2018 Azalea Festival small section

34th annual 

April 20-21, 2018 

classic car cruise-in • 

live music at downtown amphitheater 

food • arts & crafts • amusements 

SESQUICENTENNIAL EDITION

Page 2 Pickens County Courier • 2018 Azalea Festival April 20-21, 2018 

Welcome to 

the 34th annual 

Azalea Festival 

the 

Aza- 

‘‘When 

leas are 

blooming 

in Pickens, 

South 

Carolina, the little town celebrates!” 

For 34 years, Pickens has celebrated 

spring by throwing an arts and entertainment 

based and family-friendly celebration 

— the Pickens Azalea Festival. 

Each April, the Azaleas bloom, 

artisans and crafters come out, and the 

community joins together to 

celebrate spring in the 

city of Pickens. Celebrate 

is exactly what they do! 

Presented by the Pickens 

Azalea Festival Committee 

and hosted by area 

nonprofit and civic 

organizations, the 

Pickens Azalea 

Festival boasts the largest 

gathering of crafters, 

artisans and entertainers 

in the county, and quite 

possibly the Golden Corner! 

The Azalea Festival is also somewhat 

of a large family reunion, giving 

people who have been away too long the 

chance to return and to visit with old 

friends and family. The streets are filled 

with local artists and crafters, exciting 

and varied food vendors and quaint little 

shops and eateries. Strolling downtown 

Pickens during the festival is certainly an 

exciting and fun-filled activity. 

The festival gives those who have 

never visited an opportunity to experience 

this great area during one of the 

best times to explore and experience all 

Pickens County has to offer! 

National, regional and local musical 

artists entertain, while local artisans 

and crafters inspire. Foodies will enjoy 

regional favorites, and the kids will 

laugh as they partake in 

the children’s ride area. 

Come browse one 

of the largest cruiseins 

in the area and 

enjoy all that Pickens has 

to offer! For those 

who are interested 

in more physical 

activity, the annual 

Pickens Women’s 

Association 5k is held 

annually in conjunction 

with the Pickens Azalea Festival. History 

buffs will enjoy self-guided tours 

through historic Pickens or enjoy a short 

drive to the many historic places in and 

around Pickens County. 

There is something for everyone to 

enjoy each spring at the Pickens Azalea 

Festival! 

Special Thanks 

The 2018 Azalea Festival Committee would like to thank the many people, 

volunteers and organizations who have supported and contributed to the 2018 

Azalea Festival: 

• Thank you to Mayor David Owens and Pickens City Council, Pickens Police 

Department and Streets & Sanitation Department for their support. 

• Thanks to the Pickens County Courier and IWANNA for their support in 

promoting the Azalea Festival through the special edition insert. 

• Thanks to the Pickens Senior Citizens volunteers for their support, Friday 

& Saturday. 

• Thank you to The Pickens Rotary Club for sponsoring the Azalea Art contest. 

• Special thanks to all our financial sponsors & businesses for helping to make 

the festival possible. 

• Thanks to the local groups and entertainers who gave generously of their 

time and talents at the Pickens Amphitheater. 

We would like to personally thank the festival committee, volunteers and support 

volunteers for their hard work and dedication over the months following. 

They have given many hours of their personal time to make this event a success. 

Pictured, from left, are Azalea Festival committee treasurer Jeff Hogan, festival 

sponsorship coordinator Pamela Dodson, committee members Michael Ralston, 

Frances Wannamaker and Susan Ralston, committee chairman Russ Gantt and 

committee member Roy Costner. 

The Azalea Festival is 

a Hit... 

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878.4911 | 213 W. Cedar Rock Street | Pickens 

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a complete line of lending products. 

864.878.0104 

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April 20-21, 2018 2018 Azalea Festival • Pickens County Courier Page 3 

Entertainment schedules 

Friday, April 20 

6 p.m. Cruise-in starts 

6:30 p.m. Sweet Potato Pie Kids 

7:45 p.m. Ole #4 

9 p.m. Jake Bartley Band 

The annual Azalea Fest Cruise-In is open to all 

year models (Jeeps are also welcome). Last year we 

had over 300 cars and hope for even more this year! 

No fee or application required. 

Traffic will be one way, 

and vehicles must to enter 

at South Lewis or Pendleton streets. 

A special costume contest is also planned for Friday night to honor 

Pickens County’s sesquicentennial. 

The winner 

will be the person 

with the best 1868-style 

costume. 

Friday entertainment 

is presented by 

the city of Pickens. 

Saturday, April 21 

10 a.m. Opening Ceremony (Courthouse) 

Posting of Colors — Boys Scouts Troop 51 

National Anthem — Angela Seaborn 

Welcome — Pickens’ Mayor David Owens 

Announcements — Pickens Azalea Festival Board 

10:30 a.m. Local Church Choir TBA 

Noon 

Pet Pageant 

1 p.m. Zack Stiltner 

2:30 p.m. Brady Smith 

4 p.m. John Tibbs 

(featured artist from God’s Not Dead 2) 

5:30 p.m. Benton Blount 

(America’s Got Talent finalist) 

7:15 p.m. Mac Powell 

(Third Day’s lead singer) 

Please Come & Enjoy 

The 34th Annual 

Pickens Azalea Festival on 

Saturday, April 21 

Davey Hiott 

State Representative 

District 4, Pickens County 

Phone: (864) 878-0370 

Hours: 7AM–8PM 

440 Ann St, Pickens, SC 29671 

Azalea Artist - Hayley Brown, 10th grade | Pickens High School


Azalea Festival History 

Spring, with its warming 

days encouraging trees to 

bud and flowers to grace 

the landscape, is always a 

reason to celebrate, and 

Pickens takes full advantage 

of the opportunity. 

A 1989 brochure promoting the 

city’s annual festival said it best with the 

words “When the Azaleas are blooming 

in Pickens, South Carolina, the little 

town celebrates!” 

And having fun in a family-oriented 

atmosphere is exactly what they do during 

the Azalea Festival, which occurs 

each year in April. 

Hosted by local and area civic-minded 

organizations, the Azalea Festival 

resembles a large family reunion for 

Pickens County residents, and it gives 

people who have been away far too long 

the chance to return for a visit with old 

friends while strolling the streets of 

Pickens that are filled with artists offering 

a variety of their work and crafts, 

local organizations handing out information 

on a series of topics, and an assortment 

of foods that will entice even the 

pickiest of eaters. 

The Azalea Festival also calls to 

people who have never been fortunate 

enough to actually live in Pickens 

County, beckoning them to share for a 

moment the pleasures local people enjoy 

each day. 

The Azalea Festival had its beginnings 

in the spring of 1983 as a small, 

juried show called the Mountain Arts & 

Crafts Show and organized by the Pickens 

Civitan Club was held in the north 

end of Pickens. 

Later, in 1983, the then current 

Chamber of Commerce President snd 

Pickens Civitan Club founder, Ruth 

Swayngham Hinkle, had the vision to 

convince the Civitians to move the show 

to downtown and invite other non-profit 

groups to participate. Hinkle told of her 

vision at the annual Chamber banquet, 

“I see many different organizations having 

activities on closed off streets and 

parking lots all over town,” she said. 

By enlisting the support of the 

Chamber as sponsor, the first Pickens 

Festival was held in 1984 with the 

Civitan Arts & Crafts Show, the Junior 

Assemble providing lemonade, the Jaycees, 

donuts and the Chamber giving out 

information. 

Over the next few years the event 

attracted many more organizations and 

greatly expanded the gourmet choices 

to feet the hungry public and some 

ingenious attractions. For those first 

years, it was held in May, the Saturday 

before Mother’s Day, and at the same 

time as the springtime Pickin’ in Pickens 

Bluegrass Festival, which was held in a 

pasture north of town. 

The Azalea Festival was able to not 

only borrow entertainers from the Bluegrass 

festival, it was also able to bring in 

other forms of local entertainment. 

In 1987, Jerrie Hixon, who served 

as the festival coordinator for the event’s 

first nine years, compiled the first selfguided 

historical tour with about 20 locations. 

The next year, and for years after, 

the guide was published in The Pickens 

Sentinel’s special section. 

As the years passed, more research 

was done by area historians to add new 

sites and old photos to the annually 

published tour. By following the map 

in the printed tour guide, festival goers 

can read about each place as they walk 

by. Open for tours each year are the 

Hagood-Mauldin House, the Pickens 

County Art & History Museum and the 

Hagood Mill. 

Cynthia Boney, another long-time 

festival coordinator led the festival into 

the century, worked lovingly at preserving 

the history by adding to the tour 

until it included over 50 locations. 

Many are grateful for the support 

of area businesses in faithfully advertising 

in the section which comes out each 

year the Wednesday before the festival to 

provide the Historical Tour and all the 

festival highlights for the current year. 

In 1988, the festival date was moved 

to the third Saturday in April, the peak 

of the azalea blooming season, and 

by 1989 the new name was officially 

changed to the Pickens Azalea Festival. 

Fun activities were planned each year, 

including parades, stage coach rides, a 

petting zoo, puppet and magic shows, 

clowns and organ grinders. Some attractions 

were brief lived while other 

became traditions. 

In 1990, a very special cake was made 

to celebrate the 250th birthday of General 

Andrew Pickens. Connie and June 

Bowers graciously excepted the challenge 

to play the parts of the General and his 

lovely wife, Rebecca, at the party. Anna 

Simon, a local newspaper reporter, played 

the part of Brenda Starr, who “interviewed” 

the historic couple at the party, 

thus starting a favorite tradition. 

Since then, many different local 

couples have accepted the honor to put 

on the period clothing and be the official 

greeters of the festival by playing the 

part of the Revolutionary War hero and 

his wife. 

Through the years, several other 

traditions have remained strong, including 

the annual Azalea Festival T-shirt. 

Starting in 1987, every year the Pickens 

Civitan Club has chosen the artwork 

depicting a Pickens area landmark. The 

first shift was pale yellow with brown 

ink, featuring the Hagood Mill drawn by 

local artist, Mary McDaniel. 

Throughout the festival’s history, 

many different colors of shirts have 

been added and local artist have donated 

their talents for these shirts that help 

the community. Most featured places are 

on the historical tour, such as historic 

homes, museums, Chapman’s Bridge, the 

old Pickens School house, the Pickens 

“Doodle” train engine and even natural 

landmarks, such as Glassy Mountain and 

Table Rock Mountain. 

