The Falls Forgotten

In 1960, the four-lane Camperdown Bridge, a state highway vehicle crossing, was erected over Reedy River Falls, obscuring them from view and casting the area into shadow. The area surrounding the river declined, and many residents were unaware that the falls even existed. Beginning in 1967, the Carolina Foothills Garden Club spearheaded efforts to reclaim the long-neglected site of Greenville's birthplace. Furman University deeded six acres to the City to establish Reedy River Falls Historic Park and for the next two decades, the Garden Club and the City worked together to protect, expand and develop the area. In the late 1980s, the Garden Club and the City adopted a master plan for 26. acres around the falls. The Garden Club and the City, working with a team of local and international designers, including landscape architects Tom Keith, Andrea Mains and landscape designer Robert Miller, developed a detailed vision and plan for the park, one that could only be fully realized with the removal of the highway bridge.

Greenville, South Carolina · United States