Greenville County Library System-Fountain Inn Branch

Library Hours

Mon-Thu - 9am - 9pm

Fri-Sat - 9am - 6pm

Sun - closed

About:

Farmers first settled the southern part of Greenville County during the Revolutionary War establishing barely more than a few churches. When the state of South Carolina built a stage coach road from Charleston to Greenville in the early 1800s, an inn was established for travelers to spend the night about one day's journey from Columbia. This inn was noted by weary passengers for its copious and refreshing spring, hence the name Fountain Inn. A post office, a hat factory, and other businesses eventually came until in 1886 the town was incorporated. The 1890s brought a grist mill and a cotton mill to the area, and a mill village grew up across the railroad tracks.

Among the famous residents of Fountain Inn is Robert Quillen, a journalist whose nationally syndicated column featured the wisdom of a fictional "Aunt Het." Another was "Peg Leg" Bates, a world-famous performer who–despite his wooden leg– danced for the English royalty and appeared numerous times on the Ed Sullivan Show. Still another was Art Frahm who drew the merry colonial face of Quaker Oats fame as well as the Coppertone Sun Lotion girl.

When cotton farming and textiles declined in the late twentieth century, industry diversified in Fountain Inn, and much farmland was replaced by subdivisions for the burgeoning population. The community retained, however, something of its small-town atmosphere. It honors its history with monuments and still celebrates "Aunt Het Day." The Library has been a major focal point for fostering this community spirit.