home to many indigo and rice planters who once exported so much rice that Georgetown County was once the wealthiest county in the United States. Though indigo and rice are no longer major exports for the region, many of the plantations, town houses, and gardens left by the planters remain and have been preserved by Georgetown's present-day residents. The Tour of Historic Homes and Plantations is self-guided and gives tour-goers a unique opportunity to tour properties, many of which are generally closed to the public, at their own leisure.

300 Broad Street, Georgetown, SC 29440

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House & Gardens

Historic home & gardens.

The Kilgore-Lewis House, built in 1838, became the headquarters for the Greenville Council of Garden Clubs, Inc. , on July 30, 1974. Moved from its original site to the present location on North Academy Street, the house is nestled among tall trees on a sloping terrain, overlooking a restored spring (c. 1765), a placid pond, and extensive gardens which are certified both as an Arboretum and a Backyard Wildlife Habitat.

The house and spring are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and visitors are welcomed for guided historic tours.  The Greenville Council of Garden Clubs, Inc. takes pride in serving as custodian of this culturally significant property and in overseeing its preservation so that current and future generations may enjoy it.

GLORIOUS BEGINNINGS Exactly who built the Kilgore-Lewis House has been the subject of a long-standing controversy.  May of 1838, George Boyle sold to Josiah Kilgore for $1200 “a certain lot of land near the Village of Greenville on which I now reside…”  This property was bounded by the streets now known as College, Academy, and Buncombe, near Buncombe Street United Methodist Chursh in the heart of downtown Greenville, SC.

Was the house actually built by George Boyle, as one respected study maintains, or was the Palladian-style, metal-roofed house built by Josiah Kilgore as local tradition has always held?  Regardless of which is correct, the house was almost 20 years old before Josiah Kilgore deeded it in 1855, to his daughter Mary Keziah and her husband, John Wycliffe Stokes.  While it was not built as a wedding present for the couple, Josiah Kilgore gave them the house shortly after they were married, and there is no reason to doubt the romantic tradition that Mary K., and John were married in the front parlor of the home.  For 130 years the house would remain a private home, for several generations of Kilgore descendants – families of Stokes, Gaines, and finally Lewises.  Thus the house became known as the Kilgore-Lewis House.

A GLOOMY OUTLOOK When the last resident chose to downsize to a smaller, more manageable home, the house was briefly used by the Methodist Church for Sunday School facilities. The church soon realized, however, that the house was not adequate for their needs and decided to tear down the home.

THE HOUSE TODAY Since 1974, the Kilgore-Lewis House has served as the headquarters for the Greenville Council of Garden Clubs. The house and its five-acre, wooded grounds provide a meeting place for the Council, its Board of Directors and committees, and its twenty gardening clubs. In addition to Council activities, the house and its surrounding gardens serve as a favorite location for events such as weddings, receptions, family celebrations and small business meetings. 

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Check out some of greenville's most historic homes.

Home listed in the National Historic Registry

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You may recognize some of the beautiful old homes around Greenville, but you may not know that many of them are included in the National Historic Registry.

The information and the images and are from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

Note: Most National Register properties are privately owned and are not open to the public. The privacy of owners should be respected.

Hugh Aiken House

The Hugh Aiken House, 1 Parkside Drive, Greenville, was one of notable Greenville architect William “Willie” Riddle Ward’s most distinctive single-family residential designs. The house was designed by Ward in 1948 for Hugh K. Aiken, president and treasurer of Piedmont Paint and Manufacturing Company.

The Barnwell-DeCamps House

The Arthur Barnwell House (Barnwell-DeCamps House), Highway 14 near the Enoree River in Greer, is reputed to have been built between 1880 and 1900 by the Pelham Manufacturing Company as a residence for its first president, Arthur Barnwell, in conjunction with Pelham Mills, the cotton factory established in the 1880s.

The Williams Bates House

The William Bates House, Highway 14 on Rocky Creek, built in 1835 as the home of textile pioneer William Bates. Bates was a leader in the development of the textile industry which spurred the growth of the Piedmont section of South Carolina. He has been referred to as “one of the most successful textile manufacturers in the state.”

The Fountain Fox Beattie House

The Fountain Fox Beattie House (Greenville Woman’s Club), 1 Beattie Place, Greenville, was built by Fountain Fox Beattie, a Greenville attorney, in 1834 for his bride, Emily Hamlin of Charleston. This large Italianate home was the center of social, cultural, and religious life of early Greenville. It was occupied by Beattie descendants until 1940. It is the third oldest structure remaining in Greenville.

Broad Margin

Broad Margin, 9 West Avondale, Greenville, was designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1951. It is an example of Wright’s natural or Usonian homes. It is one of fewer than 20 of Wright’s buildings in the Southeast and one of only two in South Carolina.

