Greer Branch Library

Library History:

The community of Greer arose out of Greer's Station, a stop on the railroad running north to Richmond, Virginia. It reached town status in 1876 when the people of Pleasant Grove moved from a couple of miles away (along with some of their buildings) in order to be near the railroad. It served as a trading post for the surrounding agricultural land, where first cotton and later peaches were grown. The proximity of the cotton fields and the railroad brought in textiles, which was the principal industry for decades. Today BMW and the industries associated with it have become the major employers.

Greer is perhaps the fastest growing city in South Carolina with over 20,000 residents and is expanding geographically as well. It is located in both Greenville and Spartanburg counties, which presents its own set of challenges. Greer has a strong sense of its identity and its past, as evidenced by the restored downtown area, which has over 40 buildings on the National Historic Register.

Founded in the fall of 1925, the Greer Library was the first branch library in the county. In 1938 it also became the first to build its own building, the Davenport Memorial Library on School Street. Its downstairs meeting room provided a place for local clubs to meet, including the USO during World War II. This room later became the branch children's room as the collections and activities grew. When the branch libraries were rebuilt in the 1990s, it was the first new branch completed and moved to its present location on September 10, 1995.