Greer was named for James Manning Greer, who was Scottish. Many of his descendants still reside in the region. James Manning Greer was a descendant of John Greer Sr., who surveyed his land in Laurens County in 1750. John and his family were already in Laurens County, prior to the Greer passengers who arrived aboard the ship The Falls in 1764. John, Sr.'s great grandson, James Manning Greer, settled his family near Greenville in an area that eventually became known as Greer's Station.[8][9]
The area now known as Greer was once part of the "Domain of the Cherokees" prior to the American Revolutionary War. In 1777, the area was added to the state of South Carolina. Development toward the birth of the town occurred in 1873, when the Richmond and Danville Air Line Railway (now the Norfolk Southern Railway) established a line between Atlanta and Charlotte. A station was built on land that belonged to James Manning Greer, and was named Greer's Station. The first post office was located in the new depot, Greer's Depot.[8] That depot was a red brick, Victorian structure with a slate roof and a cupola. It was located immediately adjacent to the current Norfolk Southern rail line between Trade Street and Depot Street, facing toward Moore Street. It was demolished in 1976 by its then owner, the Southern Railway System, in order to avoid property taxes. When the town was incorporated in 1876, it was named Town of Greer's. One hundred years later, the name was officially changed to the City of Greer without an "s" on the end.[10][11][12]
Merchants, blacksmiths and physicians set up shop in what is now the downtown area of Greer. In 1900, Greer's first bank, the Bank of Greer's, opened. The Piedmont and Northern Railway laid a second railroad line through Greer in 1914. With two active train lines, Greer became an attractive site for commerce. The railway meant big business for local farmers, enabling them to ship their crops, mainly cotton and peaches, out of state. Greer also became a textile-manufacturing center, with flourishing mills that included Victor, Franklin, Apalache and Greer Mills. The communities that grew up around the mills were as close-knit as the outlying farming communities.[8][9]
In 1939, artist Winfred Walkley painted a mural, Cotton and Peach Growing, for the town's old post office as one of thirteen works commissioned by the U.S. Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts between 1938 and 1941 for post offices and federal buildings throughout South Carolina.[13] The building is now home to the Greer Heritage Museum.[14]
After World War II, the city began to grow and diversify its industrial base. A new hospital and high school were built. People came to downtown Greer from Spartanburg and Greenville to shop. In the early 1960s, Interstate 85 was opened, as well as the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. Imports derailed the textile industry in the 1970s and threatened to turn Greer into a ghost town, but the citizens of Greer worked together to attract new industry.[15]
Geography
Greer is located 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Greenville and 17 miles (27 km) west of Spartanburg.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.56 square miles (66.2 km2), of which 23.44 square miles (60.7 km2) is land and 2.12 square miles (5.5 km2) (8.29%) is water.[2] Greer has three lakes: Apalache Lake, Lake Robinson, and Lake Cunningham. The South Tyger River runs through the northern part of Greer, part of the Broad River watershed.
As of the 2020 census, there were 35,308 people, 11,531 households, and 7,507 families residing in the city.
As of 2023, of the 35,308 people, about 25,587 are in Greenville County and about 9,721 are in Spartanburg County.[18]
2000 census
At the 2000 census,[5] there were 16,843 people, 6,714 households, and 4,511 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,044.5 inhabitants per square mile (403.3/km2). There were 7,386 housing units at an average density of 458.0 per square mile (176.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 73.39% white, 19.49% African American, 1.16% Asian, 0.22% Native American, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 4.42% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.18% of the population. 21.6% were of American, 9.5% Irish, 8.9% German and 8.4% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 90.6% spoke English and 8.5% Spanish as their first language. Since 2000, the city has seen an explosive increase in Hispanic immigration.
There were 6,714 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,140, and the median income for a family was $41,864. Males had a median income of $33,147 versus $23,566 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,546. About 12.2% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.
The Greer City Stadium is a WPA project completed in 1938; it currently seats 3,000. The stadium has hosted little league, scholastic, The American Legion World Series, and semi-professional sports.[23]
In 2012, the Cannon Center, a former National Guard armory, became a basketball gym.[24] The facility was originally built in 1936.[25]
The City of Geer Municipal Complex was completed in 2008, and includes the 12-acre (4.9 ha) Greer City Park.[26][27]
Infrastructure
Healthcare
Pelham Medical Center, part of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, is a 48-bed hospital providing emergency services, general surgery, gynecology, orthopedics, cardiology (non-invasive), endocrinology, gastroenterology, general medicine, oncology, and intensive care services. This campus includes Pelham Medical Center Medical Office Building, the Surgery Center at Pelham, and the Gibbs Cancer Center and Research Institute at Pelham,[28] which provides radiation oncology, medical oncology,[29] and Cyberknife M6 surgery.[30]
Greer Memorial Hospital is an 82-bed facility with emergency, ICU and maternity care.[31]
Greer is served by Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, which operates to both Greenville and Spartanburg. Greer is the location of Inland Port Greer, one of two inland ports in South Carolina, built to handle containerized goods. Inland Port Greer is served by Norfolk Southern, and connects Greer to the Port of Charleston.[34][35]
Daniel Palka, Major League Baseball Player, Chicago White Sox, 2018- ; 2018 White Sox Team Home Run Leader. Also 2010 McDonald’s All American game player in basketball.
