Spartanburg, South Carolina

Spartanburg is the fourth largest city in South Carolina and county seat of Spartanburg County. The city of 37,000 people (2011 estimate) covers 19.2 sq mi (49.9 sq km) in Upstate, in the northwestern part of the state.

Second Presbyterian Church, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Second_Presbyterian_Church,_Spartanburg,_SC.jpg
Author: ChurchesOfAmerica


The Spartanburg area was the traditional hunting ground of various Native American tribes such as the Catawba and the Cherokee. Earliest Europeans to arrive in the area were French fur trappers, English woodmen and Scots-Irish farmers.

Spartanburg began life as a courthouse village in the 1780s. It got its name from the Spartan regiment of the South Carolina Militia. The city was incorporated in 1831, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Cowpens, one of the battles in the American Revolutionary War which took place a short distance away.

Spartanburg had a milling industry since the early 19th century, but it was in the post Civil War period that more mills developed in the area, fed by a migration of poor farmers as well as investment from the north. The city hosted training camp for troops during the First and Second World Wars. Its economy floundered in the post war years, but began to rebound in the late 20th century. It is home to a number of big companies and hosts a manufacturing facility for BMW.

Visiting Spartanburg

Spartanburg is served by Interstate 26 and 85. You can also fly to the city, arriving at the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), which gets regular scheduled flights from Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, New York-LaGuardia, Newark, Orlando, Punta Gorda, Saint Petersburg/Clearwater and Washington DC, among others.

Places of Interest in Spartanburg

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