Each year, Pickens High School art 

students are invited to enter original 

drawings of an azalea flower and one 

drawing is selected to become the official 

artwork of the festival. For years, an official 

U.S. cancellation stamp was made for 

the Pickens Azalea Festival Station from 

the artwork. Letters were received every 

year from all over the United States requesting 

the cancellation stamp. In addition, 

many people visited the post office 

station at the festival to mail friends and 

even themselves a card or letter with the 

collector’s stamp. This drawing is also 

featured on the T-shirt and in publicity 

fliers and information. 

Planning for a festival of this size 

takes all year. The few who have assumed 

the task of leadership are greatly 

appreciated. Although the sponsorship 

has gone from Chamber to Civitans to 

the Greater Pickens Chamber Of Commerce, 

the groups have always worked 

together to get the fun day accomplished. 

In 1992, when Hixon left the lead, 

the Chamber passed the sponsorship back 

to the Civitan Club where the energetic 

work of festival coordinators, Chalma 

Drake, Michael Chastain and Cynthia 

Boney brought new and creative ideas. 

In 2002 the Greater Pickens Chamber 

of Commerce was asked to re-adapt 

sponsorship of the Azalea Festival. Jerri 

Hixon was asked to lead and revive the 

structure of the community wide representation 

of the Azalea Festival Planning 

Committee. In the summer of 2003, the 

role of festival coordinator was taken 

over by the long time community leader 

and former Pickens Jaycee, Russ Gantt. 

Under Gantt’s leadership, the Festival 

added Friday evening entertainment 

and carnival rides in 2004 and was billed 

for the first time in 2005 as a two-day 

event, including Friday evening and all 

day Saturday. 

In 2005, the first annual Classic Car 

Cruise-Inn was added as a Friday night 

attraction to the weekend festivities. 

Now in it’s 11th year, the Cruise-In has 

grown to over 300 entries. 

In 2009, to celebrate the 25th anniversary 

of the Azalea Festival, the 

event went to three days and for the first 

time the festival history expanded out to 

Include West Main Street. 

Also in 2009, the annual Azalea 

Festival program book was published 

in both local newspapers — The Pickens 

Sentinel and The Pickens County 

Courier. 

As the years have progressed, the 

arts and crafts booths have increased to 

more than 100 participants, and many 

more civic groups have brought their 

talents and endless volunteer hours to 

the event. 

The festival has spread out through 

downtown Pickens — down Main Street, 

onto Court Street and Lewis Street, on 

Legacy Square and business parking lots 

— just as Ruth had envisioned so many 

years earlier. 

As the Azalea Festival begins its 

34rd year as a family event, the tradition 

continues as a way for more than 40 

civic nonprofit community organizations 

to raise funds for various worthwhile 

causes. 

It has been estimated that more than 

$100,000 has been raised over the years 

to go to local charities through the sale 

of food and souvenirs. 

Visit the Pickens Azalea Festival and 

share in an annual tradition that is anticipated 

year-round by area residents as a 

way to celebrate spring in Pickens.


A Brief History of Pickens 

On a hilltop overlooking 

the Keowee River, the 

town of Pickens Courthouse 

was established 

in 1848 as the judicial 

seat of the new Pickens 

District, named in 

honor of local hero Revolutionary Partisan 

General Andrew Pickens. It quickly 

became a thriving center of hardy and 

industrious souls who came to civilize 

a mountainous frontier and provide for 

their families. The population flourished 

and only twenty years later, in 1868, 

Pickens District was divided roughly in 

half by the Keowee River into the two 

counties of Pickens, the eastern half, 

and Oconee, the western, taking on an 

appropriate Cherokee name. The early 

families of Pickens Courthouse packed 

up once again and moved. William Earle 

Hagood took down his entire house and 

rebuilt it on what is now Lewis Street 

in uptown Pickens. It stands today as a 

monument to our forebears ingenuity, 

energy, and good taste. 

A handbill distributed in June of 

1869 advertised the “Last Sale of Town 

Lots” for the Upcountry Town of 

Pickens. It described the lots as “comprising 

half acre, one, two, three, and 

four acre lots, fourteen miles from Old 

Pickens, twenty miles from Greenville 

Court House and seventeen miles from 

Pendleton Village.” It went on, “In a 

healthy section, the location is most 

desirable, situated on a beautiful plateau 

and surrounded by a fertile region, with 

thrifty inhabitants and the village rapidly 

growing.” “Fine water on both Wolf and 

Town Creeks with good saw mills and 

an abundance of fine timber close by. 

Of nearly equal distance between the 

Keowee and Saluda Rivers, it has a fine 

view of mountain scenery and will command 

a large trade from the mountains 

and from North Carolina.” 

The village quickly prospered and by 

1898 the Pickens Railroad connected directly 

to the Air Line Railroad, later Southern 

Railway. Stores and impressive homes 

lined the busy main thoroughfares. Farms 

of all sizes, saw mills, shingle mills, brick 

mills, roller mills, schools, and churches 

MAIN STREET PICKENS, 1929 

emerged in and around the town. The 

arrival of electrically driven industrial technology 

in the 1900s spurred the growth. 

Throughout the generations here, 

the arts and crafts of our ancestors were 

passed down. The necessities of survival 

like fabric weaving, quilting, pottery 

turning, metal working, mechanical engineering, 

and agriculture are transcendent 

and inspire the art of our traditional 

music. The millennia of visual arts are 

evidenced in our Cherokee crafts and 

pre-Native American pottery. Nowhere 

in the South Carolina Upcountry is 

all this more evident than at our own 

Hagood Mill Historic Site where stone is 

etched with ancient petroglyphs and the 

evocative traditional music fills the air as 

the centuries-old waterwheel still grinds 

cornmeal to its own natural rhythm as it 

did for our ancestors. 

From its very earliest days, Pickens, 

the first town of Pickens County, has 

been a story of pioneer visionaries, hard 

work, and success. Its past is storied and 

its future is bright. 

Artist 

Hayley Brown, 10th grade 

Pickens High School 

Pace & Reeves Inc. 

One Of Pickens’ Only Full Service Gas Stations 

Family Owned & Operated Since 1959 

welcomes the 

34th Annual Pickens Azalea Festival 

24 Hours - 864.878.2602 

Car & Truck Repair All Makes & Models 

- All Makes of Tires Available! - 

204 West Main Street | Pickens 

The 

Corner 

Drug Store 

Family Owned & Operated Since 1960 

Full Service Pharmacy 

878.6357 • 205 W. Cedar Rock Street • Pickens


Sweet Potato Pie Kids 

The Jake Bartley Band 

Friday, April 20, 9 p.m. 

One of the most highly sought after and hard 

working bands in the Carolinas! The Jake Bartley 

Band is local to the Upstate of S.C. and will deliver a 

unique and progressive blend of rock, country, soul, 

jazz, and blues for festival goers! The members of the 

band have each spent years traveling and performing 

nationally and internationally. Individually, they have 

appearances on their resumes such as the Today Show, 

the Rachel Ray Show, the Grand Ole Opry and countless 

other major music festivals and venues across the 

country. 

2018 

Sweet Potato Pie Kids 

Friday, April 20, 6:30 p.m. 

The Sweet Potato Pie Kids are the performing band 

for the Young Appalachian Musicians (YAM) program. 

Currently, there are more than 300 kids in the afterschool 

program in Pickens, who are in 12 different school programs, 

as well as in evening music programs. Sweet Potato 

Pie Kids are recommended by their instructors and chosen 

to be in the popular band by auditions. The current 

members of the band range in age from fifth- to seventhgraders. 

They all have learned to play bluegrass and oldtime 

music on acoustic instruments the traditional way 

— by ear. 

Also 

Featuring 

THE SPINNERS 

Jim Quick & Coastline 

And 

Friday, May 4 

Largest Cruise-In in The Upstate! 

MAGIC 

An Upstate Premier Variety Band 

5:30 pm-10 pm 

Ticket info: 800-240-3400 

blueridgefest.com 

Event takes place at Blue Ridge Electric Co-op • 734 W. Main St., Pickens, SC


Zack Stiltner 

Saturday, April 21, 1 p.m. 

Zack Stiltner is no stranger to the South. Zack grew up 

in Atlanta GA, Fort Mill SC, and Hilton Head SC. He began 

singing country at the young age of 13. Since his start in 

show business, Zack has performed across the country such 

as the CMA Fest and Dollywood. His passion is performing 

and sharing his music. You do not want to miss his performance 

at the Pickens Azalea Festival! 

Brady Smith 

Saturday, April 21, 2:30 p.m. 

Brady Smith grew up in upstate New York singing 

Christian bluegrass music with his family up and down the 

east coast. While there were not many country music stations 

in New York, his aunt played a Randy Travis cassette for him 

at a young age. His instant love and fascination with it led 

him to begin singing and writing country music at the age 

of 13. Now living in Charleston, South Carolina, achieving a 

life long dream of living near the ocean, Brady’s love of the 

lowcountry is reflected in several of his songs. He is a unique 

dichotomy of authentic country music and music that appeals 

to lovers of all genres. 

John Tibbs 

Saturday, April 21, 4 p.m. 

John Tibbs is a nationally known Christian artist. John 

was recently featured on the God’s Not Dead 2 movie. In 3 

years, John has toured over 500 dates all over the U.S. amidst 

these releases as well as co-penning songs with writers and 

artists like Dave Barnes, Matt Maher, Michael Farren, and 

Paul Mabury. Be on the lookout, as he does not seem to be 

slowing down anytime soon. John currently resides in Nashville 

with his wife, Emily and their dog, Lady. 

Benton Blount 


Benton Blount is a local, nationally recognized artist 

from Greenville, S.C. Growing up in the North Carolina 

mountains, Benton Blount never picked up a guitar or a 

microphone, much less played a tune. At age 18, his music 

pastor snuck a microphone up to his mouth and to his 

and everyone’s amazement, a beautiful voice was pouring 

out. Thus, sparking Benton’s passion for singing and writing 

songs. Benton is sure to have you on your feet with a compilation 

of southern rock and country! 

