Begin your walk on the west
end of town at the corner of Main and Carolina Streets:
1. Norfolk and Southern Railroad:
Arriving at Pace’s Gap in 1878, the railroad was the
primary reason for the eventual creation of the town of Saluda
at that location. The railroad grade from Melrose, halfway
down the mountain, is the steepest mainline grade in the eastern
U. S. The early history of the railroad contains many stories
of runaway trains and derailments. Despite technologial improvements
in braking systems, for safety reasons the trains were broken
into sections at the foot of the mountain and in Saluda and
with helper engines ascended and descended the mountain.
2. Saluda Community Library,
circa 1919: This structure with a stepped parapet roofline
has provided commercial space for several business over the
years, the most noteworthy being Martin’s Tea Room providing
light refreshments for residents and visitors alike. The building
was donated for use as the new library by the Nolan Pace family
and renovated with funds generated by extensive community
support. The library opened in December of 2000.
3. Saluda Presbyterian Church,
circa 1896: While originally functioning as a “community”
church, the congregation allied itself with the King’s
Mountain Presbytery in 1914. Its vernacular Gothic Revival
style is reflected in the two stage entrance tower, pointed
arch windows, carved rafter ends, decorative eave brackets
on the tower, decorative facing at the front gable peak, and
a double-leaf entrance surmounted by a decorative triangular
pediment. The interior has experienced considerable alteration
but many elements of the original construction are visible.
4. The Saluda Depot, circa
1910: The old depot was moved to its present location in 1983
from a site west of the highway overpass. In this stick style
influenced building notice the flared hipped roof with eyelid
vents, widely overhanging broad eaves, and German siding.
The decking and ramp were added to improve access to businesses
located in the depot.
5. Summer House, a non-contributing
building: Although originally a Gulf gasoline station, this
handsome building was remodeled in 1985 to reflect the style
of the depot next door. While not a “contributing structure”
as defined in the guidelines set by the National Registry,
it has added to the “atmosphere” of Main Street.
6. Saluda City Hall, circa
1897: The decorative pressed metal façade with bands
of “classical” detailing makes this building unique
in Saluda. The building functioned as a general store and
later as the Carolina Sate Bank which folded during the Great
Depression. The old walk-in bank vault has been retained and
continues to serve the city. Today, the left half of the building
serves as the police department and the right half as City
Hall.
7. Spring Park: Immediately
behind City Hall, this spring was one of several which provided
water for the town’s earlier residents. The spring was
reclaimed and landscaped in 1980.
8. Pebbledash Building, circa
1916: One of two pebbledash buildings in town, this structure
has an exterior treatment that was popularized in Biltmore
Village by the English architect Richard Sharp Smith beginning
in 1896. The building has functioned at various times as a
hardware and building supply store, a feed store, a cleaners
and pressing club, and more recently a gift shop and now a
florist shop.
9. Old Telephone Company, circa
1930: The Appalachian State Telephone Company operated from
this building beginning with sixteen crank telephones. Ed
Leland bought the company in 1936. In 1945, Mr. Leland converted
the system to self-dial, making it the first in the county
to use this technological innovation. In addition, the Saluda
Magazine was published from this building between 1936 and
1938.
10. The Purple Onion and Heartwood
Gallery, circa 1930: Both of these single story structures
sporting decorative brickwork on their facades have served
a number of functions. For example, for many years, the Purple
Onion’s space was a grocery store while Heartwood’s
space served as a “pressing club”.
11. Thompson’s Store
and Ward’s Grill, circa 1910: One of two identical Main
Street buildings, this two-story structure and M. A. Pace’s
were built for use as general stores at about the same time.
This business has been operated by the Lola Ward family at
this location since 1941 after moving from one half of the
M. A. Pace building. The façade exhibits a decorative
panel and corbeled brick cornice typical of the era. The grill’s
unique interior atmosphere is reminescent of an earlier era.
The grill serves as a gathering place, especially for early
risers.
12. Old Post Office Building,
circa 1910: Sharing many of the decorative brick features
of the adjacent buildings, this structure served as the town’s
post office for many years and then as the “new”
telephone company office and currently as a real estate business.
For many years the second floor was the office of one of the
town’s earliest doctors, Dr. E. M. Salley.
13. Saluda Grade Café,
1993, a non-contributing building: The original building was
torn down after years of neglect. The current building was
constructed with a careful eye to the details of adjacent
structures.
14. Staywell and The Stamp
Peddler, circa 1920, a non-contributing building: This important
building lost much of its architectural integrity due to extensive
alterations, this structure began life as the Princess Theatre
in the 1920s. After closing its doors during the Great Depression,
the structure was used as a gymnasium for Saluda High School.
15. M. A. Pace Store, circa
1910: This building is the most intact structure, both inside
and out, in the historic district. The shelving and most of
the furnishings are original. The M. A. Pace business has
been in this location and operated by the same family since
the building’s construction. The second floor has been
variously a doctor’s office, a meeting hall for the
Woodmen of the World, a beauty parlor, and later a storage
area.
16. Frozen Clock and Somewhere
in Time, circa 1920, a non-contributing building: this structure
was completely remodeled and “modernized” in 1965
to accommodate a Western Auto store. Earlier the building
housed a meat market and a Star automobile dealership.
17. Caroline’s Gifts,
circa 1920: This one-story building, although partially remodeled,
features a façade with two recessed brick panels beneath
a dentiled cornice and a stepped parapet along the roofline
to hide the shed roof. At various times this building has
been used as an insurance agency, a pool hall, a restaurant,
a barber shop, a pharmacy, and a bakery.
18. Whistle Stop, circa 1930:
Opened in the 1930s as an authorized Standard Oil station,
this small building was typical of the period with its red
tile parapets at each corner. The station closed in the 1950s
and the structure was slightly remodeled at that time to create
shop spaces.
Additional buildings of historic interest located outside
the business district:
19. Church of the Transfiguration,
circa 1889
20. Saluda Methodist Church, circa 1882
21. Summer Social Club and Library, 1900
22. Infants’ and Children’s Sanitarium, 1914 |
