Residents of Earle Street surely spend the entire month of November dismantling and packing up elaborate Halloween decorations. Apparitions vary from house to house, but Christmas this year kicked coordination up a notch. Neighbors stepped up to make this year special for one household who was in need of a little Christmas cheer. If you have youngsters anxious to see Santa, take a drive down Earle Street. There is a 12 foot blow up Santa in almost every yard! Heck, you don’t need youngsters. I’ve driven down the street multiple times. It will make you happy!
This tree lined street has roots dating back to the 1800s. It’s home to two of Greenville’s earliest landmarks. Earle Town House, 107 James Street, was built around 1820. Whitehall, 3101 West Earle Street, was erected in 1813 as a summer home for Governor Henry Middleton. Descendants of Elias Earle live there today.
Colonel Elias Earle first bought land in Greenville as an early settler in the 1700s. By the way, did you guys know that Greenville was called Pleasantburg until 1831? In 1834, he bought more land – now James Street. In the late 19th century, his estate was sub-divided. As the area saw men returning from the Civil War and World War I, the district grew into a neighborhood. When automobiles came on the scene, houses were built with large front yards and side driveways. Earle Street was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Earle was one of the first iron masters in the South, but is best known as a politician. Elias Earle served in the South Carolina House of Representatives, 1794 – 1797; South Carolina State Senate 1798 – 1804; and five terms in the United States House of Representatives. Desperate times in those days called for desperate measures. During his re-election campaign for Congress in 1806, Earle set up a bench in the middle of the street and passed out free whiskey to everyone. <insert laughing emojis>
One of his greatest accomplishments was his involvement in the building of the “Great Wagon Road” in 1797. This was a passage across the mountains from South Carolina to Tennessee, wide enough for four horses to pull a wagon with a load of almost a ton.
Greenville has more than its’ fair share of historical spots. Ten markers can be found in and around the Earle Street Historic District. I’ll mention just two. One stands on College Street in the Heritage Green area. “Soldier’s Rest” 1862-1865 reads, “Here is the dwelling where our sick and wounded soldiers found shelter, food, clothing and sympathy,” and the other is located on Buncombe Road in the Sans Souci area – Old Greenville Graveyard. This is where many of the first settlers are buried, including Elias Earle. Tombstones stand inside a locked fence. This is one we’ve been trying to check out for a very long time. Stay tuned because we’re not done trying.
Allow us one more ramble related to the Earle family. You may (or may not) recall our story some time ago called, “The Man in the Black Coat.” It included bizarre happenings in and around the Poinsett Hotel. One event took place in the middle of Main Street. After harsh words, William Yancey shot and killed Dr. Robinson Earle. Yancey was married to Sarah Earle Yancey. The murder victim was her uncle. Making the connection between Elias Earle and Sarah should not be complicated. “Should” being the operative word. Just like many families today, names were passed down from generation to generation. After much frustration, we decided to simply say they were related.
Clearly we fell down a really deep rabbit hole while researching the Earle family. So much history of the Piedmont is tied to Elias Earle and his descendants. We could literally go on forever. This story was intended to send you down Earle Street to see the giant Santas. Please do that!
Earle Street Historic District – so much more than holiday decor!