Benton Blount 

Brady Smith 

Mac Powell 

Mac Powell 


Even if you don’t know Mac Powell, you probably know 

Mac Powell! Mac is the lead singer of the popular Christian 

band Third Day. He has been nominated for over 10 Grammys 

and won 4. This Christian legend will be our lead singer 

for Saturday, April 21 and you do not want to miss his performance. 

He is sure to meet every music lovers need playing 

a host of music including contemporary Christian, southern 

gospel, southern rock, and country! 

Zack Stiltner 

John Tibbs


Civic/Nonprofit Organizations 

Azalea Festival — The Azalea 

Festival Committee will have two booths 

this year. One located in front of the 

Pickens County Court House and the 

other booth at intersection of Main St. 

and Garvin St. in front of the new Amphitheater 

sign. Look for the information 

banners. Stop by to pick up a schedule of 

events, or just come by and say hello. 

American Legion — Booth 101 

Faith Lutheran 

Chapel 

will provide a 

baby changing 

station 

at the Azalea 

Festival on 

Saturday, as 

well as a pet 

hydration 

station. 

Pickens Church of God — 

Booth 507 

Pickens Cattleman Association 

— Booth 623 

Blue Flame Bass Anglers — 

Booth 126 

Freedom Biker Church — 

Booth 405 

Pickens Lions Club — Booth 

333 

Boy Scout Troop 51 — Booth 

332 

Pickens Garden Club — 

Booth 329 

Pickens Senior/Community 

Center — Booths 316, 317, 318 

Good News Club — Booth 538 

Pickens County 4-H — Booth 

438 

created the winning design for the 2018 

Pickens Azalea Festival. Booth 222 

Gideon’s International — 

Booth 219 

Café Connections — Booth 

305 

The Blood Connection — Corner 

of Pendleton St. & Main St. 

Pickens Team High School 

Bass Fishing — Booth 126 

Pickens CERT — Booth 239 

at BOA Parking lot. Booth 103 

PC Historical Society — 

Booth 

Holly Springs Center — 

Booth 341 

Council For Educational 

Travel USA — Booth 523 

BHSPC Research — Booth 303 

Mary’s House — Booth 322 

Pickens Special Olympics — 

Booth 212 

Family Promise of PC — 

Booth 314 

Pickens County Humane Society 

— Booth 562 

Mounted Ministries — Booth 

624 

Landmark Baptist Church — 

Booth 433 

Clemson Extension, storm 

waters partners — Booth 439 

Faith Independent Baptist 

Church — Booth 209 

Cannon AnMed Health Hospital 

Auxiliary — Booth 109 

Village Branch Library — 

Booth 529 

Conservatives of the Upstate 

— Booth 108 

AHG SC Troop 2014 — Booth 

214 

Hello, 

neighbor! 

Pickens Rotary Club — Get 

your Souvenir Azalea Festival T-Shirt, 

featuring award-winning Azalea Art. 

The award is annually presented to and 

art student at Pickens High School who 

Holly Cross Catholic Church 

— Booth 337 

Faith Lutheran Chapel — Will 

provide BABY CHANGING Saturday 

Sara Turgeon, Agent 

104 S Catherine St 

Pickens, SC 29671 

Bus: 864-878-3541 

sara.turgeon.nbx4@statefarm.com 

Please stop by and say, “Hi!” 

I’m looking forward to serving your needs for 

insurance and financial services. 

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. ® 

CALL ME TODAY. 

1001013.1 State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL


Bring your appetite 

to the Azalea Festival 

Friday and all day Saturday the 

Pickens Azalea Festival will 

be serving a variety of foods, 

desserts, and snacks. So bring 

your appetite when you come. Booths 

throughout the festival will be serving 

foods for many different taste. 

Friday and Saturday 

Mile High Concessions — 

Chicken tenders, fries, philly cheese 

steaks, chili cheese fries, sausage. 

Booths 620, 621 

Pickens Fire Department 

— Hamburgers with all the fixings. 

Booths 127-130 in front of courthouse 

Parkette — Pulled BBQ sandwiches. 

Booths 342, 343 

Papa Bratts — Famous brats, 

smoked turkey legs, nacho/cheese, 

homemade chili, homemade coleslaw. 

Booths 425, 426 

Bayou Billy Sweet Dixie Tea 

— Sweet tea. Booth 619 

Bruster’s — Ice cream. Booth 

at corner of Main St. and Court 

St. 

Tsks Main Squeeze — Different 

flavors of lemonade. Booth 413 

Tay Chip Concessions — Hot 

dogs, corn dogs, fresh cut fries, bacon 

wrapped chicken on a stick, fried 

pickles, nachos and cheese, funnel cakes, 

fried Oreos and brownies, fried cheesecake 

and drinks. Amphitheater bottom 

parking lot 

Saturday only 

Taste Like Chicken — Fired turkey 

wings, regular and hot wings, chicken 

tenders, shrimp, fish and shrimp w/ 

fires, rib sandwich, fish sandwich, fired 

mushrooms, fries and sweet potato fries 

and drinks. Booths 201, 202 

Wainoni Shaved ice 

— Shaved ice with choice of 8 

flavors and 3 cup sizes. Booth 

338 

LL’s Lil Orbits — Mini 

droughts, cotton candy, tea, 

soft drinks and lemonade. 

Booths 610, 611 

PHS Band Boosters 

— Funnel cakes. Booths 401, 

402 

Low Country Kettle 

Corn — Hand-popped kettle 

corn, boiled peanuts, nacho 

chips and sodas. Booths 423, 424 

Knights of Columbus — Grilled 

Italian and polish sausage on buns, 

choice of grilled onions, peppers and 

chips, drink. Booths 605A-605B 

Art contest winner 

Each year, the Pickens Rotary Club sponsors a 

contest with the art students of Pickens High 

School to create an image of an azalea. The winning 

image represents the festival in all media 

throughout the year, and the artist receives a 

prize from the club. The winner of the 2018 contest 

is 15-year-old Pickens High School sophomore 

Hayley Brown. She is the daughter of David 

and Erica Brown. With a passion for art, Brown 

hopes to finish her high school career 

in the visual arts 

program at the South 

Carolina Governor’s 

School for the Arts and 

Humanities and plans 

to attend Savannah 

College of Art and 

Design (SCAD). 

Business 

at the 

Festival 

Blue Ridge Co-op — Booth 

502 

TD Bank — Booth 301 — 

Bank drive thru 

Wendy’s — Walk around 

Gutter Helmet — Booth 

319 

Paradise Home Improvement 

— Booth 635 

Northland Cable — Booth 

536 

Bath Fitter — Booth 517 

Bargain Exchange Flea 

Market — Booth 532 

AT&T Mobility — Booth 

501 

Mosquito Joe — Booth 121 

Southern Appalachian 

Outdoors — Booth 514 

Cutie Patooties — Booth 

119 

Leaf Filter North of North 

Carolina — Booth 606 

Pruitt Health, Pickens — 

Booth 544 

Vitalink Resarch — Booth 

429 

All American Gutter Protection 

— Booth 551 

PS Chiropractic — Booths 

324, 325 

Immerse LLC — Booth 

558 

J.R. Watkins — Booth 117 

LuLaRoe — Booth 560 

Paparazzi Jewelry — 

Booth 437


Azalea Festival Artists/Crafters 

Garden Haven Products by Jim 

and Nora Coon of Travelers Rest, 

S.C. — Carpenter bee traps and kits, mason 

bee houses, raised garden bed kits. Booth 

524, 525 

Calico and Pink by Wendy Austin 

of Fountain Inn, S.C. — Handmade 

clothing and accessories for American girl, 

Bitty baby dolls. Booth 539 

Peace’s Pieces by Vickie Peace 

of Moore, S.C. — Jewelry. Booth 237 

Tinketon Ltd by Janet Schumacher 

of Chester, S.C. — Soy candles, 

soothing soy creams. Booth 607 

Pecan Yummies by Amy Yule 

of Greenville, S.C. — All natural, gluten 

free baked pecan yummies, pre-packaged. 

Booth 432 

Plunder Jewelry by Amanda 

Murry of Easley, S.C. — Vintage jewelry. 

Booth 233 

Stitches 

by Denise Carlen 

of Huntersville, 

N.C. — 

Crochet character 

hats, newborn 

outfits etc. Booth 

304 

Southern Soap Shop by Dawn 

Drucker of Anderson, S.C. — Homemade 

soap lotion, lip balm. Booth 508 

L.B. Creations by Lillian Ballentine 

of Clemson, S.C. — Quilts, tote 

bags, pillows and pillow cases, baby items. 

Booth 605 

Mark the 

Poet by Mark 

Cadavet of 

Greer, S.C. — 

Hand designed 

notebooks and 

crosses. Booth 

526 

Pats Place by Lana Spradley of 

Greenwood, S.C. — Purses. Booth 313 

Bowtiful Blessings by Danielle 

Paterson of Pickens, S.C. — Hairbows, 

headbands, badge clips. Booth 216 

Finley Gems and Jewels by 

Dawn Finley of Easley, S.C. — Assorted 

gem stones, key chains etc. Booth 522 

Hand Stamping Memories by 

Debra Stofer of Gastonia, N.C. — 

Jewelry. Booth 235 

Mill Pine Soaps by Tonya Bagwell 

of Easley, S.C. — Bath salts, scrubs, 

lip balms. Booth 214 

Silly Willy Caricatures by Will 

Mollison of Johnson City, Tenn. — 

Hand drawn caricatures. Booth 436 

Leisa’s Closet by Leisa Dodson 

of Lyman, S.C. — Floral and mesh 

wreaths and arrangements. Booth 625 

Blue Ridge Barkery by Kathy 

McKenzie — Homemade natural dog 

treats. Booth 232 

Kiksa Fine Jewelry by Martha 

Sarria of Gastonia, N.C. — Jewelry. 

Booth 556 

Collar 

Creations by 

Jessica Hedden 

of Six Mile, 

S.C. — Handmade 

pet items. Booth 

221 

Mushroom 

Sales by Jo 

Ann Lail of 

Fountain Inn, 

S.C. — Handcrafted 

jewelry, name 

rings and crystals. 

