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 Celebrating South Carolina Community Design
in Glendale
Although
only six miles from downtown Spartanburg, Glendale lies somewhat off
the beaten path. Founded in 1832, it is considered by some
scholars to be the most historic textile mill community in South
Carolina. In addition, it has an abundance of natural and
cultural resources that need to be protected for the future.
With
the right planning, Glendale has the potential to become a prosperous
historic suburban community.
Remarkably, most of Glendale’s historic area is still intact
and
much is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic
Places. A master plan for the community would help develop
solutions that enhance the town’s economy, improve quality of
life and encourage active lifestyles, while restoring and improving the
community’s natural characteristics.
The Glendale Mills were closed in the 1970s, leaving behind vacant mill
buildings which burned in 2004. All that remains of the site
are
picturesque stone and brick ruins and an historic office building on
the banks of the Lawson’s Fork Shoals. Contributing
to
Glendale’s decline was the closing of Glendale United
Methodist
Church. The congregation’s numbers had dwindled to
the
point that the church could not remain in operation. Though
difficult, these two events ultimately were a catalyst for changing the
course of Glendale’s history.
In December 2005, forty citizens gathered to consider the fate of the
Methodist Church property. During a brainstorming session, it
was
suggested that the site be turned into an outdoor leadership and
education center. With help from the Palmetto Conservation
Foundation, the community created an adaptive reuse plan for the church
that incorporated fitness and walking trails on the six-acre site.
As a result of this creative thinking, participants realized the need
for a master plan for the entire community of Glendale. They
understood their unique position as an historic community on the edge
of a major metropolitan area. A village master plan would
give
shape to their vision of the future.
In early 2007, AIA
Spartanburg undertook an historic resources survey
of the Glendale community. More than 140 properties were
surveyed
by a team of five historic preservation students from the University of
South Carolina and leaders from the Design Arts Partnership and State
Historic Preservation Office. The survey results were
presented
to the National Register review committee for South Carolina who
determined that the central core of the mill village is eligible for
listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The team
completed the project by taking measurements for drawings of the
Glendale mill office, Methodist Church, and Bivings-Converse House.
Subsequently, public officials, village residents, mill owners,
representatives from the Palmetto Conservation Foundation, architecture
students and faculty, AIA
Spartanburg members, and other design
professionals gathered for a two-day community planning
workshop.
During public input sessions, discussion included regional planning,
historic preservation, parks and recreation development, and reuse of
the mill site.
The study resulted in a master plan for the Glendale mill, a proposal
for a new town square, a digital photo movie featuring images of
Glendale, and specific recommendations for implementation.
The final reports on the planning workshop and historic survey were
presented at the South Carolina Community Design Summit.
View
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