Spartanburg historian touts travel gems in the Carolinas
For Spartanburg historian and travel guide Chumley Cope, a trip to New York, Washington, D.C., or one of the grand cities of Europe is an opportunity for adventure and discovery. But Cope is equally enthusiastic about taking a short trip to a small town in the Carolinas.
“If you tell me, ‘We’re going to take a trip to New York or to Newberry,’ I’m going to say there are great reasons to visit both,” he said, emphasizing that there’s fascinating architecture, rich history, and great local characters in nearby communities as well as in the world’s most celebrated cities.
There are advantages, of course, to traveling in the region – chiefly, convenience and affordability.
So for Upstate families with free time during the holidays (and, perhaps, a slight case of stir-craziness), Cope, who leads the travel company Explore Up Close, shared some suggestions:
“All roads to lead to Laurens”
If you’re driving from the Upstate to Columbia or Charleston, “all roads lead to Laurens County,” Cope said. “They actually sort of do.”
Interstate 26 from Spartanburg and Interstate 385 from Greenville go right through Laurens County. Just a few miles from the highways is the town of Laurens – “a great place to traipse around,” as Cope described it.
Laurens is home to a classic town square, with its historic courthouse (currently under renovation), a collection of eateries, and Verdin’s Too, a unique garden shop situated in a downtown building with an open-air space.
Cope touts the Laurens County Museum, which boasts an impressive collection of Native American artifacts, a display of 30 historic quilts, rotating traveling exhibits, and more.
During the holidays, the old courthouse square is the site of a colorful Christmas tree and other seasonal displays.
Within walking distance – or a short drive – of the downtown square is a stretch of West Main Street that is home to beautiful churches and historic homes.
The Battle of Musgrove Mill State Historic Site is another place worth visiting before leaving Laurens, Cope said. Though not as well-known as Cowpens or Kings Mountain Revolutionary War sites, the battle at Musgrove Mill was a significant victory for the Patriots and a key to the shifting tide in the Southern theater of the war.
“The battlefield trail is a great walk – about a mile long with storyboards all along the way on how the battle unfolded,” Cope said. The visitors’ center, he added, features a diorama that details the battle.
Cope also mentioned the park’s Horseshoe Falls, a scenic spot that forms a fun swimming hole. “A lot of times, you’ll see people playing and swimming in the stream,” he said – though it’s perhaps an activity for a more suitable time of the year.
Shelby, NC: “What a place!”
Just across the North Carolina state line is the town of Shelby. It is another destination with a picturesque town square, notable historic buildings, and places to grab lunch or coffee. And, in Cope’s view, Shelby is a real gem.
“Every time I go to Shelby, I’m like, ‘Wow, what a place!’”
The Earl Scruggs Center is a centerpiece of downtown Shelby. Located in the former Cleveland County Courthouse, the museum honors the life and music of banjo master and Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs.
Scruggs grew up in Cleveland County, where he learned to play banjo as a child. He developed a style of picking that has influenced countless banjo players over the years. Along the way, he performed in Bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe’s band, formed the popular Flatt and Scruggs duo, and composed the classic “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.”
The Earl Scruggs Center tells stories about the musician’s life. It also features an impressive collection of instruments that Scruggs family members owned as well as displays about the economic and cultural history of the region.
The Scruggs Center isn’t the only music-related anchor in the cultural life of Shelby. The town is also home to the Don Gibson Theatre, a 400-seat concert venue that hosts an impressive array of regional and nationally touring acts.
If you share Cope’s love of historic buildings and significant architecture, visit the Banker’s House on North Lafayette Street, near downtown. The house is, according to Cope, one of the region’s finest examples of what’s known as “Second Empire” design – so named because of its connection to the architectural trend of Napoleon III’s Second Empire in France.
The Newberry Opera House … and more
The city of Newberry, easily accessible from I-26, is about halfway between Laurens and Columbia. And, like Shelby, it boasts a music venue that rivals larger city stages.
The Newberry Opera House opened in 1882 and, after years of inactivity, was renovated and reopened in the 1990s. Since then, it has hosted shows by musical luminaries such as Willie Nelson, Wynton Marsalis, and Roberta Flack.
The impact of the Newberry Opera House on the success of the city’s downtown has been enormous, Cope said. It attracts visitors from around the region, which has fueled the development of a downtown hotel, several excellent restaurants, and engaging boutiques and other shops.
“The opera house as redefined Newberry as a destination,” Cope said. “And it’s a pretty big deal for all of South Carolina, even if it flies a little under the radar.”
Even if you’re not planning to take in a show, you can still stop by for a short visit during normal business hours (though closed on Sundays and Mondays).
The nearby visitors center is housed in the Old Newberry County Courthouse. Built in the early 1850s, it’s regarded by some historians as an excellent example of Greek Revival architecture.
The front of the building features a bas-relief image created by Osborne Wells, an architect who was hired to remodel the courthouse near the end of the Reconstruction period. His artwork depicts an eagle that has uprooted a Palmetto tree. At the top of the tree is a dove holding an olive branch, but at the base is a fighting gamecock.
Historians think Wells’ design was a commentary on the political dynamics of late Reconstruction – a state defeated by, yet in defiance against, the federal government.
“It’s an amazing, controversial statement about Reconstruction,” Cope said.
According to Cope, a federal judge ordered the artwork to be removed. But Reconstruction ended soon after, and it “has remained to this day.”
Cope also recommends a visit to the Newberry Museum, which features permanent and special exhibits as well as stories about smaller communities throughout the county.
Then there’s the unexpected: Newberry’s Japanese garden, located on Lindsay Street.
The garden was created in 1930 by a local architect named Fulmer Wells, who had developed a passion for Japanese gardens. Now owned by the City of Newberry, the garden’s vegetation, ponds, and landscaping were updated a few years ago.
“It’s a small park, but very cool to see,” Cope said.
Laurens, Shelby, and Newberry are samplings of the destinations Cope thinks are great for a one-day excursion during the holidays or at any other time of the year.
“These are kinds of places that can be great for your schedule and for your budget,” he said. “You’ll find fascinating stories, and they might make a connection that inspires you to see your own local community in new and interesting ways.”
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