Booth 541 and 

542 

William Moloney of Waxhaw, 

N.C. — Hand carved wood bird houses, 

wood figures etc. Booth 217 

Caricatures by Dawn 

by Dawn Scopino of Easley, 

S.C. — Draws people on 

the spot. Booth 105 

Splash n’ Scrub Soap 

Shop by Bruce Washington 

of Anderson, S.C. — 

Bath bars, facial bars, shampoo 

bars. Booths 503, 504 

Cross-Creations by 

Charlotte Ross of West 

Union, S.C. — Chandelier earrings 

etc. Booth 306 

Cutties Too by Breda 

Suarez of Simpsonville, 

S.C. — Greeting cards for all 

occasions, card holders etc. 

Booths 505, 506 

Broken 

Pieces by 

Kathy and 

Jimmy Hall of 

Anderson, S.C. 

— Makes one of a 

kind jewelry using 

recycled items 

such as copper 

pipes, electrical 

wire, broken china, 

broken sea shells 

and much more. 

Booths 411, 412 

Inglenook 

Soaps by Amy 

Moore of Campobello, 

S.C. — Handcrafted lye-based 

soaps using the traditional cold process 

method. Booth 335 

Nell’s Crafts by Allen and Nell 

Howell of Taylors, S.C. — Woodcraft 

items (birdhouses and feeders, tops, trucks, 

cars, trays, painted glassware, painted gourds 

and more. Booth 545 

Lee’s Craft by Sin-Xay Lynhiavu 

of Nebo, N.C. — Needle and stitch artwork, 

wall hanging, pillowcases and animals, 

table runner and cross stitch hand bags. 

Booth 609 

Sew Creations by Barbara 

Gabe of Anderson, S.C. — Smocked 

dresses, bibs, cloth placements and pillow 

cases. Booth 630 

Accent Fashion Jewelry by 

Kathy DeShields of Roebuck, S.C. — 

Interchangeable tassel necklaces, rings and 

other handmades. Booths 547, 548 

Mom In Motion by Lisa 

Williams of Central, S.C. 

— Nature photography. Booth 

327 

Charming Second Amendment 

by Emily Moseley of Greenwood, 

S.C. — Unique jewelry. Booths 628, 629 

See CRAFTS, Page 11


crafts 

From Page 10 

Melton Trading Co. by Daniel 

Melton of Easley, S.C. — Coffee, 

ground, beans and liquid by the cup. Booth 

612 

Fresh Scents Soy Candles by 

Nancy Spain of Travelers Rest, S.C. 

— Wax melts. Booth 224 

Bully Bites by Cynthia Hamilton 

of Taylors, S.C. — Homemade all-natural 

dog treats and chews. Booth 220 

The Happy Berry of Six Mile, S.C. 

— Pussy willow plants and cut branches, aloe 

plants. Booth 111 

Georgia Grace Vintage Designs 

by Dana Floyd of Phenix City, Ala. — 

Wooden flags, signs, home décor, vinyl decals 

and metal art. Booth 510 and 511 

JT’s Wooden Toys by Jim Stein 

of Rutherfordton, N.C. — Wooden toys, 

train sets, pull toys etc. Booth 336 

Color Me Happy by Vonnie Hicks 

of Greenville, S.C. — Face painting. 

Booth 410 

ReBloom Elegant Garden Art by 

Clarissa Naish of Irmo, S.C. — Individually 

designed garden art sun catchers. 

Booth 408 

Rose Petals Crochet by Susan 

Brahmer of Fountain Inn, S.C. — Crochet 

shawls, blankets, etc. Booth 213 

Gypsy Goat Soaps by Jessica 

Owen of Pickens, S.C. — Handmade local 

raw goat milk soap bars. Booth 534 

Face Painting by Donald De- 

Pasquale of Denver, N.C. — Booth 

238 

2BY4 LLC by 

Robert Bicknel 

of Sunset, S.C. 

— Scratchboards, multimedia 

(watercolor 

with pen). Booth 

326 

Palmetto 

to wax works 

by Jason Frost 

of Easley, S.C. 

— Hand poured soy 

candles and engraved 

wooden signs. Booth 

120 

Blue Ridge 

Designs by Noelle 

McInemey of 

Landrum, S.C. — 

Jewelry, wreaths etc. 

Booths 204, 205 

Spoonful of 

Memories by 

Brenda Howard 

of Batesburg- 

Leesville, S.C. 

— Jewelry. Booths 

414, 415 

Edged out by 

Tiffany Bledsoe 

of Hodges, S.C. 

— Wood and medal 

monograms and yard stakes. Booths 310, 

311 

Classy Glass by Sandra Jones 

of Woodfuff, S.C. — Glass art made from 

vintage and recycle glass. Booth 308 

Breezy Danielle by Breezy Cain 

of Piedmont, S.C. — Paintings, watercolor, 

acrylic, oil, landscapes. Booth 404 

The Soap Fairies by Jody Levin 

of Taylors, S.C. — French-milled castile 

soaps, salves, lotions, herbal pillows and salt 

scrubs. Booths 633, 634 

Wire Jewelry Elegance by Elizabeth 

Jones of Franklin, N.C. — Necklaces, 

pendants, earrings, rings and bracelets 

using stones and beads on sterling silver and 

14kt gold and copper wire. Booth 231 

Moribells Face and Body Art by 

Maribell Sarate of Rutherfordton, 

N.C. — Professional face painting, airbrush 

tattoos. Booth 546 

BeeLee Bags by Betsy Gaskin 

Lester of Columbia, S.C. — Cotton 

washable tote bags. Booth 236 

Crafts By Janice Simmons of 

Kingsport, Tenn. — Assorted fabric 

items such as walker aprons, dining scarves, 

bibs, bowl covers, and tote bags. Booths 

227, 228 

June’s Doggie Boutique by June 

Kelly of Butler, Tenn. — Dog items such 

as dresses, coats and bandanas. Booths 

229, 230 

Dina Cubbage of Pickens, S.C. — 

Metal and wood upcycled signs and flowers 

and furniture. Booth 608 

Twisted Trails by Madison and 

Chris McGee of Monroe, Ga. — Dog 

and cat bananas, bow ties, leashes, custom 

pet accessories. Booth 616 

Wisteria Place by Teresa Herrington 

of Taylors, S.C. — Fairy houses, 

fairy lanterns and garden globes. Booths 

626, 627 

See CRAFTS, Page 14


N. Catherine 

Street 

No Amphitheater 

gAAAmpjs, and 

vendor 

Entertainment 

Aextinguisher if 

using generator. 

Stage 

Businesses 

2018 AZALEA FESTIVAL 

Entertainment at the Amphitheater 

Portable 

Restrooms 

Cart 

Transportation 

Businesses 

Ann St. 

Hwy. 178 

Main Street Businesses 

Booth 400’s in this area 

CLOSED 

Booth 300’s in this area 

-- 

-- 

West Main (power outlets only) 

---------------- 

Booth 500’s in this 

area 

---------------- 

One traffic 

Way 

----------- 

Booth 200’s in th 

--------------- ------- 

S. Catherine 

Street 

Booth 600’s 

in this area 

Main Street 

Businesses 

Garvin Street 

CLOSED 

Booth 600’s in this 

area 

Domino’s 

Festival 

Parking 

----------------------- 

Pendleton Street 

Hwy. 178 

CLOSED 

Booth 100’s in 

this area 

Pickens 

County 

Court House 

Behind 

Court House 

Cedar Rock street 

Aza 

- 

Booths – 100’s, 200’s, & 300’s will need to travel onto Cedar Rock Street then 

ENTER at South Lewis Street on to Main Street. When you finish unloading, you 

will need to EXIT at Hwy 178 (Pendleton Street) just past Court House. 

Booths – 400’s, 500’s, & 600’s will need to travel onto Cedar Rock Street and 

ENTER at Hwy 178 (Pendleton Street). When you finish unloading, you will need 

to EXIT at Garvin Street. 

Map infor 

Portable R 

Street Na 

Hwy. in GR 

Booth sec 

Barricades


-------- 

Legacy Square 

Carnival area 

- ------------- 

Hwy. 

is area 

le’s r salefor sale 

Court 

st. 

st. 

rtable 

trooms Portable 

Restrooms 

Court 

Street 

NO SMOKING EVENT! 

------ 

TD 

Bank 

Booths 100’s 

this area 

PARKING 

Bank of America 

CLOSED 

NO SMOKING EVENT! 

ea 

Street 

TD 

Bank 

Booths 100’s 

this area 

PARKING 

Bank of America 

CLOSED 

N. Lewis 

Street 

N. Lewis 

Street 

S. Lewis Street 

Portable Restrooms 

Legacy Square 

Carnival area 

------------- 

S. Lewis Street 

Portable Restrooms 

183 

Hwy. 

183 

East Main Street 

East Main Street 

------------- 

------------- 

First Baptist 

Church 

Grace Methodist 

Church 

First Baptist 

Church 

Grace Methodist 

Church 

SED 

--------------------- 

CLOSED 

CLOSED 

CLOSED 

Pit 

Shop 

Hwy. 8 

---------------------- 

ion 

CVS 

oms 

Pit 

Shop 

CVS 

Hwy. 8 

Vendor Drop In (outside) 

mation 

in RED 

circle Next to Dr Spearman’s Office 

in 

estrooms 

BLACK box Near the Pickens County Court House on Court st. 

d of festival area (Sat. morning 

mes 

Vendor 7:00am Drop – In 9:00am) (outside) 

in RED 

EEN circle Next to Bowers Dr Spearman’s Signature Services Office will be providing free shuttle 

tions in BLACK box Near the Pickens transportation County to Court Hagood House Mill’s April on 21 Court event. Pickups st. will begin 

at 10:30 a.m. and run every 30 minutes from the corner of Main 

/ end of festival area (Sat. morning Street and Ann 7:00am Street, just west – 9:00am) 

of the amphitheater. Look for the 

signs for both pickup and dropoff. Shuttles will run until 3:30 p.m. 

Arby’s Walgreens 

----------------- 

Arby’s Walgreens 

----------------- 

Street closings, 

parking and 

other general 

information 

Wednesday night, April 18 

Legacy Square will closed to the public after 

Pickens First Baptist Church services. 

Friday, April 20 at 5:30 p.m. 

Eastbound traffic on West Main Street will 

be detoured beginning at the intersection of West 

Main and Catherine Street. 

Friday, April 20 at 6 p.m. 

