Greer is a city in Greenville and

Spartanburg Spartanburg is a city in and the seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest city in the state. For a time, the Offi ...

counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. The population was 35,308 as of the 2020 census Greer is part of the Greenville–

Anderson Anderson or Andersson may refer to: Companies * Anderson (Carriage), a company that manufactured automobiles from 1907 to 1910 * Anderson Electric, an early 20th-century electric car * Anderson Greenwood, an industrial manufacturer * Anderson ...

– Mauldin

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

. The city is additionally part of the

Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area The Upstate is the region in the westernmost part of South Carolina, United States, also known as the Upcountry, which is the historical term. Although loosely defined among locals, the general definition includes the 10 counties of the commerc ...

Upstate South Carolina The Upstate is the region in the westernmost part of South Carolina, United States, also known as the Upcountry, which is the historical term. Although loosely defined among locals, the general definition includes the 10 counties of the commerc ...

. Greer is adjacent to

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport The Upstate is the region in the westernmost part of South Carolina, United States, also known as the Upcountry, which is the historical term. Although loosely defined among locals, the general definition includes the 10 counties of the commerc ...

(GSP), which serves Greenville,

, and

the Upstate The Upstate is the region in the westernmost part of South Carolina, United States, also known as the Upcountry, which is the historical term. Although loosely defined among locals, the general definition includes the 10 counties of the commerc ...

. Greer is also the site of the largest BMW manufacturing facility in North America. According to a June 2005 article in ''

The Greenville News ''The Greenville News'' is a daily morning newspaper published in Greenville, South Carolina. After ''The State'' in Columbia and Charleston's ''The Post and Courier'', it is the third largest paper in South Carolina. History ''The Greenville N ...

'', BMW's Greer plant employs about 9,000 people, and has attracted dozens of suppliers in South Carolina, providing jobs for more than 12,000 people. Greer is home to the South Carolina Inland Port, an intermodal facility that receives and sends containers by rail to the

Port of Charleston The Port of Charleston is a seaport located in South Carolina in the Southeastern United States. The port's facilities span three municipalities — Charleston, North Charleston, and Mount Pleasant — with six public terminals owned and operate ...

Geography

Greer is located at (34.930304, -82.225052). It is northeast of Greenville and west of Spartanburg, both via

U.S. Route 29 U.S. Route 29 (US 29) is a north–south United States highway that runs for from Pensacola, Florida to the western suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland in the Southern United States, connecting the Florida Panhandle to the Baltimore-Washington me ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which are land and , or 9.18%, are water. Greer has three lakes: Lake Robinson, Apalache Lake and Lake Cunningham. The South

Tyger River The Tyger River is a stream in the U.S. state of South Carolina, and a tributary of the Broad River. It is part of the Santee River Basin. It is a generally shallow and narrow river. Pollution in the north fork was the source of dispute in ''Fri ...

runs through the northern part of Greer, part of the Broad River watershed.

Economy

Greer, SC has experienced great economic growth in recent years with headquarters of BMW US Manufacturing Company,

Alexium International Alexium International Group Limited is an advanced materials company headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria with operations in Greer, South Carolina. Alexium has a presence in the United States and Australia, and is listed on the Australian Se ...

, and more.

History

Greer was named for James Manning Greer, whose ancestry traces from

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, through

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. 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 Greer's family settled at Duncans Creek between that Creek and the Enoree River and close to Duncan's Creek Presbyterian Church. John, Sr.'s great grandson James Manning Greer settled his family near Greenville in an area that eventually became Greer's Station. Greer Downtown Historic District

The area now known as Greer was once part of the "Domain of the

Cherokees The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

" prior to the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. 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 The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...

) established a line between

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

and

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

. 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. That depot was a red brick, Victorian structure with a slate roof and a

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, from ...

. 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. 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 The Piedmont & Northern Railway was a heavy electric interurban company operating over two disconnected divisions in North and South Carolina. Tracks spanned total between the two segments, with the northern division running from Charlotte, to ...

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

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fu ...

es, 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. 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 The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...

