Greenville's Hampton-Pinckney neighborhood gets historical marker. Here's what to know.

Nina Tran, Greenville News
·1 min read

Greenville's first trolley-car neighborhood was recently commemorated with a historical marker.

The Hampton-Pinckney neighborhood, inspired by the architectural styles of Craftsman and Queen Anne, features one of Greenville's oldest collection of residential buildings, with homes dating back to the 1890s and 1910s.

At the neighborhood's core are Pinckney Street and Hampton Avenue, with boundaries along Pinckney and Lloyd Streets, Butler and Asbury Avenues. The neighborhood sits on land once part of Lemuel Alston's estate, and later, Vardry McBee, according to a press release from the Hampton-Pinckney PorchFest Committee.

The neighborhood's beginning can be traced back to members of the McBee family, who divided portions of the estate and build houses for themselves.

The Hampton-Pinckney PorchFest Committee visits the marker site. From left to right: Amy Connor; Robert, Judy and Chaco Benedict; Wade Cleveland; and Travis Seward.
The Hampton-Pinckney PorchFest Committee visits the marker site. From left to right: Amy Connor; Robert, Judy and Chaco Benedict; Wade Cleveland; and Travis Seward.

It eventually became home to prominent business and community leaders:

∎ State Senator T.Q. Donaldson

∎ Engineer-Builder James Gallivan

∎ Industrialist J.M. Geer

∎ Mayor Heyward Mahon

∎ Mayor Henry Briggs

∎ Bank President James P. Rickman

The neighborhood was once home to four churches, including Mattoon Presbyterian, one of Greenville's oldest African-American churches.

Residents organized in the 1970s to rehabilitate deteriorated homes as families moved away after World War II. The term "Hampton-Pinckney" was coined during these efforts.

In 1977, the area named to the National Register of Historic Districts, becoming Greenville's first National Register District.

The marker is located in front of 213 Butler Avenue in downtown Greenville and is one of a series of markers planned by Hampton-Pinckney PorchFest to commemorate the community's rich history, the press release stated. Future markers are planned to be installed for Mattoon Presbyterian Church, John Street School and Oscar Street School.

Nina Tran covers trending topics. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Greenville's Hampton-Pinckney neighborhood gets historical marker