The intersection of S.C. Highway 8 and S.C. 183 

(near McDonald’s), all of East and West Main, East 

and South Lewis, Pendleton Street, U.S. Highway 178 

intersections, Ann Street and Garvin Street to intersection 

of Catherine Street will be closed to regular 

vehicle street traffic. There will be traffic detours 

on Ann Street/U.S. 178. Look for detour signs. The 

above streets will remain closed to regular vehicle 

traffic until midnight Saturday, April 21. All streets 

will reopen to regular traffic at midnight Saturday. 

All closings have been approved by the city 

of Pickens and the Pickens Police Department. It 

will be the responsibility of the business owner to 

mark all parking spaces behind their businesses for 

employees/customers. Contact the Pickens Police 

Department for two-hour parking enforcement 

during the cruise-in on Friday if necessary. 

Restrooms and handwashing stations are 

located throughout the festival area — Legacy 

Square, near the amusement rides; Beside the old 

Bank of America building at the corner of East 

Main and Lewis Street; Court Street beside the 

Pickens County Courthouse; in the amphitheater 

top parking lot and on West Main Street in front 

of the old furniture store beside the white house. 

Handicapped parking will be at the corner of 

Cedar Rock Street and Court Street behind the Pickens 

County Courthouse — please look for signs. 

Festival information booths will be located 

on Main Street in front on the courthouse and at 

the intersection of Main Street and Garvin Street 

near the new amphitheater sign. Please look for 

the information banner signs. If you have questions, 

please see any festival committee member. 

They will be patroling the festival area on golf 

carts. 

General festival parking is located beside the 

Pickens County Courthouse just off Cedar Rock 

Street and two parkings lots on Lewis Street. 

Cart transportation will be available during the 

festival this year at the new amphitheater sign on 

West Main Street to the bottom parking lot of the 

amphitheater. Please ask for assistance if needed.


crafts 

From Page 11 

throws, aprons, hand towels and blankets. 

Booth 122 

Mamie Belle’s by Amanda Page 

of Pickens, S.C. — Bath bombs and fizzies. 

Booth 234 

Wallflower Art by Lisa Keys of 

Traveler’s Rest — Hand painted mixed 

media arts. Booth 124 

Simply Irresistible Custom 

Gourds by 

Kathie Jackson 

of Gaffney, S.C. 

— Birdhouses, lights, 

bowls, and animals 

made from gourds. 

Booth 112 

Simply Spoken 

Design by 

Regina Hemsley 

of Weaverville, 

N.C. — Reclaimed 

barn wood signs and 

designs. Booth 113 

Kats Creations 

by 

Katheryn Pace 

of Liberty, S.C. 

— Diamond painting 

kits, hand painted 

rocks and records, 

magnets and more. 

Booth 114 

Casa Creations 

by Lisa 

Springfield of Gray Court, S.C. — 

Marshmallow shooters, bakery candles, cedar 

wine racks, painted saw blades and mosquito 

houses. Booths 115, 116 

Sissy’s by Joy Plumbley of 

Townville, S.C. — American Girl clothes, 

Chinese Arts and Crafts by 

Jane Gue of 

Central, S.C. — 

Booth 328 

ETC’s by 

William Howell 

of Pikeville N.C. 

— Tie-dyed clothes. 

Booth 406,407 

Crystal’s 

Apothecary 

Creations by 

Crystal Mahaney 

of Enoree, 

S.C. — Booth 302 

Pat’s Place 

by Lana Spradley 

— Purses and 

quilts. Booth 313 

Totally 

Groovy Jewelry 

by Jan Haire of 

Pelzer, S.C. — 

Handmade jewelry, 

hairbows, wreaths 

and vinyl decorations. Booth 315 

OK Handmade Products by 

Yolanda Pelzer of Aiken, S.C. — 

Booth 513 

Unique Pocket Change by Brad 

Evatt of Liberty, S.C. — Coin, bottlecap 

and vintage jewelry. Booth 535 

Country Bumpkins by Karne 

Remter of Lowndesville, S.C. — Deco 

mesh and burlap wreaths, wooden door 

hangers, and silk florals. Booth 550 

Cobblestone Soaps by Suzan 

Cauble of Anderson, S.C. — Handmade 

soaps. Booth 552 

Custom Silks by Lynn McClain 

of Salem, S.C. — Silk floral arrangements. 

Booth 321 

DB’s Glass Shack by Daniel 

Brown of Morganton, N.C. — Has 

See CRAFTS, Page 15


crafts 

From Page 14 

handmade glass and mirror terrariums, with 

cactus and air plants. Booth 441 

Palmetto Custom Metal and 

Woodcraft by Jimmy Williams of 

Seneca, S.C. — Plasma cut metal art. 

Booths 225, 226 

Statement String Art by Rob 

Brown of Greenville, S.C. — String art 

of S.C. and DIY string art kits made from 

wood, nails and string. Booth 123 

Carolona Organics Samples by 

Misty Bridges of Pickens, S.C. — Has 

handcrafted artisan soaps. Booth 515 

Seneca, S.C. — Has 

mugs, bowls, planters 

etc. Booth 527 

Whipping Up 

Fairy Tales by 

Kasey Finley of 

Easley, S.C. — Has 

crocheted flowers, 

headbands, beanies. 

Booth 537 

NaNa’s Custom 

Crafts by 

Pamela Johnson 

of Chesnee, S.C. — 

Has wooden benches 

from ash and maple. 

Booth 512 

Rose and The Cat Lady by Charlotte 

Webster of Cleveland, S.C. — 

Has handmade jewelry. Booth 561 

Catblack917 by Claudia Black of 

Greer, S.C. — 

Has wine glasses, 

candle holders etc. 

Booth 530 

Roy Jolley 

of Boiling 

Springs, S.C. 

— Has puppetts, 

marshmallow 

shooters. Booth 

554 

After 

Hours Pottery 

by Jensen 

Harris of 

The Twisted 

Hippie Boutique 

by Molly Bryson 

of Six Mile, S.C. — 

Has clothes, jewelry 

and gifts. Booth 529 

Himalayan 

Artisans Co. by 

Jayanti Magar of 

Zirconia, N.C. — 

Has handmade jewelry. 

Booth. 613 

Harper 

Lane Bouttik by 

Brandie Riddle of Williamson, S.C. — 

Has buddle gum necklaces, bubble gum bead 

bracelets etc. Booths 518, 519 

Beautiful Inspirations by Brielk 

Suttles of Pickens, S.C. — Has Car 

Decals. Booth 409 

Modern Forestry by John Collins 

— Homemade candles. Booth 533 

Crafts Needles and Threads by 

Alma Crawford of Pendleton, S.C. — 

Has homemade kids clothes. Blankets, bears 

crafts, all handmade. Booth 207


Azaleas for sale 

Azaleas will be for sale 

all weekend at the 34th annual 

Azalea Festival in Pickens. 

Look for them beside the 

Pickens County Courhouse 

on Court Street. 

Festival T-shirts 

available 

T-shirts featuring the official 2018 Azalea 

Festival artwork, drawn by Pickens 

High School sophomore Hayley Brown, 

will be on sale Saturday at the festival. 

The shirts will be sold at Booth 222 by the 

Pickens Rotary Club. 

Cart transportation will be available during the festival this year at the new amphitheater 

sign on West Main Street to the bottom parking lot of the amphitheater. 

Please ask for assistance if needed. 

Bowers Signature Services will be providing free shuttle transportation to Hagood 

Mill’s April 21 event. Pickups will begin at 10:30 a.m. and run every 30 minutes 

from the corner of Main Street and Ann Street, just west of the amphitheater. Look 

for the signs for both pickup and dropoff. Shuttles will run until 3:30 p.m. 

Behavioral Health Services 

of Pickens County 

"...where change begins" 

Offering Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment Services 

to Pickens County for more than 40 years 

For more information call (864) 898-5800 or 

visit our website at www.bhspickens.com 

Your Local News 

Just the Way You Like It 

Pickens County Courier 

In Print, Online & Mobile | Subscribe Today & Save 

864.878-6391 | yourpickenscounty.com 

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Pickens Railroad History 

The Easley-Pickens line was chartered on 

Dec. 24, 1890 by the South Carolina General 

Assembly after two failed attempts to build a 

railroad through Pickens from Easley. The line 

connected with the Atlanta and Charlotte Air 

Line Railroad (later the Southern Railway) and 

was completed in 1898. 

On the railroad’s first revenue run, the 

Pickens Railroad suffered a serious derailment 

that was caused by a local group of boys that 

had placed spikes on the rails, in their words, 

“to see what would happen.” No one was 

seriously injured, but the incident caused the 

fledgling company a serious financial setback, 

leaving it to operate in the red until 1905. 

In its early years, it was nicknamed the 

“Pickens Doodle” because the train would run 

backward to Easley and forward to Pickens, 

which “looked like a doodlebug,” according to 

FIRST TRIP OF THE PICKENS DOODLE, MAY 1898 

PICKENS DOODLE, 1955 

area residents. The Pickens Railroad at the time 

did not have turning facilities until the line built 

two wye sections of track at each end of the 

line years later. 

The Southern Railway briefly acquired 

control of the Pickens around 1910, however, 

it was reverted to local interests several years 

later. 

In the 1920s, Singer Manufacturing located 

a sewing machine cabinet plant on the Pickens 

Railroad. The plant eventually became the 

railroad’s biggest customer, and the line was 

purchased outright in 1939 by Singer. In 1927, 

the Appalachian Lumber Company built a network 

of logging lines in hte upper portion of 

Pickens County. By 1939, it too was acquired 

by Singer and organized under the Poinsett 

Lumber and Manufacturing Company. Passenger 

service was discontinued in 1928 as better 

roads were built in the region. 

In 1959, the Singer Company consolidated 

its sawmill and cabinet operations with 

the woodworking operations from Arkansas 

and the Craftsman power tools from New Jersey 

to the Pickens location. Several years later 

(in 1963), Poinsett Lumber and Manufacturing 

Company had announced that the Pickens 

Railroad was for sale. James F. Jones of North 

Carolina purchased the line for approximately 

$50,000. Jones built a new enginehouse and established 

a carshop for rebuilding and renovating 

railroad cars. Jones sold the Pickens in 1973 

to Philadelphia-based National Railway Utilization 

Company (NRUC), which expanded the 

carshop to build new freight cars. 