's Section of Fine Arts between 1938 and 1941 for post offices and federal buildings throughout South Carolina. The building is now home to the Greer Heritage Museum. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, 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 Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with I-95 in Petersburg, Virginia, n ...

was opened, as well as the

. 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. The Arthur Barnwell House, Davenport House, Gilreath's Mill,

Greer Depot The Greer Depot is a former railroad depot listed on the National Register of Historic Places and located in Greer, South Carolina. The combination passenger station and freight warehouse was designed by the Charlotte, North Carolina-based archit ...

, Greer Downtown Historic District,

Greer Post Office Greer Heritage Museum is a local history museum in Greer, South Carolina, near the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. The museum was founded by Carmela B. Hudson (1920-2017), a native of New Haven, Connecticut, a member of the U.S. Ar ...

, Louie James House,

R. Perry Turner House The R. Perry Turner House is located in Greer, South Carolina, Greer, South Carolina. The Neoclassical architecture, Classical Revival style house was built in 1937 for prominent local businessman Richard Perry Turner. The house was designed by ...

Robert G. Turner House The Robert G. Turner House is located in Greer, South Carolina. The Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often ...

and

Earle R. Taylor House and Peach Packing Shed The Earle R. Taylor House and Peach Packing Shed, in Greenville County, South Carolina, near Greer, South Carolina. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 27, 2012. See also *List of packing houses This is a list of n ...

are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

.National Register listing
/ref>

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 35,308 people, 11,531 households, and 7,507 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,843 people, 6,714 households, and 4,511 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,044.5 people per square mile (403.2/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 White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 19.49%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.16%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.22% Native American, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 4.42% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.26% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 8.18% of the population. 21.6% were of American, 9.5% Irish, 8.9%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

and 8.4% English ancestry according to

Census 2000 The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

. 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.

Recreation

The city of Greer has a thriving recreation sports program. Greer Recreation (Greer Rec) has many sports opportunities. Their best accomplishments include the 2007 9–10

Little League Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Warner Robins, Georgia Warner Robins (typically ) is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located in Houston and Peach counties in the central part of the state. It is currently Georgia's eleventh-largest incorporated city, with an estimated population of 80,308 in th ...

, but lost the first two games and was eliminated. City Stadium in Greer is a

WPA WPA may refer to: Computing *Wi-Fi Protected Access, a wireless encryption standard *Windows Product Activation, in Microsoft software licensing * Wireless Public Alerting (Alert Ready), emergency alerts over LTE in Canada * Windows Performance An ...

project completed in 1938; it currently seats 3,000. Throughout the years the stadium has hosted Little League, scholastic, The American Legion World Series, and semi-professional sports and received a major renovation in 1997

In 2012 the City of Greer successfully renovated the Cannon Center, a former Army National Guard, National Guard armory that later became a basketball gym. The facility was originally built in 1936. The completed renovation included new office space, classroom space, dressing rooms for events/productions, and state of the art audio-visual equipment. The City Recreation Department has been honored with South Carolina Recreation and Parks Agency of the Year twice since 2005. It also received the South Carolina Recreation and Parks Athletic Agency of the Year in 2009. The department is led by Ann Cunningham (Director) and Red Watson (Assistant Director). Greer City Park is part of the City of Greer's Municipal Complex that was completed in 2008, the 12-acre Greer City Park is located adjacent to Greer City Hall and offers numerous recreational opportunities in Historic Greer Station.

Healthcare

Greer is home to two hospitals and a cancer center which is undergoing an expansion.

Pelham Medical Center

This hospital, part of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, focuses on medical and surgical patients. Pelham Medical Center is licensed for and operates 48 beds and is located at 250 Westmoreland Road. The facility provides 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 & Research Institute at Pelham.

Gibbs Cancer Center & Research Institute at Pelham

Gibbs at Pelham provides radiation oncology and medical oncology services. In 2015, Gibbs at Pelham added the Cyberknife M6 system, which is the first of its kind in the southeastern United States and was the first system in the United States to treat with precision. Gibbs was the first in North or South Carolina, and one of the first cancer centers in the United States, to utilize a new tool for prostate cancer called the SpaceOAR® System. SpaceOAR is the first FDA-approved procedure for placing a ‘spacer’ to protect the rectum of men undergoing prostate cancer radiation. In early 2018, Spartanburg Regional began construction on an expansion of its Gibbs Cancer Center & Research Institute at Pelham location. The 190,000-square-foot expansion is intended to provide cancer care for more patients along the border of Spartanburg and Greenville counties. It is anticipated that the construction will be completed in spring 2020.

