Ram Cat Alley, downtown Seneca.
We’ve picked a handful of small towns and cities to highlight, because let’s face it, bigger ain’t always better. If you are looking for a true Southern experience there is no better place than a small town. You’ll find friendly folks, unique places and just maybe, discover the secrets of Southern hospitality.
Gaffney was founded on historic crossroads by Michael Gaffney, an Irish immigrant, in 1804. Visit his restored log cabin downtown and take in the events during “Shindig at the Cabin,” a series of community events. This Bicentennial city (as of 2004), boasts three nationally certified historic districts. At the
Cherokee History and Arts Museum you’ll learn about Native Americans, geology, mining, the Revolutionary War, railroads, agriculture, textiles and southern social life. Stop by a local and nationally recognized eatery.
Harold’s Restaurant has been featured on the Food Network in Guy Fieri’s
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives for their chiliburgers. While in the area do some amazing shopping at over 75 designer and name-brand shops at
Gaffney Premium Outlets. Don’t miss your chance to photograph the famous
Peachoid, a four-story, million gallon water tower shaped like a peach, which pays homage to the fact that at one time the county produced more peaches per year than the entire state of Georgia.
Landrum, founded in 1880, is nestled against the backdrop of the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains. Antiques make up a substantial portion of
Landrum’s downtown commerce. It stands to reason that a respect for the sale of “fine old things” would exist among this historic community. The variety of available antique merchandise is incredible. Everything from antique jewelry to 15-foot tall stained glass windows salvaged from an old church are available. But it is not only antiques in this community. There are many other shops offering a variety of goods and services along with numerous restaurants offering fine dining for every taste and price range. If you want to spend some time in Landrum,
The Red Horse Inn is just minutes away and offers secluded cottages or a friendly Inn.
The Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Byway runs through the area for day-trip exploring and close by is
Campbell’s Covered Bridge, the only historic covered bridge in S.C. that is still standing.
Downtown
Greer, perhaps better known simply as
Greer Station, covers approximately 12 square blocks with more than 40 buildings on the National Historic Register and the downtown area itself is designated as a National Historic District. These buildings are complemented by a unique street pattern that conveys an intimate scale and small village atmosphere. Greer was first established as Greer’s Station in 1873 as a flag station along the Atlanta Charlotte Air Line Railroad. To learn more about the rich history of the Greater Greer area, a visit to the
Greer Heritage Museum is a must. The museum is also the starting point for a walking tour of historic downtown. Today you’ll find retail, dining, entertainment, and personal service establishments in quality turn-of-the-century buildings characterized by exposed brick, wood beams, ornate ceilings, and hardwood floors. Greer is also the site of the only
BMW manufacturing facility in North America. It’s worth stopping at their museum, the
Zentrum. See the cars, the speed, the innovation–all for free in the only BMW museum in North America.
In downtown
Pickens, you will want to spend some time in what’s been described as “a brick castle.” It’s the
Pickens County Museum of Art & History with turn-of-the-century Gothic architecture featuring crenellated turrets, a copper-colored tin roof and constructed of hand-rolled bricks. Here you can learn, among other things, that Pickens County was once home to the lower towns of the Cherokee and that the name "Pickens" comes from General Andrew Pickens, a Revolutionary War hero. While you’re there, don’t forget to look down. The Native Plant Gardens and Interpretive Trail allows visitors to learn about the plants and habitats that are indigenous to the area. Close by is the
Hagood-Mauldin House, full of period furnishings, art and a lovely rose garden. When Pickens District was divided into Oconee County and Pickens County in 1868, the house was disassembled, each board and beam was carefully numbered, and it was loaded onto wagons and reconstructed at its present site in the “new” town of Pickens. Antique shops and refreshments are available in downtown Pickens. If you are looking for breakfast or lunch, head to
Michael’s Restaurant downtown. It’s been a standard for almost 20 years.
Pendleton is one of the largest historic districts in the United States. The entire town plus an outlying acre is on the National Register of Historic Places and contains over fifty historic structures, most pre-1860 in origin. A walking tour brochure is available at the
Pendleton District Commission in the Guardhouse on the Village Green. The
Ashtabula and Woodburn Historic Houses are two of the largest Upcountry plantation houses and have been house museums since the 1970’s. A sight not to miss is the first permanent
Farmer's Society hall in the United States. The Society bought the unfinished new courthouse, whose construction was halted when Pendleton District was divided into Anderson and Pickens counties, and finished the building in 1828. It is a handsome two-story structure of Greek revival architecture with four massive two-story white columns on two sides and is still used by the Society today. You can’t miss it. It is in the middle of Heritage Green downtown. Stop by
1826 on the Green restaurant on the first floor of the building for a delightful bite then head over to
The Mercantile and
Mountain Made shops for unique gift ideas.
Located in the historic district of downtown
Seneca,
Ram Cat Alley is home to one-of-a-kind shops and restaurants where you’ll discover local artisans, fine antiques, unique clothing, personal services and special gifts. The name of this area deserves a little explanation. Ram Cat Alley, the original Main Street of Seneca, was established in 1873 and so named because of the throngs of cats lured to the flatbed carts that carried fish and meats on mounds of ice from the railroad depot to the grocers two blocks away. Locals at the time would say that there were so many felines, "you couldn't ram another cat into the alley." Both charmingly historic and elegantly sophisticated, this pedestrian-friendly area features locally owned stores and restaurants like
Green Springs and
Circa 1930 Eclectic Dining. If art and history are more your interest, then stop by the
Blue Ridge Art Center and the
Lunney House Museum, one of the only Historic Register sites in South Carolina with all of its outbuildings intact.
This is certainly not a comprehensive list. The Upcountry is filled with towns waiting to be explored. Fill up the tank, get off the highway and get a taste of the South.
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