In the early 1990s, NRUC became Emergent 

Group and sold the railroad to CLC-Chattahoochee 

Locomotive Corp., which renamed 

the railroad Pickens Railway Company, according 

to the Federal Register, May 1, 1996. On 

April 2, 2013, Pickens Railway pulled the last 

train to Easley because of lack of business. 

The final run was pulled by Pickens #9502 and 

CLCX #12132. The last train ended an era of 

more than 100 years of running to Easley. 

The Doodle Trail 

The Doodle Trail, a 7.5-mile rails-totrails 

partnership between the City 

of Easley and the City of Pickens, 

opened Memorial Day Weekend 2015. 

The multi-use trail is open from dawn 

to dusk for biking, walking, running 

and rollerblading. Unauthorized mopeds or motorized 

vehicles are not permitted on the trail. 

The Doodle line carries a rich history of 

industry and economy important to both the city 

of Pickens and the city of Easley. In 1890, the 

State of South Carolina issued a charter for the 

construction of a railroad between Easley and 

Oolenoy Gap, by way of Pickens. After eight 

years of construction, the 8.5-mile portion of 

the railway between Easley and Pickens became 

operational in 1898. Until 2013, the Doodle line 

hauled a variety of commodities to and from 

Pickens and Easley, including food products, textiles, 

and automobile parts. Local residents nicknamed 

the railroad the “Pickens Doodle” line, 

because the freight engine could not be turned 

around and had to run backwards from Easley to 

Pickens, looking like a doodlebug. 

The Doodle Trail represents the opportunity 

to carry on the memory of this historic railroad 

and preserve the vital connection that was forged 

between Easley and Pickens more than 120 years 

ago. The two cities have respective trailheads at 

each end of the Doodle Trail.


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Liberty, SC 29657 

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Services You Need, Doctors You Trust 

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111 West Roper Road, Easley, SC 

864.897.8280 

Robert Person, MD 

Sam Lusk, FNP-BC 


Liberty Family Practice 

105 Liberty Boulevard, Liberty, SC 

864.843.9213 

Travis Davis, MD 

Augusta Hall, FNP-BC 

John Randolph, MD 


Pickens Family Practice 

123 W.G. Acker Drive, Pickens, SC 

864.878.2435 

Daniel Dahlhausen, MD 

Stacy Browder, FNP-BC 

Lori Ellenburg, FNP-BC 

Christine Lawrence, MD 

AnMed Health Cannon Medicus ENT 

885 Tiger Blvd. Suite A, Clemson, SC 

864.897.0390 

Kimberly Ostrowski, D.O., M.S. 

AnMed Health Cannon Orthopedics 

123 W.G. Acker Drive, Suite A, Pickens, SC 

864.878.1231 

Byron Marsh, MD 

AnMed Health Cannon Surgical 

123 W.G. Acker Drive, Suite D, Pickens, SC 

864.898.1360 

Peter Schiver, MD, FACS 


Emergency Department 

123 W.G. Acker Drive, Pickens, SC 

864.878.4791 or 911 

James Clifton Caldwell, MD 

David F. Carver, MD 

Michael Dillard, MD 

Tony Rana, MD 

Glenn Williams, MD 

For a complete listing of AnMed Health Cannon physicians and services, log onto anmedhealthcannon.org


Tours Available 

ns 

ur 

d 

& 

ls, 

s, 

re 

or 

n 

en 

al 

Hagood-Mauldin House 

THE Hagood-Mauldin HouSE, owned 

and maintained by the Pickens County 

Historical Society, it was moved from Pickens 

Court House to the new town of Pickens in 

1868. It underwent two separate renovations, 

added. The fine 

(Tour Fee Required) 

one by James Earle Hagood, and the second 

by Judge and Miss Queen Hagood Mauldin 

when the front porch was changed into 

Classical Style and the Judge’s office was 

antique furnishings and 

art were added by Irma Morris. 

The historic house will be open for public 

tours during the Azalea Festival 10am - 4pm, 

Saturday: $5.00 for adult, $2.00 for students 

The Hagood-Mauldin House, owned and 

maintained by the Pickens County Historical 

Society, it was moved from Pickens Court 

House to the new town of Pickens in 1868. 

It underwent two separate renovations, 

one by James Earle Hagood, and the second 

by Judge and Miss Queen Hagood Mauldin 

when the front porch was changed into Classical 

Style and the Judge’s office was added. 

The fine antique furnishings and art were 

added by Irma Morris. The historic house will 

be open for public tours during the Azalea 

Festival. The fee will be $5 for adults and $2 

for students from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. 

[ THings To see ] 

, 2017 iwanna april 11, 2017 pickensazaleafestival.com Pickens Azalea Festival Guide | 17 | 

onE of THE finEST regional examples 

of nineteenth century technology can be 

found just three miles north of Pickens, South 

Carolina. Located just off Highway 178, at 138 

Hagood Mill Road, this 1845 gristmill served 

many generations of rural farm families until 

its’ closing in the mid-1960s. 

Hagood Mill 

(Free Tours) 

1973 the mill and it’s surrounding property 

One of the finest regional examples of 

Hagood Mill operated during the War were donated to the Pickens County Museum 

19th century technology 

Commission 

can be found 

by the James 

just 

Hagood 

three 

Bruce 

family (descendants of James Hagood, who 

miles north of Pickens. Located built the mill in 1845 just at the off age of Highway 

178, at 138 Hagood Carolina Mill was Road, one of the states this that 1845 made an 

nineteen). 

Additionally, in the early 1970s, South 

exemption for water-powered gristmills to 

gristmill served many generations operate. Thus began of a rural long on-again, farm offagain 

restoration process by the County of 

families until its closing in Pickens. the The mid-1960s. 

culmination of these restoration 

efforts put the mill “back in business” 

Hagood Mill operated mode (at least during on a monthly the basis) War around 

Thanksgiving 1996, thanks to the help of 

Between the States; The Alan Warner, Spanish who served / as miller American 

War; World War I; over World sixty gristmill War sites in Pickens II; The County… 

until 2009. 

Warner, a mill historian, has documented 

almost all of which are now gone. 

Korean War and part of 

Hagood 

the 

Mill 

Vietnam 

is located just off 

War. 

Highway 

178, at 138 Hagood Mill Road. The mill will 

In the 1960s, the federal government passed 

be in operation during the Azalea Festival 

10am – 4pm. 

regulations requiring the farmers’ corn to 

be tested before grinding, and also, requiring 

preservatives. This effectively shut down 

iwanna april 11, 2017 

most of the gristmills nationwide and Pickens 

County was no exception. 

In 1972, Hagood Mill was placed on the 

National Register of Historic Places and in 

1973 the mill and surrounding property were 

donated to the Pickens County Museum 

Between the States; The Spanish / American 

War; World War I; World War II; The Korean 

War and part of the Vietnam War. In the 

1960s, the Federal Government passed 

regulations requiring that farmers’ corn be 

tested before grinding, and also requiring 

the use of preservatives. This effectively 

shut down most of the gristmills nationwide 

and Hagood Mill in Pickens County was no 

exception. 

In 1972 Hagood Mill was placed on the 

National Register of Historic Places and in 

Commission by the James Hagood Bruce 

family (descendants of James Hagood who 

built the mill in 1845 at the age of 19). 

Also in the early 1970s, South Carolina 

was one of the states that made an exemption 

for water-powered gristmills to operate. 

Thus began a long off-again, on-again process 

of restoration by Pickens County, culminating 

with the mill being “back in business” on a 

monthly basis around Thanksgiving 1996 with 

the help of Alan Warner, who served as miller 

until 2009. Warner, a mill historian, has documented 

more than 60 gristmill sites in Pickens 

County … almost all of which are now gone. 

The mill be in operation during the Azalea 

Festival from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 

Pickens County Museum 

of Art & History 

(Free Tours) 

The Pickens County Cultural Commission 

monitors operation of the Pickens 

County Museum of Art & History as a public, 

nonprofit educational institution whose 

purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit and 

interpret the artifacts, antiquities and archival, 

cultural and natural history of the County 

and surrounding geographic region. 

The cultural commission also provides 

cultural enrichment, intellectual stimulation, 

learning opportunities and appreciation of 

the visual and performing arts for the enjoyment 

of the County’s citizenry and visitors. 

The Museum Shop offers the work of 

more than 100 local and regional fine, traditional 

and folk artisans that represents the 

artistic spectrum of our unique area — including 

handcrafted jewelry, pottery, ceramics, 

baskets, scarves and handbags, woodcarvings, 

colorful prints and originals, Native American 

art, note cards, folk art, soaps, beeswax 

candles, locally harvested honey, handmade 

children’s toys and other specialty items. 

The Museum Shop features a wide array 

of CDs from local Upcountry musicians, 

and fascinating storytellers, early American 

and World music. We also offer a variety of 

educational and historical toys, as well as an 

assortment of books on local history and local 

interest for all ages. 

The museum is located at 307 Johnson 

St., across from Pickens City Hall. It will be 

open Saturday of the Azalea Festival from 9 

a.m.-4:30 p.m. 

| 10 | Pickens Azalea Festival Guide pickensazaleafestival.com iwanna april 11, 2017 pickensazaleafestival.com Pickens Azalea Festival Guide | 11 | 

2018 Azalea Festival 

Sponsors


Pickens Historical Tour 

The PICKENS COUNTY 

HISTORICAL SOCIETY, The PICKENS 

MUSEUM, and the PICKENS AZALEA 

FESTIVAL are proud to present the Pickens 

Historical Tours. 

In Pickens as in most towns, there is 

progress. This town is no different. There are 

sites where buildings stood and where events 

happened. Some of the buildings are still 

around today. This is a tour of those buildings 

and places. 

HAGOOD-MAULDIN HOUSE — 

The home was built in “Old Pickens” and 

later moved to this location in 1868, when the 

Pickens District was divided into Oconee and 

Pickens counties. Col. James E. Hagood was 

the owner of the home, and was the first Clerk 

of Court of Pickens District. He was one of 

the commission men who located the site for 

the new courthouse, and after living for many 

years in the present Pickens, died in 1904. 

When his daughter, Frances Miles Hagood, 

called “Miss Queen” by many, was married in 

1904 to Judge T.J. Mauldin, the couple settled 

in this home. Judge Mauldin was the son of 

the first sheriff in Pickens County and was 

named the Judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit 

of South Carolina. Mrs. Mauldin was no less 

outstanding as a club woman, humanitarian, 

and social leader. She was a prime mover in 

the development of the Tamassee-D.A.R. 