Vardry McBee House

Brushy Creek (Vardry McBee House, Alexander McBee House), 327 Rice Street, Greenville, is an example of a nineteenth century upcountry South Carolina farmhouse. It was home to Vardry McBee (1775-1864), prominent nineteenth century businessman, entrepreneur, and delegate to the Secession Convention of Greenville District known as the “Father of Greenville,” and his son Alexander McBee (1822-1897), prominent nineteenth-century businessman, banker, and state representative of Greenville District.

Cureton-Huff House

The Cureton-Huff House, in the Simpsonville area, is a two-story frame farmhouse built around 1820 for John Moon Cureton, a prosperous and prominent farmer.

The Davenport

The Davenport Apartments at 400-402 E Washington St, Greenville , served as the first apartment building in the city and housed middle-class businessmen and workers. The Davenport Apartments were developed by G.D. Davenport, a wealthy businessman of Greenville County. The three-story, U-shaped brick building was designed by J.L. Lawrence, a Greenville architect, and constructed by Eugene Gilphilan in 1915-1916.

Davenport House

The Davenport House, 100 Randall St. in Greer, was built in 1921. It was designed by prominent Greenville architects James Douthit Beacham and Leon LeGrand for the Davenport family of Greer, one of the city’s most prominent twentieth century business families.

Dr. Davis Furman House

T.O. Donaldson House (Dr. Davis Furman House), 412 Crescent Avenue, Greenville, is thought to have been built as a private residence for William Williams, around 1863. The house was originally built was a one-and-one-half story cottage, but soon after its construction, a second story was added.

Earle Town House

The Earle Town House, 107 James Street, Greenville, built before 1810, is one of a few homes remaining from the earliest history of Greenville. Its park-like grounds feature the sanded front walk typical of its earlier years, a front entrance of grillwork and brick and an ivy mound that’s more than a century old. The rear garden with fountain is patterned after Edgar Allen Poe’s Richmond, Va. garden.

The East Park Historic District (more than 100 historic registry buildings) is an early twentieth century park-centered, planned suburban community. The houses, institutions and park were built between 1908 and 1950. The district includes home on East Park, Rowley, Vannoy, Bennett, Harcourt streets and Poinsett Avenue.

East Park -- Rowley Street

East Park - Vannoy Street

East Park -- Bennett Street

East Park -- Harcourt Drive

The Col. Elias Earle Historic District (more than 20 homes in the Historic Registry) was originally part of the estate of Col. Elias Earle, a prominent early nineteenth century Greenville citizen. After 1900, the area was subdivided. Following the demand for textile products during World War I, the James-Earle Street area became a major middle class neighborhood.

West Earle Street

James Street

Blythe-Goodwin-Hagood House

John H. Goodwin House (Blythe-Goodwin-Hagood House) in on Highway 11 in Travelers Rest. The earliest portion of the house is a two-story, single-pen, log building, possibly constructed ca. 1790. The house was substantially enlarged with a two-story addition around 1840.

The Hampton Pinckney Historic District is one of the oldest existing residential neighborhoods in Greenville. It contains a wide variety of Victorian housing styles and was the home of many prominent Greenville businessmen and local community leaders and three church structures. The district now includes 70 structures dating from 1890 to 1930, with the exception of the McBee House (ca. 1835).

Hampton Pinckney -- Landrum House

Hampton Pinckney -- Geer House

Hampton Pinckney -- Chiles House

Hampton Pinckney -- Gallivan House

The Hopkins Farm, on Fork Shoals Road in the Simpsonville vicinity was occupied by the Hopkins family by about 1840, but prior family’s arrival, the property served as a backdrop for a Revolutionary War battle and a training ground for the state militia. The Hopkins Farm complex includes the main house, the cook’s house, eleven outbuildings, agricultural fields, a historic pecan grove and a family cemetery.

The Gassaway Mansion

Isaqueena (The Gassaway Mansion), 106 DuPont Drive in Greenville, built between 1919 and 1924, was home of Walter Gassaway, a prominent member of Greenville’s textile manufacturing industry. The mansion is said to have been designed by Minnie Quinn Gassaway after she took a correspondence course in architecture. The stones for the exterior of the house were gathered from a mill which had once belonged to Vardry McBee in downtown Greenville along the Reedy River.

Louie James House

Louie James House, 401 West Poinsett Street in Greer, was built in 1923, for William Louis “Louie” James, a prominent Greer cotton broker and cotton and peach farmer. Henry R. Trott of the Greenville architectural firm of Jones and Trott designed the James House. James was partner with J.C. Mendenhall in the ownership of Mendenhall and James, a feed-and-seed and hardware store. James co-owned a second feed-and-seed store in Greer.

Lewis House

Josiah Kilgore House (Lewis House), on the corner of Church and Academy streets in Greenville, was built about 1838 of heart pine. The Josiah Kilgore House is one of the oldest structures in Greenville County.

