Greenville Textile Heritage Society holding Come See The Park event on Sat., Nov. 6

In the 1920s, it was known as Central Park — the site of parades, pageants and picnics. Today, it’s the site of Greenville Textile Heritage Park that, once completed, will be the only place in the Upstate with a comprehensive history of the textile industry and the people who made Greenville County the Textile Capital of the World for more than 100 years.

The Greenville Textile Heritage Society invites area residents to a “Come See The Park” event on Saturday, November 6, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Attendees will learn about Greenville’s textile mills as they walk the “Mill Walk,” a walking trail with 13 alcoves dedicated to the history of 12 mills along the Textile Crescent and Parker High School. Former mill employees also will be on hand to discuss the history of the mills and plans for the park’s future.

Property for Textile Heritage Park was donated to Greenville Revitalization Corporation (GRC) by developers of The Lofts of Greenville, formerly the Monaghan plant of JP Stevens. Having no use for the former plant parking lot, it was gifted for redevelopment, according to GRC CEO Doug Dent.

GRC partnered with the Greenville Textile Heritage Society, an organization comprised of mill alumni and associates, to develop the site into a place that pays tribute to the legacy of the area’s Textile Crescent.

Park features completed to date include the Mill Walk, a children’s playground and paved parking. Once completed, the park will feature a textile museum designed to resemble a 1930s-era mill house near Smythe Street to house pictures and artifacts from the mills and to serve as a meeting place. Other features will be a community garden, outdoor classroom and wildflower garden for study of the area’s native plants.

Want to attend?

What: Greenville Textile Heritage Society’s “Come See The Park” event

When: Saturday, November 6, 2021, 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Where: Greenville Textile Heritage Park, 211 Smythe Street, Greenville SC 29611