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Located at the eastern portion of South Carolina’s up-country lies the city of Spartanburg, one of the more historically significant cities in South Carolina, and one of the oldest cities in the state. The 2010 U.S. Census puts the population of the city around 37,000 people, making it one of the two major cities in the Greenville-Spartanburg metropolitan area, which has over a million and a half people. Yet, there are also a number of attractive homes to be found in the surrounding towns, such as Greer real estate. Greer residents enjoy small town living while being only a short drive from the culturally active and larger cities of Spartanburg and Greenville and only a 90-minute drive from Charlotte, North Carolina. History The county of Spartanburg, in which the city is located, started out as a frontier trading post after a treaty with the Cherokee Indians in 1753 opened up the area to settlers. The name most likely stems from the Spartan Regiment of the Revolutionary War Patriot Militia. This regiment joined with Brigadier General Daniel Morgan's troops at the Battle of Cowpens, a few miles to the east of what is now the city Spartanburg, to hand the British one of its worst defeats of the Revolutionary War. In fact, the area around Spartanburg was the scene of more battles than almost anywhere else in the colonies. Two of those battles, the battles of Cowpens and King’s Mountain, were important turning points in the war. Located a little further east of Spartanburg than Cowpens, the Battle at King’s Mountain was dubbed "the turn of the tide of success." It was the first major triumph of American revolutionary troops after the British invaded Charleston. The battle took place on October 7, 1780, was only an hour long and changed the course of the Revolutionary War. The British would surrender only a year later at Yorktown. Following the Revolutionary War, Spartanburg was given its current name and in 1831, it was finally incorporated as a city. Like its neighbor, Greenville, the town developed an extensive textile industry throughout the 19th and into the early 20th centuries. History shows that nearly 40 mills opened during this period. As the railroad industry grew in the 1850s, the town got the nickname “Hub City,” because so many railroad lines passed through the town forming a literal wheel hub shape around Spartanburg. By the time the U.S. government entered World War I, cantonments, or military training camps, were planned across the country, and local politicians realized the economic benefits a cantonment would bring to their towns. Spartanburg was awarded Camp Wadsworth, which was constructed on the land now occupied by Westgate Mall. Between 1917 and 1919 over 100,000 soldiers were trained at this camp. Similarly, during World War II, Camp Croft was built just south of the city and was a training camp from 1940-1946. Today, Croft State Park occupies the site. The U.S. economy boomed after World War II, but by the end of the 1950s, the textile industry was on the wane in the United States. Today, a few textile companies such as Inman Mills and Yates Johnson remain in Spartanburg, including the corporate headquarters of one of the largest textile companies in the world, Milliken and Company. However, the city now has a more diversified economy in industries such as automobile manufacturing like BMW, health care at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, and education, notably the University of South Carolina Upstate, Converse College, and Wofford College. Amenities Spartanburg is full of history, evidenced in the number of museums as well as numerous historical sites. This includes many architecturally significant buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries. The city’s landscape is dotted with a plethora of historical districts such as the Spartanburg Historic District in downtown Spartanburg and the Converse Heights Historical District, together numbering nearly 100 residential and commercial properties of historic importance. Yet Spartanburg offers so much more beyond just its history, especially if you love the outdoors. Are you a cyclist? Spartanburg was the first city in the state to earn the League of American Bicyclists’ recognition as a Bicycle Friendly Community in 2006. Do you enjoy excursions in the park? The city has more than a dozen public parks and arboretums to appreciate. Is hiking your idea of fun? There are so many trails that you would be hard pressed to cover all of them in a month! Maybe golf is your pastime? If so, you can play on a different course each day of the week at quality courses in Spartanburg and nearby Inman and Greer. As you can plainly see, there are plenty of reasons to put down roots in this lovely city or the surrounding towns. When you’re ready to explore the possibilities of living in the area, numerous Realtors are ready to show you their listings in Spartanburg and Greer real estate in SC.
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