Wilkins House

Lanneau-Norwood House, 417 Belmont Avenue, Greenville, was built for Charles H. Lanneau about 1877. Lanneau organized the Hugenot Plaid Mill, which was constructed in 1882. The house and associated parcel were acquired by John Wilkins Norwood from the Lanneau estate in 1907. Norwood was a prominent banker and businessman known for his contribution as a leading financier of the growing textile industry in North and South Carolina.

McDowell House

The McDowell House, on North Main Street in Fountain Inn, is a Craftsman style bungalow built around 1922. J.B. Wasson milled the pine and oak on his property in the Fairview Community of Fountain Inn for the house that he built for his sister, Quentine Wassoon McDowell, the widow of James Wistar McDowell. The property includes a one-story front-gabled contributing outbuilding, built ca. 1922, that was originally used as a garage.

The Pettigru Street Historic District (71 Historic Registry buildings) east of downtown, mirrors the growth of Greenville between 1890 and 1930. The district was also the home of many prominent businessmen and mill owners. The majority of the buildings were built between 1910 and 1930 and are of frame and brick construction. The district includes Broadus, East Washington, Pettigru, Whitsett, Williams and Toy streets.

Pettigru --Poinsett Club

Pettigru Street Historic District-- 115 Broadus Avenue

Pettigru Street Historic District -- 104 Broadus Avenue

Pettigru Street Historic District -- East Washington Avenue

George Salmon House

The George Salmon House, in Travelers Rest, is associated with one of Greenville County’s earliest settlers, a surveyor instrumental in the division of Cherokee land for settlement and in the establishment of the South Carolina/North Carolina state boundary. Research suggests Salmon built the initial log part of the house as early as 1784. The house overlooks the wide bottomland fields located along a prominent bend in the North Saluda River.

Bolling-Stewart House

The house and ruins of Tullyton, on Hickory Tavern Road in the Fountain Inn vicinity, (Bolling-Stewart House) are examples of early nineteenth-century brick construction in rural upcountry South Carolina. This section of the state developed slowly until the period ca. 1840-ca.1860, when upcountry cotton became the mainstay of the economy. There were few brick residences built in this area before 1840; most brick construction was for public or commercial buildings. The house and ruins at Tullyton are some of the few early brick buildings in this area which are extant.

R. Perry Turner House

R. Perry Turner House, 211 North Main Street Greenville, was built in 1937. It was designed by prominent Greenville architect William Riddle Ward (1890-1984); for Richard Perry Turner (1880-1959), one of Greer’s most prominent twentieth century businessmen. Ward was commissioned to design the house as a result of his 1935 design for Perry Turner’s younger brother, Robert Gibbs Turner.

F.W. Welborn House

The F. W. Welborn House, North Weston Street in Fountain Inn, built about 1914, is one of Fountain Inn’s earliest homes built for Clemson graduate F. W. Welborn. The house was moved seventy five feet to the adjoining lot to the south in 1925 by the Welborn family

Williams-Earle House (Holly Hill; Ivy Lawn), Greenville County at 319 Grove Road in Greenville County, Greenville, is believed to have been completed about 1850, while the rear portion of the house was begun about 1820. Dr. Thomas Williams, who is believed to have constructed the house, moved to Greenville as a child and became a prominent Greenville physician who also served the Greenville District in the state legislature. Williams called his plantation on Brushy Creek “Ivy Lawn.” In 1880, Richard Harrison Earle, a farmer, landowner and grandson of Col. Elias Earle, a founder of Greenville, acquired the property.

Wyche House

The C. Granville Wyche House, 2900 Augusta Rd. in Greenville, was designed by Atlanta architect Silas D. Trowbridge and built in 193. Its owner, leading Greenville attorney C. Granville Wyche, lived in the house from 1931 to 1988. The Wyche house was one of the most expensive and elaborate residences constructed in Greenville during the 1930s.

Not all properties retain the same integrity as when originally documented and listed in the National Register due to changes and modifications over time. For more information on the historic homes and buildings of Greenville County, go to The National Registry .

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More than pretty homes: The hidden stories behind Greenville’s historic districts

Evan peter smith.

• June 24, 2021

Along the idyllic streets that make up Greenville’s seven historic districts , homes with ornamental facades, quaint porches and lush flower gardens chaperone those who happen by.

The districts are historic both in age and by official designation, ones the city of Greenville saw fit to formally honor for their contribution to the city’s growth.

Mapping History – scroll over the districts for interesting facts

These are quiet neighborhoods where ivy-covered stone walls mark the passage of time and stately trees give shade to young parents pushing babies in strollers and whose dogs trot on leashes and kids coast along on bicycles.

Stand still in the right spot, and you could be looking at a post card.

But when local historian Teresa Slack walks through these neighborhoods, she sees something different.

“The thing that saddens me is people don’t want to delve into the actual history,” Slack says. “They want this one little cube. They want to look at the pretty houses. But you can’t just compartmentalize it.  What created that neighborhood? What created that area?”

