100 years and counting: These Greenville businesses have stood the test of time

Imagine it: 100 years.

In 1924, the United States was in the "Roaring Twenties.'' Two men who would undoubtedly prove to be contenders were born: the acclaimed actor Marlon Brando and U.S. President George H.W. Bush.

The first crossword puzzle was published. J. Edgar Hoover was first appointed to head the FBI. And precocious redhead Little Orphan Annie took residence on newspapers' comic pages.

Closer to home, some Greenville businesses, many family-owned, were up and running. And today, in 2024, they are still with us, having endured the Great Depression, World War II, and a world of economic upheaval and change.

Here are some Greenville concerns that have stood the test of time, enduring for 100+ years:

Hale's Jewelers opened in 1856 as a watch shop on Main Street. In 1910, its iconic clock was installed. In 1982, it moved to Haywood Road. (The clock moved, too). In 2021, Hale's moved to its current Verdae Boulevard location.

"We've kind of seen the small community grow into the metropolis it is today. It's kind of been a fun ride. The people of Greenville have been also supportive of us," President of Hale's Jewelers Lecian Lee said. "The original founders founded on producing quality products, creating trust and being part of the community. That adage has never really changed."

Two local funeral homes can claim 100+ years. Mackey Mortuary first opened in 1872 on East Washington Street. It built a new funeral home on North Main Street in 1926, and in 1969, it moved to the location where it's now visible, on Century Drive, high on a hill overlooking Interstate 385 as it heads into downtown. Now known as Mackey Funerals & Cremations, the company added a second location in 2018, at Woodlawn Memorial Park on Pine Knoll Drive.

According to the City of Greenville, during the 1920s, the Black business district was centered around the Working Benevolent Temple and Professional Building and the Phillis Wheatley Association on Broad Street. The Benevolent Temple housed Black doctors, lawyers, dentist offices, insurance firms, and Greenville's first Black mortuary.

Thomas McAfee Funeral Home dates to 1913. According to the company's history, it started with a "horse-drawn hearse'' but also brought Greenville the first "motor ambulance.'' Today, with locations in downtown Greenville, northwest Greenville and Simpsonville, the family company is in the hands of "great-grandsons and their sons."

There also are law firms with deep Greenville roots. Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A., can trace its history to 1887 when Harry J. Haynsworth opened a law office in Greenville. In 1986, the firm merged with Columbia/Charleston firm McKay and Guerard to form Haynsworth, Marion, McKay and Guerard. That firm merged with Sinkler Boyd in 2001.

Wyche, P.A., began in 1921 with the formation of Dean, Cothran & Wyche. It was renamed Wyche, Burgess, Freeman and Parham in 1964. Attorney Tommy Wyche, who died in 2015 at age 89, was heavily involved with other firm members in developing the modern downtown Greenville. Wyche also founded Natureland Trust in 1973. One of the Southeast's oldest conservation land trusts, it has protected "large and significant tracts of land" in South and North Carolina, including Jones Gap, Caesar's Head, and Raven Cliffs Falls.

The Price Law Firm traces its roots to 1906 when James H. Price began his practice. Two attorneys in the family continue to practice law. Longtime and well-known Greenville attorney James "Chip" Price III died in 2020.

The Baptist Courier was established in 1869 and adopted as the S.C. Baptist Convention's ''official newspaper. '' According to its website, its print edition reaches more than 23,000 families.

V.M. Manning, founded in 1916 by Vivian Manning, today provides "highly personalized wealth management and investment advisory services.'' Nelson B. Arrington became its chairman in 1986.

Smith Dray Lines, today, according to its website, ''an agent for Atlas Van Lines,'' dates to 1911. As its name indicates, the moving company began with large and sturdy "dray'' horses and wagons. Today, it provides moving services in Asheville, Greenville, Charleston, Charlotte, and Columbia.

What would summer in the South be without tomato sandwiches slathered with Duke's Mayonnaise? Eugenia Duke created the tangy sandwich spread in 1917. C.F. Sauer took ownership of Duke's in 1929, and the mayonnaise is the "flagship product'' of Sauer, which produces the mayo at its plant near Mauldin.

League Manufacturing began in 1917 as a lumber brokerage. Through the years, it created plywood shipping crates and wooden shipping pallets, textile machinery replacement parts, and, during World War II, mop handles for the U.S. Navy. Today, according to its website, it provides ''contract machining of wood and plastic products.''

Smith & James opened in 1916 as Smith & Vaughan, an "exclusive up-to-date gent's furnishings store.'' In 1919, the name changed to Smith & James. In 2005, the Greer institution opened a Greenville store.

The Furman Co., founded in 1888, ''paved the way for local development, commercial real estate development, education, and growth in commerce'' in Greenville. Alester G. Furman helped the area's textile industry thrive by identifying and acquiring land for plants. With other civic-minded leaders, he also helped to "electrify" the city and lobbied to bring an Army Air Base—Donaldson—to Greenville.

Gillespie Marble & Granite Works began in 1897 and still provides grave markers, custom marble and brass memorials, custom house numbers, and mailboxes.

The textile firm Safety Components dates back to 1912. Elevates Textiles is today the "world leader in flame-resistant fabric solutions."

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: These Greenville businesses have 100+ years, check out our list