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Newberry County is
a progressive county, rich in history, agriculture, natural
resources, green spaces, beautiful waterways and strong community
values, and which possesses exceptional educational, cultural,
recreational and health care resources that are well balanced with
high quality and strategically located job opportunities in a safe
and harmonious environment supported by infrastructure where diverse
people and businesses thrive together.
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Newberry
Opera House |
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In 1882,
the newly built Newberry Opera House housed, on the first floor, two
stores, a fire station, a city council chamber, a clerk's office, and
a police station. The second floor held a performance hall and stage.
Touring companies of New York plays, minstrel and variety shows,
famed vocalists and lecturers, magicians, novelty acts and boxing
exhibitions appeared on its stage. Meetings, dances, college
commencement exercises, and musicals were also held there. In the
early 1900s it became especially popular because silent "moving
pictures" were shown there. Slowly moving pictures replaced
stage shows and in the 1920s the floor was remodeled as a movie
theater. The building functioned as a movie theater until 1952.
After
the movie theater closed in 1952, some people thought the building
should be torn down, while others believed it was an important
historical building. Eventually the supporters won and in 1970 the
Opera House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In the 1990s the city government gave up its space on the first
floor, making it possible for the entire building to be renovated and
returned to its original use as an opera house and community arts center.
The
theater now has 427 theater seats that are historic
reproductions, a stage, and a horseshoe-shaped balcony. Since its
reopening, performances at the Newberry
Opera House
have included operas, musicals, jazz concerts, vocal and other performances. |
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Newberry
County Mission Statement |
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The
County of Newberry is committed to providing efficient, quality
services by working in partnership with individuals, neighborhoods,
towns, cities and businesses to enhance the quality of life and to
create a healthy, vibrant community inwhich to live, work and visit."
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History
of Newberry County |
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Newberry
is a community filled to its borders with history: ancient Indian
sites, battlefields of the American Revolution, historic plantations,
and beautiful homes. European settlers (primarily German,
Scotch-Irish, and English) began appearing in great numbers in the
1750's. Newberry County, formed from the. Ninety-Six
District in 1785, was once described as the largest tract of
unbroken farmland in South Carolina. The origin of the county's name
is still unknown. It is likely an alternate spelling for the English
town "Newbury," but the popular notion has always been that
the surrounding fields and forests were as pretty as a "new
berry." Although cotton was the primary crop before the Civil
War, today's farmers rotate crops such as corn, millet, wheat, and
soybeans. In addition Newberry has dairy, poultry, and cattle farms,
as well as many acres of controlled reforestation.
The
town of Newberry was founded in l789 as the county seat. Its
site was chosen because of its nearness to the center of the county.
By the coming of the railroad in 1851, Newberry had become a thriving
trade center. Lutheran-supported Newberry College was established in
1856 and has been an important part of the community ever since.
Although the Civil War interrupted the growth of the town and
dramatically changed its social order, a stronger community emerged
which continued to thrive. Industry, in the form of cotton mills, was
introduced to the town in l88l. Although the face of the town has
changed because of fires, storms, and former economic slumps, the
City of Newberry today retains diverse historic buildings and a
revitalized downtown.
Since
rivers form the boundaries of the county, other communities
developed at highway crossroads and, later railroad depots. Among the
towns incorporated as a result of the Greenville and Columbia
Railroad were Peak, Pomaria, Frog Level (now Prosperity),
Silverstreet and Chappells. A branch railroad to Laurens in l854 had
depots at Jalapa and Kinards. In l890, the arrival of the Columbia,
Newberry and Laurens Railroad prompted the incorporation of Little
Mountain. Whitmire, a trading center on the Enoree River, was
incorporated in 1891 when the Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railroad
came through. Aside from the City
of Newberry, Prosperity
and Whitmire
are the most populous towns in the county.
Many
interesting and colorful personalities have made a mark on
Newberry’s history. Emily Geiger,
a young woman living in what is now eastern Newberry County, rode
her way into the history books when she delivered a message from
General Nathaniel Greene to General Thomas Sumter during the American
Revolution. Tales also abound about a Quaker girl named Hannah Gaunt
who helped defend her father's house against a Tory attack.
John Belton O’Neal was a prominent judge in Newberry until
his death in 1863. Among his many accomplishments is The Annals of
Newberry, an early history of the county. Job Johnstone (l793-1862),
a Newberry lawyer, served as Chancellor in South Carolina for
thirty-two years and later served on the State Court of Appeals.
Another Newberry lawyer, John Fletcher Hobbs, left for Australia in
1882 and, by 1893, had become chief of two tribes of cannibals. Marie
Boozer gained notoriety for her great beauty, and her exploits (after
leaving Newberry) were the inspiration for two books: La Belle and
Another Jezebel. Coleman L. Blease
(1868-1942) was the only permanent resident of Newberry to be
Governor of South Carolina. A lawyer, Representative and United
States Senator, he was elected Governor in 1910 and 1912.
Interestingly, his two opponents in 1912 were also from Newberry.
Among
the many scenic and historic sites in the county are: The Rock House
(pre-Revolutionary, the oldest house in the county); Quaker Cemetery
(used from the 1760’s-1820’s); Tea Table Rock (site of a
British encampment during the Revolutionary War}; St. John's Lutheran
Church, Pomaria (1808); Little Mountain (800 feet above sea level,
highest point in county); Gaunt House, Newberry (1808, oldest home in
city); Hardy House, Maybinton (1825, typical of early nineteenth
century); Pomaria Plantation, Pomaria (1826, site of a well-known nursery); Old
Court House (1851}; Newberry College (founded l856}; Jasper
Hall, Whitmire (1857, fine antebellum residence); Rosemont Cemetery (1863);
Newberry
Opera House (1881); Oakhurst, Newberry (1891 a fine Victorian home};
Lake Murray; and Lynches Woods (a scenic road winds the forest) |