Introduction to Greenville, SC

102 miles NW of Columbia

Lying halfway between Charlotte and Atlanta, Greenville is an inviting upstate city with tree-lined streets in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's been called the textile center of the world and is known for turning out not only clothing nylon, but also chemicals. It makes a good hub for exploring the Upstate and the forested parks in the area.

Greenville began as a trading post in the 1700s. During the antebellum era, the area was a resort for plantation owners from the Low Country, but it later moved on to textiles. The textile industry began in the 1820s, but mills were not built here until the 1870s. The 1882 Huguenot Mill was advertised as being "an electric plant that makes plaid cloth," but the textile connection is long gone. Today, the town is the home of the Metropolitan Arts Council, Upstate Visual Arts, Historic Greenville Foundation, and the Peace Center for the Performing Arts.