The U.S. Post Office and Courthouse in

Rock Hill, South Carolina Rock Hill is the most populous city in York County, South Carolina, United States, and the List of municipalities in South Carolina, 5th-most populous city in the state. It is also the 4th-most populous city of the Charlotte metropolitan area, be ...

, currently known as the Tom S. Gettys Center, was built in 1931–1932. It served historically as a courthouse and as a post office, and is currently in use as a community arts center. The building was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1988. It is located within the

Rock Hill Downtown Historic District Rock Hill Downtown Historic District consists of twelve contiguous buildings built between 1870 and 1931 in downtown Rock Hill in York County, South Carolina.Public Buildings Act of 1926 The Public Buildings Act of 1926, also known as the Elliot–Fernald Act, was a statute which governed the construction of federal buildings throughout the United States, and authorized funding for this construction. Its primary sponsor in the Un ...

, plans for a new Federal building were prepared by

James A. Wetmore James Alfonso Wetmore (November 1863 – March 14, 1940) was an American lawyer and administrator, best known as the Acting Supervising Architect of the U.S. Office of the Supervising Architect of the United States Treasury Department, Treasury ...

. The building replaced an existing post office that Rock Hill had outgrown, which was sold to the city, moved, and refurbished as the new public library. Ground broke on July 8, 1931, with excavation for the new building's foundations. Construction continued through the rest of the year and into the next, and the building officially opened for business on Monday, November 28, 1932. Described by local news publication The Rock Hill Evening Herald as "...handsome in every respect," the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse stood as a marvel in Rock Hill's still-growing downtown. During this time, it was also known as the "Caldwell Street Post Office." Multiple postmasters would conduct their work in the building over the next four decades, including

Thomas S. Gettys Thomas Smithwick Gettys (June 19, 1912 – June 8, 2003) was a U.S. Representative from South Carolina. Born in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Gettys was educated in the Rock Hill public schools. He attended Clemson College. Erskine College, A.B., ...

, who later represented Rock Hill in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

and whose name the building would reflect decades later. Rock Hill's continued growth and logistics surrounding the change from foot to vehicle delivery eventually necessitated another, larger facility. A new post office with expanded capacity was opened in Rock Hill on September 7, 1971. The building was then sold to the City of Rock Hill on September 5, 1986. The building housed multiple occupants over the years, with the local Arts Council moving in as early as 1987. In 1997, it was officially renamed the Tom S. Gettys Center in honor of the previous postmaster who had served in it.

Current function as an arts center

In recent decades, the building has primarily served as a community arts center, facilitating Rock Hill's vibrant visual and performing arts scene. The Arts Council of York County utilizes the space to offer accessible artist studios, galleries, and a performing arts space in the building's original courtroom space. The Rock Hill Pottery Center opened on the ground floor in 2006, and multiple arts nonprofit organizations currently operate out of the building. The building serves as an access point for the community to engage with creative culture at programs and events such as gallery receptions and open studios. Music concerts, performance art pieces, and theatre productions are frequently held in the Courtroom, which has retained most of its original architecture and design. Some of Rock Hill's recurring cultural festivals also utilize the space, such as the Blues and Jazz festival, the Underexposed Film Festival YC, and local music showcase Don't Sweat It Fest.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Post office buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Government buildings completed in 1931 National Register of Historic Places in Rock Hill, South Carolina Buildings and structures in Rock Hill, South Carolina Former federal courthouses in the United States Courthouses in South Carolina Historic district contributing properties in South Carolina