For her, the homes are bittersweet monuments. Where some see stately lawns and picket fences, Slack sees smoke and dust. She hears the groaning of machines, the roar of rushing water. And she sees countless faces  — the grimy, lint-covered faces of the men and women whose effort and hope built Greenville’s textile industry.

“These were definitely scrappy environments. These people came to build a better life,” Slack said. “And you know what? They did build a better life.”

Here are seven brief windows into the districts that built Greenville’s history.

Colonel Elias Earle Historic District

Home styles: Neo-Classical, Dutch Colonial, Georgian Revival, English Cottage, and Tudor

Key landmarks: Whitehall and the Earle Town House

Local significance: Home to two of Greenville’s oldest landmarks

The Colonel Elias Earle district shares its name with the man who pioneered the area, Col. Elias Earle. Although he would later be known as “a prominent, early nineteenth century Greenville citizen,” according to the National Historic Register, Earle actually purchased the land north of town when he was an early settler in the 1700s.

The district is home to a pair of Greenville’s oldest landmarks. The first, built in 1813,  is “Whitehall,” 310 West Earle St., the former summer residence of Gov. Henry Middleton The second, built around 1820, is the Earle Town House, 107 James St.

Earle’s family went on to purchase more land in 1834, quietly building up the neighborhood along what are now Earle and James streets. The area witnessed soldiers returning from fighting in the Civil War and the Spanish American War, but it wasn’t until the end of the First World War that the district began to flourish as a neighborhood. Today, it is a snapshot of a world that, in many ways, only existed in the 1920s.

East Park Historic District

Home styles: Craftsman, American Foursquare, Tudor, and Neo-Classical

Key landmark: McPherson Park

Local significance: Was a model of early community development

The East Park neighborhood serves as a testament to one man’s vision for how a community should be built.

In the late 1800s, the area along East Park Avenue began to take shape, with one man playing a major role: W.C. Cleveland. It didn’t hurt that Cleveland had been both the mayor and a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

Cleveland rose to prominence during an era of massive cultural and technological change. The quiet agrarian lifestyle that had remained unchanged for centuries was being rapidly replaced by a more urban, chaotic and uncertain societal structure.

With that came lofty ideals for how society should best respond to that industrial revolution. In Cleveland’s case, a sense of public stewardship and community development led him in 1887 to bequeath a large piece of his land along East Park Avenue which he hoped would serve as a community park. Today, that land is McPherson Park.

The remaining area along East Park Avenue was subdivided in 1910 and peaked in development in the 1830s, retaining that style to this day.

Hampton-Pinckney Historic District

Home styles: Queen Anne, Craftsman, Gothic Revival, Colonial Revival, Italianate, and Prairie

Key landmark: J.M Greer House

Local significance: Greenville’s first “trolley car neighborhood”

At  the turn of the 20th century — on Jan. 1, 1901, to be exact — residents living in Hampton-Pinckney walked one block to Main Street where they watched the first trolley come chugging down the rail lines. That formative moment would spur decades of home construction in the neighborhood as more and more Greenvillians sought to live in what soon became known as the area’s first “trolley car neighborhood.”

But the history of Hampton-Pinckney began in 1815 when Vardry McBee, the “father of Greenville,” paid about $27,000 for more than 11,000 acres of land.

That land would become the wellspring for the educational and spiritual growth of Greenville. As more people drifted into the small prairie town that Greenville was in those days, McBee donated portions of the land to the Greenville Male and Female Academies, as well as spots for the city’s first four churches. The first home was built on the land just before the Civil War, while residential lots were subdivided in the late 1890s.

By the turn of the century, when the trolley car first clanged down Main Street, the area was booming. Money from the textile mills saw the rise of fancy homes that remain just as beautiful today as they were a century ago.

Heritage Historic District

Home styles: Bungalow

Key landmark: St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral

Local significance: Was once home to a vineyard and dairy

If its name is any indication, the Heritage neighborhood’s very existence pays homage to its own lineage.

The architectural style of the homes lining the streets is an example.

“Heritage neighborhood is an arts and crafts-era neighborhood,” said John Edwards, president of the Heritage Neighborhood Association, speaking in a video overview of the area. “It’s mostly made up of bungalow-type homes, although there are other housing styles represented in the neighborhood. It’s unique in Greenville in that it’s very close to downtown.”

That proximity to downtown would have surprised the early residents, as the land was once the site of a large vineyard along what is now Wilton Street. W.C. Cleveland purchased the vineyard in 1909 and for many years, the agricultural operations on the land, including a working dairy, coincided with the growth of the neighborhood.

That growth led to the creation of the St. George Greek Orthodox Church nearby, and the area became a settlement for Greek immigrants and the growing Greek community.

Today, many of the homes once occupied by those agricultural workers are still standing, even as the vineyards and dairy cows have been replaced by restaurants, offices, retail stores and sidewalks.

Overbrook Historic District

Home styles: Craftsman Bungalow

Key landmark: The former trolley line, now gone. 

