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foothill towns
Anderson, SC
Chimney
Rock, NC
Clemson, SC
Columbus, NC
Gaffney, SC
Greenville,
SC
Hickory, NC
Lake Lure &
Rutherford County, NC
Morganton, NC
Mount
Airy, NC
Saluda, NC
Seneca, SC
Spartanburg, SC
Tryon, NC
Books About The
Carolinas
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Solid as a rock.
Limestone College is a small, liberal arts school that started as one of the first ladies-only institutions of higher learning. Despite its association with a rather rigid substance, its environment encourages flexibility and creativity.
Photo courtesy of Ben Muldrow |
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GAFFNEY
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very July when the peaches are at their peak, thousands flock to Gaffney for the Peach Festival, which in 1978 created national attention with the creation of the world’s largest peach pie.
Since 1981, travelers on I-85’s “Golden Corridor” between Atlanta and Charlotte have recognized the unique peach-shaped water tower as the landmark for the town of Gaffney. “The Peachoid,” as it is called by the locals, was built to celebrate the surrounding peach-growing area and the fact that South Carolina actually grows more peaches than the state of Georgia, which is better known for its peach crop.
But Gaffney is more than peaches and “peachoids” – much more.
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herokee County, where Gaffney is located, has an illustrious history beginning before the Revolutionary War. Two major battles, Kings Mountain (1780) and Cowpens (1781) were both important victories for the colonial patriots and prevented the British troops from advancing into North Carolina. Both of these battle sites stage yearly reenactments on the grounds.
The town of Gaffney was founded in 1803 and, in 1845, a Baptist minister, Dr. Thomas Curtis, and his son, William, came from England to establish Limestone College, the first woman’s college in the state and one of the few in the nation. The college was founded because British law would not allow the teaching of “difficult subjects” to women. Limestone has since become a small private coed liberal arts college. A new physical education center further enhances today’s college student.
Including Limestone College in the Limestone Springs area, Gaffney has three nationally-certified historic districts with buildings and homes in a variety of architectural styles dating as far back as 1837. Mark and Kim Propst bought an older home (mid-1930s) in the historic district where they currently live.
“That’s one of the things that attracted us to living within the city limits of Gaffney,” Mr. Propst says. “It’s a real nice section of town. It has a lot of character from the standpoint that the homesites have been there for some time – very established, lots of old oaks, a lot of character in the neighborhood and just nice people in the neighborhood, too.” He continued, “I’ve always lived in small towns so that part was also very attractive.”
Mr. Propst is plant manager of the Timken Company, an international producer of bearings that recently moved their headquarters to Gaffney. Although Gaffney was hurt by the demise of the textile industry there, new industries have recently located manufacturing facilities in the community.
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“I think the growth opportunities here are going to be fantastic over the next 10 or 15 years,” Mr. Propst says. “With that growth comes challenges as well. You’ve got to make sure you avoid some of the problems of larger cities, but I believe Gaffney is going to continue to be a nice place to live.”
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Just off I-85’s Exit 92, new restaurants and retailers are bringing a variety of shopping and dining options to the city. The mall features such stores as Brooks Brothers, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Rockport, and the Pottery Barn Furniture Outlet, with new stores opening all the time.
A new $4 million City Hall building is anchoring Gaffney’s next phase of improvements for the uptown area. New parks have been built, and others refurbished.
The city is also home to a new campus for Spartanburg Technical College.
The location of Cherokee County, only 45 minutes from either the Greenville-Spartanburg area of South Carolina or Charlotte, North Carolina, is ideal for many reasons. Two international airports are within an easy driving distance; a trip to the mountains or the coast is easily accessible within a few hours’ drive; major league sporting events, both college and professional, are available and the cultural activities and restaurants of larger cities are close by.
The area also enjoys excellent medical care facilities like Upstate Carolina Medical Center, a 125-bed acute care medical surgical hospital, one of the leading employers in the area.
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Pamela Henkel Steude spent twelve years as
editor of an award-winning monthly publication for the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South
Carolina. She also is a professional freelance photographer. She holds a BA in English
and Journalism from the University of Kentucky, and a Master of Mass Communications
from the University of South Carolina.
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