From its humble beginnings, our city’s main downtown drag has never shied away from development. In 1916, construction began on a new Greenville County Courthouse, designed in the Beaux-Arts style by celebrated Southern architect P. Thornton Mayre. Contracted by J.A. Jones, the structure took two years to complete.
For the next forty years, it served as the primary court for the county and was the setting of the infamous Willie Earle trial, which gained international attention when 31 white men were acquitted for the murder of a black taxi driver. Now tucked neatly between the Westin Poinsett Hotel and City Hall, the old courthouse is home to M. Judson Booksellers, and remains an elegant architectural highlight of the downtown landscape.
Visit the former Greenville County Courthouse on Thursday, October 14, for M. Judson’s Page Pairings, a book-inspired wine tasting. See mjudsonbooksellers.com for details.