Local significance: Built by the Woodside brothers of Woodside Mill

While Hampton-Pinckney has earned the distinction of being the first “trolley car neighborhood,” Overbrook holds perhaps an even greater claim to the trolley car title, for its very existence is due to the expansion of the trolley line.

That expansion to a new terminus in 1910 gave Greenville residents easy access to the outskirts of the city. The expansion also gave some of the city’s most prominent businessmen an idea.

A growing middle class was taking shape in Greenville as the wealth from the textile mills flowed in. That meant a corresponding need for middle class housing. In 1913, the Woodside brothers, who build their fortunes through the Woodside Cotton Mill, once the largest textile plant in the world, formed the Overbrook Land Company to address this problem.

The Woodside brothers purchased land on the eastern edge of Greenville near the trolley line and later sold it to R.J Rowley, a farmer turned developer. Rowley constructed the first homes in what would become the Overbrook neighborhood. Consider it the very Greenville suburb, as wealthier, white collar residents flocked to the area to raise their families. That relative affluence gave shape to the larger home sizes in Overbrook compared to other historical districts.

With the trolley system, men had an easy time getting to and from work, and even after the advent of bus transportation in the late 1920s, the trolley continued to be a popular attraction among neighborhood residents.

Pettigru Historic District

Home styles: Queen Anne, Bungalow and Colonial Revival, among others

Key landmark: Hayne School Building

Local significance: Greenville’s largest historic district

Walking through Pettigru, the largest historic district in the city, offers a unique opportunity for a master class in the evolution of home architecture, ranging from the Victorian era to the 1930s. Nowhere else in the city can one find such a broad range of styles situated so close together.

The evolution of that architecture reflects the growth of Greenville during the same time period. The area was once occupied by two large family estates, those of the Rowley family and that of James Boyce. The subdivision of the great “Boyce Lawn” in 1907 served as the unofficial beginning of the neighborhood Pettigru would later become, as Victorian cottages began to rise up across the area.

Prominent businessmen and mill owners made up the early residents of the district. Even though today the area is split between residential and commercial development, the architecture of those early homes still serves as so many time capsules from that era.

West End Historic District

Architectural styles: Early 20th century commercial

Key landmark: Fluor Field

Local significance: The only commercial area among Greenville’s historic districts

The West End might be known today as a growing commercial pocket of downtown, but when it was first settled in the 1830s, it was just a small collection of tiny homes. It wasn’t until Furman University was established nearby in 1852 and the first train arrived from the Columbia Railroad one year later that the area truly revved to life.

Students and professors arrived by train to the university, and from the university they settled in the surrounding area of the West End. Businesses popped up alongside residential construction. Cotton and fertilizer warehouses were plentiful. New churches attended to the spiritual needs of the new residents, while schools attended to the education of the children who grew up in the scrappy new district.

While the businesses have changed, the early character of the district lives on in a growing commercial hub that is even livelier today than it was more than 100 years ago.

Today, you won’t find the kids of cotton warehouse workers playing stickball out in the street, but you can still hear the crack of a baseball bat on summer nights in Fluor Field.

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HISTORY tours

West end walking tour.

Take a fascinating walk through Greenville’s historic West End.

Take a fascinating walk through Greenville’s historic West End with your tour guide, “Big Chuck,” and hear some amazing stories about the evolution of this neighborhood from working-class neighborhoods to a dynamic new extension of Greenville’s downtown area. 

You will hear about old businesses, new development, Civil Rights events, arts development, the history of the automotive industry from the dawning of cars in America, and more.  

When we reach Greenville High School you will hear about some of the most famous school graduates, from “The Potato Chip King,” to one of the most historic Hollywood Oscar winners, and to a genuine American war hero from one of America’s most perilous moments.  

We will talk baseball at the entrance to Fluor Field and hear the story of Greenville’s beloved native son, Shoeless Joe Jackson (and you can get a “selfie” in front of his house!).  

These, and so much more, will make this an interesting 90-minute, easily managed walk down through the footpaths of history in Greenville’s Historic West End.

Highlights include:

• Falls Cottage • Claussens Bakery • Greenville High School • Shoeless Joe Jackson Home & Museum • Statues and artwork including a Dale Chihuly sculpture • 19th century buildings and history

Cost: $25 Duration: 90 minutes Meeting location: The corner of Falls Park Dr. and S. Main St. (in front of the fountain in the middle of the plaza)

• Media Coverage
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• Phone: 866-246-2099
• Email: [email protected]

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Visit These 9 Historic Plantations In South Carolina For An Unforgettable Experience

Robin Jarvis

More by this Author

From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, South Carolina has several historic plantations that are open for tours. You may recognize a few of these and others may be newly added to your radar. Each wonderful property has major history behind it, as well as just being beautiful and interesting to visit. Tour all of these historic plantations in South Carolina for unforgettable experiences.

