The J. D. and Millicent Massey House was built in the 1930s from a Leila Ross Wilburn plan. It stayed in the Massey family for several decades. It is now a law office.
Massey House – A Leila Ross Wilburn House in Greenville, South Carolina
Category Archives: -South Carolina
Lanneau-Norwood-Funderburk House of Greenville, South Carolina
The Lanneau-Norwood-Funderburk House was built in 1877 for Charles H. Lanneau by Charleston architect Jacob Cagle. Lanneau was involved in several local textile mills. He even founded the Lanneau Manufacturing Company on adjacent land to the home. Like many homes during this time period, the home was destroyed by fire twice and rebuilt both times.
After becoming bankrupt in 1907, Lanneau sold the Second Empire home to local banker John Wilkins Norwood. When he passed away in 1945, his daughter Frances Norwood Funderburk inherited the home. She then passed it to her son, George Norwood.
To view photos of the inside, the house can be seen in a 2021 listing.
Tamassee DAR School in Oconee County, South Carolina
In the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Oconee County, South Carolina, is the Tamassee DAR School. Like Rosenwald Schools, the school was founded to provide education to rural schoolchildren. Started in 1919, the school primarily provided an education to local white children. The school initially operated as a boarding school for girls and a day school for boys. Later, boys were allowed to board on the campus. In addition to getting an education, students learned about citizenship. It is one of two DAR-owned schools in the country, the other being the Kate Duncan Smith School in Grant, Alabama.
Additionally, Temassee was the site of the first “Opportunity School.” An initiative that began in 1921 focused on adult education and literacy for employees of local textile mills. The school focused on developing basic reading and math skills while also educating participants on health habits and civic responsibility.
Buildings are named to recognize important women within the DAR or states where the statewide DAR chapters gave generously to support the founding and building of the school. The school was intentionally frugal by using wood from the local forests and leftover blue granite from the incomplete Stumptown Tunnel. Most buildings were constructed in the 1940s. The Tamassee Post Office was not an original building and was relocated to the campus.
Although the school no longer offers a primary education, it remains active by providing services to local children in need and daycare. Additionally, they host summer camps for local children.
The school was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.
Nazarene Baptist Church of Pineland, South Carolina
I have little information on the Nazarene Baptist Church in Jasper County, South Carolina. The building was constructed in 1960. The earliest listed burial on FindAGrave is in 1901 and belongs to Reverend Calvin Lawton. Lawton had two wives and 23 children. Several of his children are buried in the cemetery, so I suspect Lawton was one of the church’s founders. The church is no longer in use, but the cemetery is active.
Strickland Grocery and the “Teslr” Charging Stations of Starr, South Carolina
West of the small town of Starr on Rainey Road is the Strickland Grocery. According to the South Carolina Picture Project, the Strickland Grocery was initially a mercantile run by Stephen E. Strickland. Upon his death in 1894, the Strickland children took over the business and renamed it Strickland Grocery. The website doesn’t clarify if the name change happened in 1897, as the sign says, but I will assume that. The second date of 1947 must mean the Stricklands stopped running the store. According to Findagrave, the Strickland siblings lived until the 1920s and 30s, but one sibling, Henry Strickland, lived until 1950 to the age of 78.
However, according to newspaper articles, the store continued to be opened under that name until at least 1978. Sadly, the store is only mentioned in regards to robberies. In 1975, the store was part of a string of robberies. The thieves took $75 worth of cigarettes and candy and caused $100 in building damages. In 1978, another robber escaped with $412 worth of food, cigarettes, and soft drinks. This is the last mention of the store I can find in the store. I know locals could provide more details when the store was operating. If you live in the area and can provide more history, please let me know.
It looks like the current owners are trying to generate fresh traffic to the store by offering “Teslr” charging stations. I am sure they will be quite successful in their endeavor. At a minimum, it makes people like me stop and take photos.
Evergreen CME Church of Starr, South Carolina
I do not have any history of this church. According to FindAGrave, the oldest burial is from 1900.