Greer Memorial Hospital

Located on Greenville Health System's Greer Medical Campus, Greer Memorial Hospital is an 82-bed facility with emergency, ICU and maternity care.

Transportation

Airports

Greer is served by the

Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport (Roger Milliken Field) is near Greer, South Carolina, United States, midway between Greenville and Spartanburg, the major cities of the Upstate region. The airport is the second-busiest airport i ...

Roger Milliken Field, which in 2012 handled over 1.7 million passengers. The airport is a commercial Class C airport located south of the center of Greer, midway between Greenville and

. The airport is served by

Allegiant Air Allegiant Air (usually shortened to Allegiant) is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier that operates scheduled and charter flights. It is a major air carrier, the fourteenth-largest commercial airline in North America. Allegiant was founded in 1 ...

American Airlines American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...

Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines Co., typically referred to as Southwest, is one of the major airlines of the United States and the world's largest low-cost carrier. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has scheduled service to 121 destinations in the U ...

, and

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

. Scheduled cargo service is offered by

FedEx Express FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation, is a major American cargo airline based in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. As of 2020, it is one of the world's largest airlines in terms of fleet size and freight tons flown. It is the name ...

and

UPS Airlines UPS Airlines is a major American cargo airline based in Louisville, Kentucky. The second-largest cargo airline worldwide ( in terms of freight volume flown), UPS Airlines flies to 815 destinations worldwide. A wholly owned subsidiary of UPS (Unit ...

. Greer is also within of

Donaldson Center Airport Donaldson Field Airport is a public airport six miles (10 km) south of the central business district of Greenville, a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. It is located at the Donaldson Center Industrial Air Park and ...

, Greenville Downtown Airport, and

Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport The Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport (IATA: SPA, ICAO: KSPA, FAA LID: SPA) is a general aviation airport located in the city of Spartanburg, South Carolina. The airport is from downtown Spartanburg, which makes it popular for private and co ...

all

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

facilities.

Railroads

Greer is served by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

, the national passenger rail system, which operates to both Greenville and Spartanburg. Greer is the location o
Inland Port Greer
one of two inland ports in South Carolina, built to handle containerized goods. Inland Port Greer is served by

Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the ...

, and connects Greer to the

Highways

One two-digit

Interstate highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...

runs through Greer.

passes south of the city center, with access from Exits 57 through 60. I-85 leads northeast to

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

, and southwest to

runs through Greer, connecting Greenville and Spartanburg.

South Carolina Highway 14 South Carolina Highway 14 (SC 14) is a state highway in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 76 Business (US 76 Bus.) in Laurens north to Interstate 26 (I-26) in Landrum. SC 14 connects Laurens and Landrum w ...

and

South Carolina Highway 290 South Carolina Highway 290 (SC 290) is a state highway in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It courses through central Greenville and Spartanburg Counties. Route description The west terminus of South Carolina ...

both run through Greer. SC 14 leads north to Landrum, South Carolina, Landrum, near the North Carolina border, and south to Simpsonville, South Carolina, Simpsonville, while SC 290 leads east to Duncan, South Carolina, Duncan and northwest to U.S. Route 25 north of Travelers Rest, South Carolina, Travelers Rest.

Education

Greer has a public library, a branch of the Greenville County Library System.

Notable people

*Kris Bruton, Harlem Globetrotters; 1994 NCAA college dunk champion and 1994 NBA draft pick of the Chicago Bulls *Bill Haas, golfer; multiple winner on the PGA Tour and winner of the 2011 Fedex Cup *Jay Haas, golfer; multiple winner on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour *Kaleigh Kurtz, National Women's Soccer League player, North Carolina Courage, 2018- *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.

References

External links

City of Greer official website

Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control Greer, South Carolina, Cities in South Carolina Cities in Greenville County, South Carolina Cities in Spartanburg County, South Carolina Upstate South Carolina