Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall

Friday Campfire at Walnut Grove Plantation

Tour of Homes by Architect J. Frank Collins

Sunday, September 12, 2010,  2:00-5:00 pm

Converse Heights Neighborhood (Park at Trinity United Methodist Church, then walk or ride the trolley.)

Don't miss a rare opportunity to tour five of Spartanburg's most beautiful and historic homes. The Spartanburg County Historical Association will sponsor a tour of houses designed by the eminent architect J. Frank Collins, who left a lasting mark on Spartanburg during the first half of the twentieth century with several prominent homes and public buildings. The tour includes homes built for James F. Byrnes on Otis Boulevard and Dr. Sam Orr Black on Sherwood Circle. It also includes a brochure listing the twenty homes that Collins designed.

Tour date is Sunday, September 12, from 2 pm to 5 pm. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 the day of the tour. Advance tickets are available at the Regional History Museum or via our "Donate" button on this website. Call 864-576-3501 or email scha@spartanburghistory.org for more information.
   
Following the tour, Historical Association members who have joined at the Spartan Regiment Society level ($100), Kate Moore Barry Society level ($250), or Lewis P. Jones Society level ($500) are invited to attend a reception and talk (included with their tour cost) on the life of Frank Collins at the home he designed for Mr. & Mrs. Bertram Manning and later occupied by Robert and Love Cates, the first house to be built on Andrews Farm Road. Reception is from 5:15 pm to 7 pm.  To become a member or to upgrade your membership level, visit our membership page or go by any of our four historic sites.

All proceeds help maintain the Association's historic properties, which include Walnut Grove Plantation, the Seay House, the Price House, and the Regional History Museum.

College Town: Spartanburg’s Legacy of Higher Learning

September 14 - November 13, 2010  -  Opening Reception September 30, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
This Regional History Museum exhibit shares the impressive and life-changing legacy of Spartanburg's community of higher learning as well as the people who began the tradition and keep it growing and strong.  The opening reception will feature Spartanburg’s college and university representatives sharing a glimpse of their stories.  Tours of the College Town temporary exhibit will be available from 6:00 - 7:00 pm at no charge. 

Seay House Saturday

September 18, 2010, 10:00-4:00

106 Darby Road, Spartanburg, SC;seayhouse@spartanburghistory.org or 864-596-3501

Join us on this Saturday at The Seay House, Spartanburg's oldest home.  Located at 106 Darby Road just off Crescent Avenue, this home showcases the dwelling of a local farmstead managed and maintained by three maiden Seay sisters in the late 1800s.  Come relax for an hour or two on this historic property!

The Seay House is open by appointment year-round and on the 3rd Saturday of the summer months except July. Sponsors allow us to open at no charge to the public, though visitor donations help us maintain the property.  Special thanks to Kathy & Marvin Cann for sponsoring September’s Seay House Saturday.   The Seay House is one of 3 historic homes maintained by the Spartanburg County Historical Association.

Spartanburg History Hub

The Spartanburg History Hub is a network of individuals and organizations interested in the preservation and promotion of Spartanburg County history.  It is created and managed by the Spartanburg County Historical Association and meets for one hour from 7:00 pm in the odd months except July.  The dates through next summer are September 23, November 18; 2011: January 27, March 24, May 26.  September's meeting will be at the Spartanburg County Headquarters Library in the Barrett Room and will feature staff from the Kennedy Room led by Debra Hutchins.  Bring information about your latest project or upcoming events.  There is no charge and reservations are not required.

Lunch & Learn Spartanburg

September 24, 2010, 12:30-1:30 pm
West Wing Conference Room of the Chapman Cultural Center
$5 at the door; Lunches welcome; Reserve at 864-596-3501 or njefferies@spartanburghistory.org
Mr. Ross Beard will present tales of notorious Spartanburg Crimes, Mr. Carbine of Rifle Fame, and more.  Lunch & Learn Spartanburg is a presentation of the Regional History Museum.

Downtown Spartanburg Walking Tour

Begins at Regional History Museum, 200 E. St. John St., Spartanburg
September 25, 2010 - 10:00 to 11:30 am
October 30, 2010 - 10:00 to 11:30 am

Admission: $10 adults, $5 students
Limited to 30

Downtown walking tours begin at the Regional History Museum and proceed to East Main Street, through Morgan Square, down Magnolia Street and back along St. John Street.  Participants will have a chance to see historic photographs that depict historical views of downtown Spartanburg from where they were taken.  Additionally, we'll hear fascinating and often humorous stories about downtown and its occupants.  Downtown has changed a lot since 1787, and there is no better way to see it than by standing in the places where history happened!  Tours will be canceled in the case of inclement weather.  Custom tours for school and civic groups also available.

To make reservations or for more information, contact Brad Steinecke at 596-3501 or by emailing bsteinecke@spartanburghistory.org.