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South Carolinians have done a wonderful job of preserving so much of the plantation history in the Palmetto State. Visit any one, or ALL, of these historic plantations for an experience you’ll never forget.

Have you toured any of these yet? And which is your favorite? We’d love to know in our comments.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Historic Neighborhoods & Architecture Tour

Our city has great architectural examples of styles that span the last 200 years and charming neighborhoods that give them context. As the young village of Greenville formed in the late 1700s, homes were naturally scattered around the region with large tracts of land tied to them. This tour traces the development of Greenville’s neighborhoods on the North and West sides of the Reedy River, taking you on a pleasant drive to see the variety of architectural styles, hear stories of their homeowners, and understand the role in Greenville’s revitalization. Tours will take place in a comfortable Ford Transit high-roof tour van. Digital photographs will be shown on a screen to provide insights into the information that you hear from the tour guide.

• Redeemable: Jan 03, 2023 - Jan 03, 2033
• Locations: Greenville History Tours: Downtown Driving Tour

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Greenville food hall, food tour voted among best in the nation. Here's why they rank high.

USA TODAY has announced two Greenville winners for the USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards.

Gather GVL and Greenville's History & Culinary tours placed in the top 10 for each of their respective categories.

Following last year's win, Gather GVL was recognized as one of the best food halls in the nation, moving up a spot in the list. Although Greenville's tours dropped down a few places from last year's ranking, it still managed to luck out when it comes to being one of the country's best food tours.

Here's what to know about this year's 10 Best winners.

Gather GVL ranks No. 5 for Best Food Hall

No matter what your taste, this Greenville melting pot has all the flavors, from fried chicken and classic smash burgers to sushi and hibachi. At Gather GVL , guests watch with growling stomachs as chefs serve up dishes from a colorful collection of shipping containers. When food is ready, guests settle down at long tables where they dine with family and friends, kicking back and relaxing. If you sit on the second floor, you can enjoy views of downtown, whether rain or shine. Locals with furry friends will be glad to know their pets are welcome to the ground floor, where they, too, can join in on the fun. In 2023, USA TODAY placed the food hall at No. 6 for best food in the nation.

What other food halls made the list?

∎ No. 1: Mother Road Market, Tulsa, Oklahoma

∎ No. 2: The Garage Food Hall, Indianapolis, Indiana

∎ No. 3: Budd Dairy Food Hall, Columbus, Ohio

∎ No. 4: The Market at Malcolm Yards, Minneapolis, Minnesota

∎ No. 5: Gather GVL, Greenville, South Carolina

∎ No. 6: City Foundry STL, St. Louis, Missouri

∎ No. 7: Federal Galley, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

∎ No. 8: Food Hall at Bottling Department, San Antonio, Texas

∎ No. 9: Time Out Market Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

∎ No. 10: Chelsea Market, New York City, New York

Greenville History & Culinary Tours voted No. 8 for Best Food Tour

For over a decade, Greenville's History and Culinary tours has drawn 40,000 guests to the city. On the history tours, guests are guided through historic buildings and homes, public artwork displays, restaurants, and shops. Foodies on the culinary tours will have opportunities to visit kitchens and sample food offerings while "At the Chef's Table." USA TODAY recommends trying the BBQ Trail Tour or visiting the countryside, where you will be escorted to a movable farm-fresh feast. Last year, the tours placed at No. 3 for best food tour by USA TODAY.

What other food tours made the list?

∎ No. 1: Columbus Food Adventures, Columbus, Ohio

∎ No. 2: Taste Buzz Food Tours, Las Vegas, Nevada

∎ No. 3: Six Taste, Los Angeles, California

∎ No. 4: Savor Seattle Food Tours, Seattle, Washington

∎ No. 5: Bienville Bites Food Tour, Mobile, Alabama

∎ No. 6: Doctor Gumbo Tours, New Orleans, Louisiana

∎ No. 7: Mangia DC Food Tours, Washington, D.C.

∎ No. 8: Greenville History & Culinary Tours, Greenville, South Carolina

∎ No. 9: Maine Day Ventures, Portland, Maine

∎ No. 10: Bobby's Bike Hike Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

Nina Tran covers trending topics. Reach her via email at [email protected]

• 6 Most Inviting Towns in South Carolina

While the United States is largely a fast-moving country, with its citizens rushing from one daily task to another, South Carolina is a state that completely contradicts this norm. South Carolina has earned its spot popular with tourists largely for this very reason. Slow living, southern hospitality, and vibrant culture attract tourists from all over the country to experience this lifestyle, even if only temporarily.

Whether you prefer an afternoon stretched out on the beach, a stroll along a quaint, historic town center, or berry picking in South Carolina’s warm, sunny fields, these six towns in South Carolina are incredibly inviting and will make you want to pack your bags for your next relaxing trip.

