Greer (Jean M. Smith) Branch

Greer (Jean M. Smith) Branch History

The community of Greer arose out of Greer Station, a stop on the railroad running north to Richmond, Virginia. The area reached town status in 1876 when the people of Pleasant Grove (along with some of their buildings) arrived from a couple of miles away to be nearer to the railroad. Greer served as a trading post for the surrounding agricultural land where first cotton, and later peaches, were grown. The proximity of the cotton fields and the railroad attracted textile manufacturing which became the principal industry for decades. Today BMW and the industries associated with it have become the major employers of the people here.

Greer is perhaps the fastest growing city in South Carolina with over 20,000 residents. Expanding geographically as well, it is partially located in both Greenville and Spartanburg counties which presents its own set of challenges. Greer has a strong sense of identity and history as evidenced by the restored downtown area with over 40 buildings that appear on the National Historic Register.

Founded in the fall of 1925, the Greer Library was the first Library branch in the county. In 1938, it also became the first to erect its own building, the Davenport Memorial Library on School Street. Its downstairs meeting room provided a place for local clubs to meet, including the USO during World War II. This room later became the branch children's room as the collections and activities grew. The Library's branches were rebuilt in the 1990s and on September 10, 1995, Greer became the first new branch when it was completed and moved to its present location.

By August of 2019, Greer’s population had grown nearly two and half times what it had been when the Library’s branch opened in 1995, and the branch closed for a time to undergo an expansion and renovation in order to better accommodate the needs of the community. Reopened on November 10, 2019 with interior renovations and a 5,500 square foot expansion of the facility designed by Craig Gaulden Davis, the branch’s innovative features and specially purposed spaces take color cues from historic Downtown Greer, employing millwork in the teen room as a subtle nod to railroad ties, and floor patterns in the children’s area that are resonant of once thriving local textile mills. The combination of new textures, colors, and contemporary furniture provides a welcome refresh to this vital community resource.

Sources:

• http://www.cityofgreer.org/About/History.aspx