FestiFall Friday Night: A Colonial Celebration at Walnut Grove Plantation

October 1, 6:00-9:00 pm   (Rain or Shine)

1200 Otts Shoals Road, Roebuck, SC

Enjoy a family-friendly evening of food, activities, and up-close conversations with Revolutionary re-enactors!  This great evening event serves to kick off our FestiFall weekend. This evening features music, great food, and an opportunity to share your table with a Revolutionary War soldier who can share the latest progress in America’s struggle for independence from Great Britain.  Perhaps you’ll sit with a cooper or gunsmith who might share a few secrets of the trade. We are also have demonstrations and hands-on children’s activities. It’s an evening not to be missed and perfect for the whole family!

$25 Ages 18+; $15 Ages 12-17; $10 Ages 5-11; Free 4 & under
Space is Limited: Reserve by Sept 21 - send name, contact info, & check to SCHA, PO Box 887, Sptbg 29304 or drop by the History Museum in the Chapman Cultural Center, 200 E St John St (MC/Visa, Check).

FestiFall at Walnut Grove Plantation

October 2 & 3, 2010; Saturday, 10:00-5:00; Sunday, 10:00-4:00     (Rain or Shine)

1200 Otts Shoals Road, Roebuck, SC

Admission: adults $9.00, ages 6-17 $5.00, ages 5 & under free

FestiFall is the largest annual event offered by the Spartanburg County Historical Association. This living history festival brings over 100 reenactors to Walnut Grove Plantation to camp for the first weekend in October each year. The two-day festival includes military demonstrations and reenactments, and dozens of ongoing demonstrations of colonial era crafts and trades. You can see the blacksmith working at his forge, a cooper making barrels, as well as a broom maker, a basket maker, and weavers. Kids can make their own candles, try their hand at weaving, and play some colonial games. This is truly a family friendly event and draws roughly 2,000 visitors over the weekend. The purpose of the event is to focus on the Upstate's rich Revolutionary War history. Parking is available on site. You can bring a picnic lunch or purchase a BBQ lunch in the pavilion. Come make a day of it!

For more information, call 864-596-3501 or 864-576-6546 or email scha@spartanburghistory.org.

Celebrating the Seays: A Seay Family Reunion & Genealogy Day

October 16, 2010, 10:00-4:00
106 Darby Road, Spartanburg, SC; seayhouse@spartanburghistory.org or 864-596-3501
$5 Ages 13+; Ages 0-12 Free
Bring a picnic or reserve a box lunch & drink for $7

All Seay descendants, cousins, and friends are invited to come on this special day to meet and share stories, hear Lorene Fisher speak about local genealogy, and have a picnic.  Bring your own or reserve a $7 box lunch & drink with us.  Drinks and cupcakes will be available for purchase.  Bring a picnic blanket or chairs to relax the day away at The Seay House, Spartanburg's oldest home.  This event will also debut a book of the Seay House and its surrounding history for 160 years!  This home showcases the dwelling of a local farmstead managed and maintained by three maiden Seay sisters in the late 1800s.  

The Seay House is open by appointment year-round and on the 3rd Saturday of the summer months except July.  Special thanks to Donna Williams for sponsoring October’s Seay House Saturday.  This allows all admission receipts to go directly to maintaining The Seay House for future generations.  The Seay House is one of 3 historic homes maintained by the Spartanburg County Historical Association.

Lunch & Learn Spartanburg

October 22, 2010, 12:30-1:30 pm
West Wing Conference Room of the Chapman Cultural Center
$5 at the door; Lunches welcome; Reserve at 864-596-3501 or njefferies@spartanburghistory.org
Mr. Jerry Alexander poses the question, "Where Have All the Moonshiners Gone?"  Come learn - and share - the answer!  Lunch & Learn Spartanburg is a presentation of the Regional History Museum.

Autumn Fun at the Historic Price House

October 23, 2010; 2:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.   (Rain or Shine)

1200 Oak View Farms Road, Woodruff

Admission: adults $6.00, ages 6-17 $4.00, ages 5 & under free
Groups of 10 or more that reserve by October 15 receive 10% off all admissions.

Come gather ‘round the fire, roast hot dogs and marshmallows, and be mesmerized by stories of times past!  Autumn Fun is a perfect way for families or children's groups to spend a crisp autumn afternoon and evening.  This year's event features fascinating stories from a professional storyteller, exciting games from the early 1800s, and an evening star-gazing program at 7:45 that shares the history of the night sky's constellations (the star-gazing program will occur weather permitting but the rest of our activities will occur whether rain or shine).  Guided tours of the Price House will be presented throughout the event with special tours by lantern light at 5, 6, & 7 p.m.  You can also enjoy a hike along our new nature trail and hot dogs and marshmallows roasted over an open fire.

For more information, call 864-576-6546 or email pricehouse@spartanburghistory.org.

Historic Downtown Ghost Tour

Thursday, October 28, 2010
Details pending

See more of our pictures!