Hilton Head Island

Featuring 12 miles of white sand beaches, sweeping live oaks, and babbling creeks, Hilton Head Island is a vacationer’s paradise. There are all kinds of outdoor activities for visitors, including dolphin tours, kayaking, paddle boarding, and biking. The town’s electric bike tour is the perfect combination for nature and history lovers, with a local guide taking visitors along the town’s scenic trails and sharing Hilton Head’s fascinating history.

For culinary aficionados, Michael Anthony's Cucina Italiana is a highly rated Italian food restaurant in the town that serves mouthwatering dishes. The Annual Wine and Food Festival, an ongoing 40-year tradition, brings in visitors from all over with its welcoming and festive atmosphere, allowing visitors to sip on wine and enjoy savory dishes.

Gazebo in Aiken, South Carolina park. Editorial credit: Linda Hendrickson / Shutterstock.com

The moment visitors step foot in Aiken, they will feel the town’s relaxing energy and southern hospitality. For those interested in equestrianism, Aiken has a proud history, which visitors can learn about in the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum, which celebrates Aiken’s role in the tradition of racing and the forty champion thoroughbreds that trained on the town’s track. Continuing the history trail, travelers can visit the Aiken County Historical Museum, which is not any ordinary museum; it is a live museum, with residents bringing in artifacts to share their local history and alternate exhibits.

There are many green spaces in Aiken as well, allowing travelers to disconnect and relax in nature. Aiken State Park, along the South Edisto River, is a breathtaking park for kayaking, canoeing, and fishing. It features a 1.7-mile scenic canoe and kayak river trail. Continuing with our exploration of Aiken’s green spaces, Hopelands Gardens is a 14-acre estate, established as a public garden in 1970, filled with paths shaded by century-old live oaks. Check the town calendar online to see the Aiken County Farmers Market schedule, which will certainly be a treat for visitors. It is the oldest continuously running market in the country and consists of vendors selling baked goods, fresh produce, honey, handmade crafts, and more.

Travelers Rest

Travelers Rest small town and Swamp Rabbit Bike Trail in Greenville, South Carolina.

Travelers Rest prides itself on its artsy vibe, active culture, historic charm, and a strong sense of community among residents, who will make visitors feel like family as well. Bikers fill the town’s streets and paths due to its well-structured biking trails. Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail is a great option for visitors wanting to go on a biking adventure, featuring a 23-mile trail that connects Travelers Rest to nearby Greenville. In the heart of the town, visitors will find an impressive variety of boutiques, antique shops, delicious restaurants, and more. Stop by for a drink at The Tasting Room, which has a diverse selection of wines and craft beers, as well as scheduled live music.

The nearby Table Rock State Park offers hikers a trip out to natural paradise due to its breathtaking views from mountain tops and trails leading to mountain streams and waterfalls.

Historic 1914 Gillespie House and First Presbyterian Church in York, SC, USA. Editorial credit: Nolichuckyjake / Shutterstock.com

Just 13 miles from Rock Hill lies York , a historic town filled with southern charm. History lovers must stop by The McCelvey Center, which features a theater, the Southern Revolutionary War Institute, and the Historical Center of York County, where visitors can look at a variety of artifacts and historical reading materials from the area. Continue exploring the town’s charm by visiting Yorkville Marketplace, a boutique mall with over 30 vendors, which sometimes even hosts festivals, pop-up events, and shows!

For families, York City Park is a scenic public park with a splash pad for kids, picnic areas, and a walking trail loop. Bush and Vine Farm is another charming outdoor location that people of all ages will enjoy, which even includes the opportunity to pick berries or other fruits and vegetables! Finish off the day at the recommended Garden Cafe, an eclectic cafe with a southern twist and delicious cuisine.

In the heart of the scenic midlands sits the underrated town of Newberry, full of history and South Carolinian culture. Visiting the old-fashioned town center will feel like a trip back in time, where entire blocks have buildings on the National Registry of Historic Places. Notable historic buildings include the Newberry Opera House, the Newberry Arts Center, and the Newberry Museum, which exhibits treasures of the town’s history. Travelers can head out to Lynch’s Wood Park to feel immediate relaxation and connection to nature. The incredible park is 276 acres with towering pines, old hardwoods, and trails that skirt along parts of Rocky Branch Creek.

Sullivan’s Island

Sand dunes at Station 18 Beach and Sullivan's Island Lighthouse, Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, USA.

Situated by Charleston Harbor, Sullivan’s Island is a mere 20 minutes away from the city of Charleston . The town is composed of inviting beaches, watersports, historic landmarks, local shops, and restaurants. Sullivan’s Island Beach is popular among tourists and locals alike with its wide shorelines, providing visitors plenty of space to stretch out and soak up the sun. The spring and summer are great times to participate in a variety of water activities, including kayaking, sailing, fishing, paddle boarding, and kiteboarding.

