Spartanburg Coca-Cola began in 1902 in a building behind the Spartan Inn. The fourth and final building was opened in 1936. The Art Deco construction was designed by local noted architect James Frank Collins, who designed the Masonic Temple, Spartanburg General Hospital, and Wofford and Converse campuses. The building was in use until 2017. It then sat abandoned until 2023, when plans were made to save the building and turn it into a mixed-use facility.
The Queen Anne home was built after Bishop Duncan was named bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Prior to his appointment, he was a professor at Wofford College and he lived on campus with his family.
From the National Register of Historic Places application, “The Bishop William Wallace Duncan House, built ca. 1886, exemplifies the Queen Anne style of architecture. Duncan was a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church and was an active leader in the fields of education and religion. The house’s design was produced by Gottfried L. Norrman, a well-known Swedish born, Danish and German trained architect who practiced in Spartanburg and Atlanta. Built upon a brick basement, the two-story building has clapboard and cedar shingle siding laid in staggered butts. Asymmetrical in design, it has a high-pitched roof of many angles pierced by six chimneys. Significant architectural details include a decorative mosaic tile front porch landing, five large chimneys, the front one featuring a terra cotta cartouche containing the Duncan family crest, a massive wood shingle-clad cylindrical tower, stained glass and Queen Anne block glass windows, and a host of interior details such as oak paneling, spindle friezes and screens, a massive stone chimneypiece in the central hall, decorative wood mantels with overmantels and a staircase. Listed in the National Register July 12, 1976. The Bishop William Wallace Duncan House was moved from its original location at 249 N. Church St. to its present location on 300 Howard St in November 1999.”
The Baber Rhyne Drug Store, located next to the train depot on Magnolia Street, was incorporated in 1918. The original owners were Grover Baber and J. W. Rhyne. They eventually turned ownership to Wendell Burnett. Based on advertisements, it was the only drug store in town open 24 hours a day. The location was convenient for travelers and rail staff. The drugstore eventually closed. Different restaurants have called this location home over the years.
On a side note, while researching the history of the building, I found an article about a William Walker pleading guilty to taking over 14,000 narcotic pain tablets from the drug store. He was a former clerk there. It made me wonder what the black market value of narcotics was back in the 1950s.
The Wat Lao Buddha Mettaram, known as the Spartanburg Buddhist Center, opened in 2010. It is located in East Spartanburg.
The Temple is frequently busy. It took visiting on Thanksgiving to be able to take photographs. The details of the building are pretty intricate.
Outside of the Temple is a sculpture garden containing animals and angels. Additionally, a rooster runs free of their grounds, along with several white cats.
Located next to the train station, the Railroad Express Agency was built by George Harakas in 1946 for $16,000. It was a package pick-up location and could store several truckloads of packages.
Over the years, it served as a transmission shop, newsstand, music store, and vintage clothing store.
If you grew up in Spartanburg, this is the Krispy Kreme where you would pick up their delicious doughnuts. Located on Church Street, the building was opened in 1969 by Reverend Wilford W. Reese. When he passed away in 1979, his son, Glenn Reese, took over the franchise. Glenn Reese was also a teacher, basketball official, and a South Carolina senator. This location closed in 2005, and a new location was built across the street.
