Did you know Greenville County is home to South Carolina’s very first YWCA?
Tucked inside the historic Piedmont Mill Village, this small but mighty site holds a big story — and it’s now being protected and restored thanks to the Piedmont Historical Preservation Society and the Greenville County Historic & Natural Resources Trust.
Back in 1876, the Piedmont Manufacturing Company was already shipping cotton sheeting around the world. By 1900, mill President Henry Beattie knew he needed more than machinery — he needed community. He built a YMCA for men in 1905, then a YWCA for women just three years later.
Here’s where it gets fun:
That YWCA building began as a Union Church (serving three congregations – Baptist, Methodists, and Presbyterians), served as a school, was moved three times, and even became a family home for 70 years before being saved from demolition.
Now, with help from the SC Conservation Bank, local donors, and the Trust, this treasured landmark is getting a new life as a museum — home to the Don Roper Historical Collection.
Watch local historian Dr. Ann Peden share more.
Saving the Piedmont YWCA keeps our shared story alive — reminding us that protecting history is as important as building our future. Let’s keep the historic in Greenville County’s history.
