Page 8 - Best of Greenwood Community Guide

GREENWOOD SC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COMMUNITY GUIDE
Welcome to Greenwood!
Beautiful Greenwood is located in the Lower Piedmont region of Upstate South Carolina, and provides a friendly, small-town setting along with the progressive and active environment of a larger city. Greenwood is home to numerous community assets including Lake Greenwood, Lander University, Piedmont Technical College, Self Regional Healthcare, Uptown Greenwood, excellent schools, churches, cultural opportunities, and much, much more.
Greenwood’s collaborative community spirit, mild climate, excellent healthcare, exciting cultural arts programs, and affordable cost of living are just a few of the amenities which make the area a prime location for those searching for the perfect new home. While picturesque lakes and gently rolling landscapes provide a beautiful rural setting for residents, Greenwood is only a few hours’ drive from both the mountains and the coast as well as several major metropolitan areas.
Located three hours away from major municipalities Charlotte and Atlanta, Greenwood also offers an hour to an hour and a half drive to additional metropolitan areas such as Greenville, Spartanburg, Columbia, and Augusta, GA. The area is also accessible to three major interstates.
Greenwood, centrally located among seven neighboring counties, serves as the regional hub for numerous areas, including healthcare, education, retail, lodging, and dining, to name a few. Greenwood is home to several corporate headquarter offices such as Velux Windows and Skylights. TeijinCarbonFibers,Inc.aJapanesechemical, pharmaceutical, and information technology company, is now in operation and has finished its new state-of-the- art carbon fiber manufacturing facility. The new Teijin represents a $600 million investment in Greenwood County, creating 220 new jobs. Additionally, Enviva Pellets Greenwood, LLC, is the world’s largest producer of wood pellets, they specialize in producing sustainable wood biomass. Additionally, Lonza, Ascend Performance, Colgate Palmolive & Caterpillar also chose Greenwood and are all operational. Greenwood’s County economic development organization continues to work and recruit a diverse selection of industry into the area.
The American Planning Association named Uptown Greenwood as one of 15 designees of its “Great Places in America Designation.” Greenwood has recently received accolades from some key magazines and online destination websites. Country Living named Greenwood as one of
the top “25 Small Lake Towns We’re Obsessed With,” noting Lake Greenwood State Park and Greenwood’s craft brewery, Good Times Brewery, as key places to visit while in the area. Southern Living also mentioned Greenwood as one of “15 Affordable Small Towns We Love,” highlighting Greenwood’s proximity to major interstates making travel a breeze. Also highlighted was Greenwood’s bustling Uptown area, which has recently experienced growth in retail and dining options.
Several local eateries have been recognized for their award
winning cuisine through various online mentions in state and Southeastern publications. Inn on the Square, Miss Ann’s Fried Chicken, and Harris Landing have all received well deserved kudos.
The City of Greenwood (pop., 23,467), the county seat, is located near the center of the county (population, 70,741). Ware Shoals (pop. 2,200), in the northeast corner of the county, is 17 miles north of Greenwood, Ninety Six (pop. 2,039) is 9 miles east of Greenwood, Hodges (population of 155), which is north of Greenwood and the town of Troy (population 97) located southeast of Greenwood. Through ongoing revitalization efforts both in the city and county, the area’s quality of life remains a major focus in planning for the future.
According to Discover Greenwood over 40% of their 2,000+ visitors consider making Greenwood County their home because of the many community events, festivals, parks, championship golf communities, and restaurants. Some of these features appeal to everyday life as well. While Greenwood offers major retail options with chain and department stores, its Uptown area features boutiques, specialty gift shops, and more. Residents and visitors will find a multitude of places
of worship in most every denomination. Home to Self Regional Healthcare, Greenwood’s healthcare system offers state-of-the-art facilities and dedicated healthcare professionals for its residents.
The many community development organizations in our areaworkwitheachothertomakeyourvisittoGreenwood enjoyable, whether it is for business or pleasure. We hope this publication will assist you in navigating the attractions, events, activities, and great places to stay in our charming destination. We know you will enjoy staying with us and hope that you will take advantage of all of the remarkable things Greenwood has to offer.
History
Considering the number of people building homes in the Greenwood area today for primary as well as secondary homes, it comes as no surprise that the first residence here was built in 1823 by John McGehee, Jr. as a summer home for him and his bride. This 600-acre plantation was named Green Wood by McGehee’s wife, Charlotte. This area today, called Green Wood Village, is located in the East Cambridge Avenue area. When the first railroad came through in 1852, it moved the center of the village to its present-day location since stores and businesses began
to locate around the depot. This marked the beginning of developing the “widest Main Street in the world” and the Square, now referred to as Uptown Greenwood which has been accredited Main Street City.
During the last half of the nineteenth century in Greenwood, considered a railroad town, merchants dealt in groceries, general merchandise, dry goods, farmer’s supplies, furniture, rice, and cotton. There were also banks, insurance companies and undertakers. Area
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