Richland–Jones Heritage Corridor  

Historic Preservation

The proposed Richland–Jones Heritage Corridor seeks designation as a Local Landmark District for its exceptional ability to interpret the intertwined history of African-American enterprise, education, civic life, and remembrance in Greenville, South Carolina.

On February 21, 1884, the Jones sisters, two African-American ladies, gifted (for $10) Greenville SIX ACRES for the purpose of forming Richland Cemetery. 

Primary Historic Anchors within the Corridor

1. Richland Cemetery (1884, NRHP-listed) 7 Fern Ave Greenville, SC 29601 

Historic resting place and memorial core, gifted by Elizabeth E. and Emmala B. Jones to the City of Greenville.

2. Allen School (1936 – c. 1970s)  12 Cemetery St,  Greenville SC 29601

Works Progress Administration (WPA) era K–8 school serving Black children of North Greenville until desegregation.  In response to the Great Depression, WPA which created jobs between 1935 and 1943, was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on 6 May 1935 under the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935.

3. E Stone Avenue Black Business Corridor (1930s – present) 

Historic commercial spine once lined with Black-owned cafés, salons, and groceries; includes the only surviving African -American owned business, the Stone Avenue Barber Shop at 512 E. Stone Ave,  Greenville SC 29601

4. Richland Hill Ridge 920–922 N Church St Greenville, SC 29601 

The Jones homeplace and adjacent terraces, historically occupied by educators, municipal workers, and civic families who maintained nearby schools and public grounds.

5. circa 1951 Cemetery Maintenance Building — 798 E. Stone Ave, Greenville SC 29601

Constructed circa 1951, the small brick building at 798 E Stone Avenue stands less than 100 feet from the Fern Street entrance to Richland Cemetery.   We intend to make this the future home of Bot's Place.

Originally part of Greenville’s post-war Public Works program, it likely served as the equipment and storage shed for the City’s Black cemetery maintenance crew.  

Today, the structure survives as one of the last intact physical witnesses to that segregated but interconnected system of care, labor, and stewardship that sustained Richland Cemetery for more than a century.

Together, these primary anchors along this quarter mile corridor represents a NEW! Greenville Tour which creates a continuous cultural landscape showcasing where African-American residents lived, worked, and memorialized their community for over 140 years.