History fanatics must visit Fort Moultrie to learn about the history of the Revolutionary War . The Post House Inn, built in 1896, is a nearby coastal tavern and inn with cozy rooms that appreciators of history will enjoy as well. Finish off a day filled with sun, waves, and history by taking a trip to Home Team BBQ, a southern-style barbecue restaurant only one block from the beach.

Why South Carolina's Towns Are Worth Your Visit

In a world that often rushes past, South Carolina remains a steadfast example of unhurried living and genuine hospitality, drawing visitors from far and wide. Whether eating barbecue, appreciating equestrian history, or indulging in outdoor adventures, these six towns welcome travelers to dive into the laid-back atmosphere of the state and leave the hustle behind.

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Explore Gothic revivalist architecture of the Green-Meldrim House and St John’s Church

May brings warmer weather and a special double tour to Savannah. Tucked into the tree-covered west side of Madison Square is St. John’s Church and the Green-Meldrim House. Both are independently open for tours, but on Wednesdays in May, visitors will be able to get a special tour of both.

The tour will guide people through both Gothic Revivalist buildings with special attention to the unique architectural details, the history, and the symbolism, followed by refreshments of cheese straws, Benne wafer cookies, lemon blueberry poundcake, and pimento cheese sandwiches.

This is a step in a new direction for the Green-Meldrim House. The historic home was purchased by St. John’s Church in 1943, and while it is used as a parish house and rectory, it was eventually opened as a house museum.

Jamie Credle, who is no stranger to Savannah’s historic house museums, having previously worked with the Davenport House, took over as executive director in July of last year. A few months later, the house museum reached nonprofit status, and Sherry Holtzclaw stepped up as president of the Keepers of Historic Green-Meldrim House.

“I'd say [the idea to start the nonprofit] came out of the vestry, which is the group that runs the church,” said Holtzclaw. “Seeing that our volunteer base was shrinking as people were getting older, more young people are working and don't have the time to volunteer, and it's a lot of upkeep to keep this house heated and cooled and in repair, as well as to lead tours, it was just getting to be a big job that we needed some help with.”

Holtzclaw said she has been a member of St. John’s for around 30 years and has volunteered at the house for approximately 20 years in various roles.

Both Holtzclaw and Credle are excited to expand resident and visitor appreciation of the Green-Meldrim House and St. John’s Church as well as what all the historic house museum can offer.

“It's an evolutionary process,” said Credle. “The Keepers have a wealth of understanding of collections and research, but I think that the whole point was to get in lockstep together with what we think the future can be.”

New docents will be leading the tours

After several months of recruiting and training new docents to build upon the core of docents, Credle said it was the perfect time to try a new tour.

“One of our goals for the year is to be open five days a week. We're open four now, but we also wanted to do something imaginative or different than your typical tour. A lot of people would love to see the church, and we've got our docents so this combo tour seemed like filling a need.”

Credle said she hopes the 75-minute tour will leave people with a new appreciation for Madison Square and gothic revival architecture.

“Though it seems sort of old to us, this was cutting-edge architecturally. We talk about mid-century modern in the 20th century. Well, this was mid-century modern in the 19th century. It was a stunning thing to see both this house and the church together, two different architects, two different functions for spaces, but a cutting-edge square here.”

“Plus, they were being built at the same time,” said Holtzclaw. “Charles Green [the original owner of the Green-Meldrim House] knew some of the people that were in on the planning of the church. So there probably was some interaction and collaboration when all this was happening.”

While the house is stunning from its bright pink exterior to the black, white, and wood-grained interior, Holtzclaw said the church is equally impressive.

“One of the first things you notice when you go in the church, besides the architecture and the steep ceiling, is the stained-glass windows and how beautiful they are. They’re very old. They're from 1886 and made in England. They feature prominently in the church. Also, up at the altar, there are some very interesting pieces up there. We'll talk about not only the architecture but some of the symbolism.”

It’s important to note that, for anyone with mobility issues, there is a ramp into the church, but there is no ramp or elevator in the Green-Meldrim House.

For those who fall in love with the tours and want to help in the future, Credle said they are looking for more docents, front-door greeters, and gift shop volunteers. The museum also has a youth guide program.

“We're training teenagers this summer to be tour guides. It’s a wonderful skill. It could be after their daytime job if they have that.”

Anyone interested need only reach out to the museum through its website.

Tours are each Wednesday in May starting on the first and ending on the 29th. There will be two tours each afternoon at 1 and 2:30 p.m. except on May 8th at 2 and 4 p.m. Entry is $25 per person and will need to be purchased prior to the event at GreenMeldrimHouse.org.

More new things are on the way for the Green-Meldrim House. Credle said the museum is also planning for new tours and a lecture series in the fall. It will be interesting to see the evolution of the museum with the Keepers of Historic Green-Meldrim House and the museum’s new executive director at the helm.

If You Go >>

What: Green-Meldrim House and St. John’s Church combo tours

When: May 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29

Where: 14 W. Macon St.

Tickets: $25

Info: GreenMeldrimHouse.org