School in Oconee County. The PICKENS 

COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY — 

inherited this lovely home and volunteers open 

every 3rd Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tours 

are $2 for adults and $1 for students. During 

the festival, the museum will be open from 8 

a.m. until 4 p.m., at which time the Pickens 

Historical Society will be holding a yard sale 

as well as giving tours. Come join the society. 

Dues are $5 per individual, $10 per couple. 

COLONIAL HOUSE — In 1903 

Ben A. Hagood, son of J.E. Hagood, built 

this large summer home. The Ben Hagood 

family lived in Charleston and wanted to get 

away from the oppressive heat and the malaria 

carrying mosquitoes that came to the low 

country in the summer months. Each year 

the family would travel by carriage over rough 

roads to stay at their summer retreat until cool 

weather returned. The home, with its beautiful 

grounds and large stable in the back, was the 

show place of the country and a hub of social 

activity. Later, when Mr. and Mrs. Hagood’s 

children were grown, the Gallie Friend family 

bought the home in 1926. Mr. Friend had 

come to Pickens to work for the Appalachian 

Lumber Company.In the mid-1930s, the 

house with its surrounding land was purchased 

by Mozelle Cole for her parents, Mamie and 

Charles White, to manage as a boarding house. 

In those days the Whites boarded mostly local 

school teachers who paid $1 a day for meals 

and a room. First called White’s Hotel and 

then the Colonial House, the structure served 

the public until it closed in 1985. 

108 GLASSY MOUNTAIN STREET 

— Built in the late 1890s, this house is one 

of the oldest homes in Pickens. In 1977 it 

was moved from the northern end of Glassy 

Mountain Street to its present location. The 

porch across the front was removed, the 

exterior otherwise restored. 


(Brackett Home) was built in 1938 by 

Dr. and Mrs. W.C. Brackett. The style of 

the home is reflected in the fact that Mrs. 

Brackett was from the low-country, Edisto 

Island, South Carolina. The architect was 

Dr. Sams, Dean of Architecture at Clemson 

College (now University). This home was 

purchased in 1965 by Norman and Evelyn 

Kennemer. Norman Kennemer is a former 

Mayor of Pickens. 


(Bivens Home) — Was built in 1942 by 

Mayor and Mrs. A.W. Bivens. Bivens was the 

mayor of Pickens from 1946-1952. 

PICKENS MILL BAPTIST 

CHURCH — The formation date given 

for Pickens Mill Baptist Church was Oct. 

14, 1908; however, the Rev. Crawford was 

holding services at the Mill as early as May. 

The present sanctuary was built in 1957 and 

is now called East Pickens Baptist Church. 

The home of the new East Pickens Baptist 

Church is located across from the YMCA on 

Highway 8. 

THE MILL VILLAGE — For the 

most part, the first employees of the Pickens 

Mill came from the mountain farms and 

were familiar with the early American way of 

MAIN STREET PICKENS, 1920s-1930s 

spinning and weaving. Mill work was easy for 

them to learn. Construction of the mill and 

60 houses started in the summer of 1906 

and was completed in the summer of 1907. 

As production increased, other houses were 

added, and in 1927, a night shift was put on, 

and 65 houses were added. 

719 E. CEDAR ROCK STREET — 

This home was built in 1907 for Clarence 

Bruce Hagood, who was president of the 

Pickens Mill. In 1915, Author Jewell moved 

in when the Pickens Mill was bought by 

Mayfair. Over the years, Mayfair furnished 

the house for upper management. Early in 

1991, Mayfair decided to sell the house. It is 

now a private residence. 

524 E. CEDAR ROCK STREET 

— Constructed in 1904 for Dr. Bolt, it was 

OLD PICKENS HIGH SCHOOL 

purchased in 1920 by O.T. Hinton Sr. O.T. 

Hinton Sr. was the manager of Duke Power 

at the time and during his career also was the 

founder of the Pickens Insurance Company 

and served for a time as the County Treasurer. 

Mr. Hinton and his wife, Lois, raised six 

children in this house. Martha Dunn, the 

youngest child, says she has many wonderful 

memories associated with this house. In fact, 

she says, she and her brothers, Joel and O.T. Jr. 

were born in the front room. Martha’s other 

brothers and a sister are Calhoun (a former 

Mayor of Pickens), Trescott, and Corrine. 

508 E. CEDAR ROCK STREET — 

Built in 1904 by Mr. T. L. Bivens, Sr.. At a 

later date, a daughter, Mrs. Margaret Bivens 

Wannamaker and family occupied the house 

until the early 1960s. 

FIRST BRICK HOUSE — Built for 

J.T. Taylor in 1908, on E. Cedar Rock Street 

across from the school site. Residing there for 

many years was his daughter, Mrs. Lorena T. 

King, who wrote for The Pickens Sentinel. In 

1968 she said, “Young people today complain 

of the lack of things to do and places to go. 

We didn’t have much to do but we were happy. 

We had our chores, and as for entertainment 

sometimes there was an ice cream supper 

on the courthouse grounds. The ice cream 

was homemade and hand-churned. A large 

dish full for five cents. Then, there were the 

molasses candy pullings at the school house. 

The candy was cooked on an old iron stove. 

Everyone was there and all the children pulled 

candy. It was a fine way to get your hands 

clean. For the young ladies and gentlemen, 

See tour, Page 21


TOUR 

From Page 20 

there was the croquet ground by the side of 

the Methodist Church, a very popular place. In 

those days the school rooms weren’t too warm 

and often hands were raised for permission to 

go to the stove to get warm. All the boys wore 

short pants and the girls knee-length dresses 

until their teens, then the boys put on long 

pants and the girls wore mid-length dresses. I 

have seen ladies up town with dresses on that 

had trails sweeping up the dust and dirt on 

the streets. These are a few of the things that 

I remember about the early days of Pickens.” 

PICKENS CENTRALIZED HIGH 

SCHOOL — Built in 1904, Mrs. Lorena 

King said, “I remember when the brick 

school was built on E. Cedar Rock Street. 

This section was in the woods with a small 

road going through the woods. There 

were four classrooms downstairs and two 

classrooms and an auditorium upstairs. 

When it was completed, the wife of the 

school superintendent said, ‘Well, we could 

use it for a summer hotel because there will 

never be enough children in Pickens to fill it.’ 

” In early years the school had first through 

tenth grades, then was a combined junior 

and high school until 1954, when the current 

Pickens Middle School was built as the high 

school.. It was the junior high until January 

1968. The school was torn down in the ’70s. 

THE HIAWATHA HOTEL — This 

hotel was built in 1903 and was a popular 

summer resort for the low country people. 

In telling about the hotel, Mrs. Lorena 

King said, “There were no refrigeration, 

ice was unknown. When the Hiawatha 

Hotel opened they had open house and to 

everyone’s amazement the center piece on 

the refreshment table was a 50-pound block 

of ice. That was really something new.” 

Presently the building is occupied by offices, 

but still has a few very nicely remodeled 

rooms upstairs for weekly or monthly 

boarders. 

TAYLOR STEWART BUILDING 

— Taylor Stewart built the brick building 

next to the Pickens Hotel (formerly the 

Hiawatha Hotel) in 1932. It is now owned 

by Grace United Methodist Church as Grace 

House. 

PICKENS COURT HOUSE 

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH 

SOUTH — The Methodist Church was 

organized in 1868. The first place of worship 

was the one-room office of Attorney J.E. 

Hagood, located east of the courthouse. 

This was the first church in the new town 

and services were attended by people of all 

denominations. In 1871 J.E. Hagood gave 

the land for the first church building. A small 

white frame building with its appropriate 

steeple faced west and nestled in a pine 

grove in the northeast corner of the present 

parking lot. The second edifice, of brick 

construction, begun in 1911 was the same site 

as the present church. Its large and beautiful 

stained glass windows were outstanding. It 

was completely destroyed by fire in 1945. 

Following this devastating tragedy church 

services were held in the Pickens School 

building, on East Cedar Rock Street. The 

present church (Grace United Methodist) 

was dedicated in 1949. Note: There are quite 

a few older churches in the area outside of 

the town of Pickens. For example, Secona 

Baptist Church, located two miles west of 

Pickens, had its beginning in 1786. 

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH — 

On Saturday afternoon, May 16, 1891, 29 

persons gathered in the Pickens Presbyterian 

Church to organize a Baptist church for 

the town of Pickens. The Rev. Stewart 

contributed a lot for a building on West 

Main Street, and a small white frame house 

of worship was completed in 1893. In 

1913 the present lot was purchased. The 

second house of worship, built on this lot 

in 1924, was brick and fronted with four 

white columns. Experiencing steady growth, 

the 1924 structure was torn away to permit 

construction of this new sanctuary. One of 

the features is a 120-foot lighted steeple. 

FINDLEY HOME — This lovely 

brick home at 206 Hampton Avenue The 

original 8 room house was built in 1927 by 

William Elbert Findley who was an attorney. 

For many years now, Findley’s son, Earle, 

and his wife, Mary Louise, resided here. The 

honorable Earle W. Findley was mayor of 

Pickens from 1956-1977. 

McFALL HOME — This beautiful old 

home was built in 1908 by the former Vesta 

Mauldin, the widow of Waddy Thompson 

McFall. She was the daughter of the first 

sheriff and sister to Judge Mauldin. W.T. 

McFall came to Pickens to work with his 

brother James McFall, who conducted one 

of the first General Stores in Pickens. The 

Pickens Sentinel-Journal of Feb. 15, 1905 

said “Waddy T. McFall sold to more people 

hiawatha hotel 

on better terms, with less security than any 

other merchant in the Piedmont...He was the 

prime mover in establishing the first bank, 

then called ‘The Pickens Bank,’ and he helped 

organize the first oil mill and ginnery...At the 

time of his death he was mayor of the town.” 

Mrs. Lorena King reported in a later issue that 

“McFall died with pneumonia in 1905. At the 

request of the city fathers, everyone had a bow 

of black crepe on their front door knob. This 

was also strung across Main Street from store 

window to store.” 

HIOTT PRINTING CO. — The 

Pickens Sentinel newspaper was printed in 

this building from 1966 to 2001. The Hiott 

family first became associated with The 

Sentinel in 1912 when the late Rev. D.W. 

