Curtis Building

In 1845, Dr. Thomas Curtis fulfilled his dream of establishing an institution of higher learning for young women by purchasing a magnificent building at Limestone Springs that had been constructed in the 1830s as a resort hotel. The village of Limestone Springs, now part of Gaffney, had developed beside a mineral water spring that attracted families from the Midlands and Lowcountry seeking the supposed medicinal value of the spring water and relief from the oppressive summer heat of their home regions. Originally named the Limestone Springs Female High School, the new institution drew the daughters of South Carolina's most influential families, who sought the finest liberal arts education available. On November 6, 1845, a total of 67 young women began their classes at Limestone.

Gaffney, South Carolina · United States