Greenville in Greenville County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Chicora College

Reedy River Falls

— Historic Park —

Chicora College Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott, March 20, 2011

1. Chicora College Marker

Inscription.
The Presbyterian Synod of South Carolina established Chicora College for Young Ladies in 1893 as "McBee's Terrace," opposite the Greenville Coach Factory on the south bank of the Reedy. Its sixteen acre campus, with grounds landscaped down to the river's edge, eventually included a 1200 seat auditorium, a dormitory, administration building, and a president's home. Liberal arts subjects, business courses (including typewriting and bookkeeping), photography, and music were taught to more than 200 young women each year. The college moved to Columbia in 1915, and in 1933 merged with Queens College in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1917 the main college building burned, the buildings were razed, and the land redeveloped for commercial use.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1893.

Location. 34° 50.683′ N, 82° 24.133′ W. Marker is in Greenville, South Carolina, in Greenville County. Marker can be reached from South Main Street, on the right when traveling east. Marker is located in Mary's east dining area. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 615 South Main Street, Greenville SC 29601, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 10 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Touchstone House (here, next to this marker); The Touchstone House "Falls Cottage" (within shouting distance of this

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marker); History of Falls Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Harriet Smith Wyche (within shouting distance of this marker); Dr. Charles Hard Townes (within shouting distance of this marker); Tate Plaza (within shouting distance of this marker); Wilson Cooke (within shouting distance of this marker); Liberty Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Welcome to Falls Park (within shouting distance of this marker); McBee's Mills (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Greenville.

Additional commentary.
1. Samuel Craig Byrd, D.D., Final President of Chicora College, Columbia, S.C.
Samuel Craig Byrd, D.D., president of the Chicora College for Women at Columbia, has for a quarter of a century been distinguished by his work and leadership in church and educational affairs. With the exception of a few years while he was pastor of Presbyterian churches his career has been spent in his native state of South Carolina.

He was born

Photographed By Brian Scott, March 20, 2011

2. Chicora College Marker

at Laurens October 24, 1868, a son of Capt. Jonathan Downs and Evelyn (Craig) Byrd. He acquired a liberal education, graduating with the A. B. degree from the Presbyterian College of South Carolina at Clinton in 1889 and receiving his Master of Arts degree from the same institution in 1892. In the latter year he also graduated from the Columbia Theological Seminary. He received his Doctor of Divinity degree from the Presbyterian College in 1906.

During 1892-93 he was tutor of Hebrew in the Columbia Theological Seminary and left that work to become assistant pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans. In 1894 he was ordained to the Presbyterian ministry and until 1897 was pastor of Lafayette Church in New Orleans.

He then returned to Columbia and from 1898 to 1902 was adjunct professor in the chair of English Bible, and again tutor of Hebrew in the Theological Seminary. In the meantime he was managing editor of the Presbyterian Quarterly and the Religious Outlook in Columbia in 1898-99 and then gave all his time to his duties as a member of the faculty of the Theological Seminary until 1902. From 1903 to 1906 he was pastor of the Scion Church of Winnsboro, South Carolina, and in 1906 was called to his duties as president of Chicora College at Greenville, South Carolina. July 1, 1915, this institution was consolidated with the College for Women at Columbia,

Photographed By Brian Scott, March 20, 2011

3. Chicora College Marker

and the educational work of the combined colleges has since been continued at Columbia under the name of Chicora College for Women, with Doctor Byrd as president.

Doctor Byrd was also a trustee of the Presbyterian College of South Carolina, serving for many years as president of the board, during the establishment of the college, and the growth and success attained reflects in no small degree the result of his personal efforts and labor. He is a Royal Arch Mason, a Knight of Pythias, and a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

October 3, 1893, he married Wilhelmina Law Cozby, of Newberry and their only son, James Cozby Byrd, is now a junior student in the University of Pennsylvania. (Source: History of South Carolina, Vol V by Yates Snowden, pgs 46-47.)

— Submitted April 4, 2011, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.

Greenville County Library, SC Room Archives, Postcard Collection Vol 4 Pg 3, circa 1910

4. Chicora College Marker

Chicora College, established 1893 as a Presbyterian college for women, was located at the corner of South Main and Rhett streets by the Reedy River. The college covered a 16-acre campus, with grounds landscaped down to the Reedy River. In 1915, Chicora College moved to Columbia, South Carolina onto the property formerly occupied by College for Women, another Presbyterian institution. The name became Chicora College for Women. In 1930, Chicora College merged with Queens College in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Chicora College image. Click for full size.

Greenville County Library, SC Room Archives, Postcard Collection Vol 4 Pg 4, circa 1912

5. Chicora College

Part of the main building of Chicora College. Established in 1893, Chicora College was a Presbyterian school for women. The campus was located at the corner of South Main and Rhett Streets, on McBee Hill, also referred to as McBee Terrace. Chicora College moved to Columbia in 1915, and its original buildings burned in 1919.

Chicora College and Campus image. Click for full size.

Greenville County Library, SC Room Archives, Postcard Collection Vol 4 Pg 3, circa 1907

6. Chicora College and Campus

The landscaped grounds of Chicora College covered 16 acres and led all the way down to the Reedy River.

Greenville County Library, SC Room Archives, Postcard Collection Vol 4 Pg 5, circa 1906

7. Chicora College

One end of the main building of Chicora College. The college was established in 1893, but left Greenville in 1915 for Columbia, South Carolina. In 1930, Chicora College merged with Queens College, presently located in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Greenville County Library, SC Room Archives, Postcard Collection Vol 4 Pg 3, circa 1910

8. Chicora College

In August 1893, a meeting of the session of the First Presbyterian Church followed through on a recommendation for the formation of a college for women. At first they rented a house on McBee Avenue, but then the purchased McBee Hill (or McBee Terrace) and erected buildings for Chicora College there.

Samuel Craig Byrd, D.D. -<br>Final President of Chicora College, Columbia, S.C. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott

9. Samuel Craig Byrd, D.D. -
Final President of Chicora College, Columbia, S.C.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 16, 2020. It was originally submitted on April 4, 2011, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 3,301 times since then and 86 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on April 4, 2011, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.