Hiott was asked to take over the paper. There 

were some lean years — especially during 

the Depression when the barter system just 

about kept the paper going. Fortunately, Mrs. 

Hiott was appointed Pickens Postmaster in 

the ’30s and much of her salary was used to 

supplement The Sentinel, although the payroll 

was only $27 per week; $25 to the Linotype 

operator and $2 for the printer. The paper was 

purchased by the Pickens County Publishing, 

Inc. in 1978, and by Crescent Media Group in 

2002. While no longer owners of the paper, 

the Hiott family has continued to operate the 

Printing Company. 

“PICKENS GAOL” (Old English 

spelling of jail) — Built in 1902 and 

now on the National Register of Historic 

Places, the Pickens County Gaol served 

as the county jail until 1975. The building 

was restored in 1976 and now houses the 

Pickens County Museum. Following a fire in 

1994, the museum was closed as repairs and 

GRACE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH See tour, Page 22


TOUR 

renovations were completed. 

From Page 21 

office occupied this space until 1960, when it 

moved to the present location on Pendleton 

Street. In 1994, the Post Office got a new 

home on Johnson Street. 

PIONEER LOG CABIN — Some 

people say this small cabin was built by pioneer 

Benjamin Hagood who came from Edgefield 

County to settle in the old Pendleton District 

near the present town of Pickens (Hagood Mill 

area). They say it was built before 1800, made 

of logs handhewn by slaves, with nails and 

hardware made in a home blacksmith shop. It 

was built with only two small windows, having 

no glass. It’s said the shutters fastened inside 

for protection against the native Americans. 

Some years ago, young Bill Davis of Pickens 

acquired the cabin and had it rebuilt at 

the home of his father, Harold Davis. It’s 

maintained here, furnished in rustic items of 

the period. The rock in the foreground is a 

native American relic, a soapstone containing 

a chisel bowl. The cabin has now been moved 

to the Hagood Mill site. 

FIRE DEPARTMENT HISTORY 

— The first Fire Department that Pickens had 

was an old two-wheel cart with a two and a half 

inch hose around the drum of the cart. In the 

first fire department in 1900 the captain was 

D.B. Finney. Later, police chief Hovey Nealy, 

pulled the cart many times behind his Model-T 

and later his A-Model Ford. About 1934, the 

city purchased a 1925 model Seagrave Fire 

Truck from the city of Danville, VA, which 

was the first fire truck Pickens ever had. The 

city was without an organized department 

until the year 1946. The Pickens Jaycees called 

a meeting at the old court house and Oliver 

Hughes was elected chief and Cy Rampey, 

assistant chief. 

GRIFFIN EBENEZER BAPTIST 

CHURCH — Marking a departure from 

antebellum practices, one of the lasting social 

changes brought about by circumstances of 

the Civil War was the growth of independent 

black congregations. Within the corporate 

limits of New Pickens, a prime example was 

Griffin Ebenezer Baptist Church, possibly the 

first congregation in town as well as the first 

group to build a structure solely as a church. 

Griffin Ebenezer’s members had heretofore 

attended white churches, such as Secona 

Baptist Church and others in the surrounding 

countryside. Griffin Ebenezer Baptist Church 

remained at its initial location on the corner of 

Garvin and Johnson Streets until 1879, when 

the congregation purchased a larger church 

site on the corner of Garvin and Lee Streets. 

A new sanctuary was dedicated in 2001. 

THE PICKENS BANK — The 

present building was built in 1910 and housed 

the Pickens Bank. In 1933, South Carolina 

National bought the building and later became 

Wachovia Bank. The bank is located at 431 

Ann Street. 

PICKENS 

COUNTY 

COURTHOUSE — The present 

courthouse is the third for the county. The 

first building had four large rooms and a wide 

hall on the first floor. The front had a portico 

and iron steps ascending from the ground to 

the courtroom on the second floor. The little 

building served until 1894 when it was razed 

after the construction of a new courthouse. 

The second structure, erected in 1891, was a 

larger two-story brick building which featured 

a ponderous tower. Two additions were made 

over the years, standing until 1959 when a 

move was engineered to build the county’s 

third and present courthouse. 

POST OFFICES ON MAIN 

STREET — A post office was established 

as Pickens C.H. on May 16, 1827. The name 

of the post office was changed to Pickens on 

January 30, 1894. A small wooden one-room 

office with a little porch was used for the post 

office. Another location was a small wooden 

frame building facing the Courthouse and 

it stood where later a barber shop and then 

Parrott’s Grocery Store was located. It is 

now the west side of the Bivens Hardware 

Store. In 1896 the first brick store was built 

on Main Street by Aaron Madison Morris. 

This building is still standing and is between 

Gravely’s Barber Shop and and a lawyer’s 

office. Mr. Morris was the first merchant 

to use glass store windows and glass front 

doors in his new building. Prior to this, all 

windows were simple wooden shutters fitted 

with braces and bars. When Mr. Morris was 

appointed as the postmaster here in Pickens, 

he fitted up the right front side of his store 

building as the post office, with small wooden 

boxes or cubicles suitably labeled to hold the 

mail for the families living here. A few years 

later, the post office moved across Main 

Street and occupied space in the back part of 

the former SCN bank. It was about this time 

that the Rural Free Delivery mail service was 

started in Pickens, and this was truly the horse 

and buggy days, for there were no paved roads 

of any sort; the very few automobiles in the 

area could be used only during dry weather. 

However, with the advent of RFD carriers, 

their buggies and even their first cars, meant 

PICKENS DRUG CO., 1909 

that more post office space was needed. This 

problem was solved in 1926, by the late Frank 

McFall, one of the early bankers. He erected 

a new building on Main Street, with the post 

office occupying the ground floor. The post 

1950s PICKENS 

FIRST LIGHTS — The first electric 

lights in Pickens were in this apartment 

building when it was the office of The 

Pickens Sentinel. Former Sentinel editor 

Gary Hiott Jr., says “A little later, A.M. 

Morris began his electric plant on Twelve 

Mile River which improved things and the 

lights would get brighter as the night wore 

on and more people went to bed.” There 

was one extreme handicap, according to Mr. 

Hiott: “Mr. Morris had a contract with the 

town which stated that on moonlit nights, no 

electricity would be provided.” The Sentinel 

was printed here from the early 1900s until 

1947. Before coming here, the office was in 

a wooden building on Main Street where it 

was started in 1871. The Pickens Sentinel is 

the oldest institution in Pickens County. 

FORMER SENTINEL OFFICE & 

See tour, Page 23


TOUR 

AMERICAN LEGION POST — This 

building, built in 1933, currently used as a 

church, was once American Legion Post #11 

and also from 1947-1966 it was the office of 

the Pickens Sentinel. 

GRIFFIN HOME — Though most 

people in Pickens refer to the house as the 

“Elihu Griffin House,” local historians are 

convinced that it was built by J.C. (Calhoun) 

Griffin in the 1880s on the same site that 

Elihu Griffin built his home decades earlier. 

When the Pickens County commissioners 

chose the site for the new town of Pickens, 

they bought 150 acres of land in May of 

1868 from Griffin and four other men. 

They paid Elihu Griffin $270 for 94 acres, 

James Ferguson, $50 for 18 acres, Wynn 

Blassingame $12 for 24 acres and William 

Allgood $75 for 15 acres. 

214 ANN STREET — Built by Hagood 

Bruce in the early 1920’s. He sold it in 1925 to 

Larry C. Thornely who was in business with 

Ernest Folger in Pickens. 

CURETON HOME — This lovely 

white home at 230 Ann Street was built about 

1919 by Mayor and Mrs. C.L. Cureton. Charlie 

Cureton served as mayor of Pickens in the 

1920s and 30s. He was on the state legislature, 

served on Governor Mannings staff and was a 

State Highway Commissioner. 

BABB’S HOUSE — At 231 Ann 

Street, this house was built in the early 1900s 

by Andrew Babb and his brother. Later, 

Mayor Sam Craig and his family lived in this 

house. In 1959, Dr. Albert Joseph Reinovsky 

and his family moved to the Babbs House. 

Dr. Reinovsky was a devoted doctor and 

loved by all that knew him. For no fee, he 

was the Pickens High football team doctor 

for 24 years and missed only one game in 

all those years. Also, he was the Miracle Hill 

Children’s Home physician. 

250 ANN STREET — Built in 1927 

by Dr. and Mrs. Paden Woodruff, in 1934 

Hayley Brown 

Sophomore at Pickens High 

From Page 22 

Dr. and Mrs. J.L. Aiken bought the home. 

Dr. Aiken was one of the first dentists in 

the area, practicing from 1919 to 1961. His 

daughter, Mary Aiken, who resides in the 

home now, was the Pickens County librarian 

from 1961 to 1970. Dr. Woodruff and Dr. 

Aiken came to Pickens on the same day to 

begin their practices. Dr. Woodruff was also 

mayor of Pickens in 1929-1931. 

256 ANN STREET — Built in 1927 

by Dr. J.L. Aiken, this home served as the 

Presbyterian Manse from the early 1940s to 

1972. 

LEGACY SQUARE, built in 1993-1994, 

was first conceived by the City of Pickens and 

the First Baptist Church as additional parking 

for the town. After many people contributed 

to the planning of the square, bricks were 

sold to individuals to construct a fountain, 

and contributions were made by many civic 

organizations, the First Baptist Church, and 

the City of Pickens. 

210 Main Street The Bradley/ 

Boggs house. This house was originally 

built for and owned by William Franklin 

Bradley. The name may sound familiar to 

some, as he was the co-founder of the 

Pickens Sentinel and The Easley Progress. 

He also served in the state house just after 

the civil war. 

It later became the home of Julius E. 

Boggs, railroad president, who was born 

Feb. 14, 1854, in Pickens County. He was the 

president of the Pickens railroad. The house 

has been many things over the years, a home, 

a restaurant for serving lunches during the 

depression, a haunted house for the Jaycees, 

and most recently as the home of Enrapt, a 

local community theater. 

The current home of THE 

GREATER PICKENS CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE was built in 1974 to house 

the Village Library which had outgrown its 

small building (see No. 33). In 1994, the 

library again expanded by moving to the old 

Dillard Funeral Home located on Catherine 

Street, leaving this spacious brick building 

available for the Chamber. 

Come visit us before or after 

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