Gaffney, South Carolina - Travel Photos by Galen R Frysinger, Sheboygan, Wisconsin

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Gaffney

Gaffney is a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, South Carolina, United States, in the upstate region of South Carolina. Gaffney is also sometimes referred to as the Peach capital of South Carolina. The population was 12,414 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Gaffney, South Carolina, Micropolitan Statistical Area (population 52,537 according to year 2000 estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau), an µSA which includes all of Cherokee County and which is further included in the greater Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, South Carolina Combined Statistical Area (population 1,185,534 according to year 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimates).

Michael A. Gaffney, born in Granard, Co. Longford, Ireland, in 1775, emigrated to America in 1797, arriving in New York and moving to Charleston, South Carolina a few years later. Gaffney moved again in 1804 to the South Carolina Upcountry (The Upstate) and established a tavern and lodging house at what became known as "Gaffney's Cross Roads." The location was perfect for growth because of the two major roads which met here, one from the mountains of North Carolina to Charleston and the other from Charlotte into Georgia. Michael Gaffney died here on September 6, 1854.

Carnegie Library

In 1872, the area became known as "Gaffney City." Gaffney became the county seat of Cherokee County which was formed out of parts of York, Union, and Spartanburg Counties in 1897. Gaffney became a major center for the textile industry in South Carolina, which was the backbone of the county's economy up until the 1980s.

Despite the small amount of population growth, businesses and companies continue to locate within the city limits, especially along the bustling Floyd Baker Boulevard and Highway 105 and many other areas within the city limits. However, most population growth recently has occurred outside of the city limits.

Michael Gaffney Home

Uptown Gaffney began to languish after I-85 was built in the county as industries located near the new highway. Recent renovations in downtown Gaffney have prompted more businesses to locate there, but there is still a great deal that is planned for the central part of the city. Many plans have been announced for the downtown area, including a large 20-acre (81,000 m2) park that is currently being developed on the grounds of a recently demolished mill (Gaffney Manufacturing Co.). A plaza has been completed beside city hall and includes a refurbished fountain and extensive landscaping. Highlights to the upgrade of the city's park system include a skatepark, two passive parks, and several children's playgrounds.

home interior

In 2008 the Cherokee County History & Arts Museum opened on College Drive in the historic Central Elementary School Building. The Museum is operated by the Cherokee Historical & Preservation Society, Inc. and is located on the mustering ground of the SC militia (1812–1914). Located just blocks from downtown Gaffney and in one of the cities three Nationally Registered Historic Districts, the Museum offers new cultural opportunities for locals and visitors, while having a positive economic impact for the downtown area. Annual events include a pottery show, car show, and ghost walk.

The city has recently hired an architectural firm to renovate the old Gaffney Post Office located at the intersection of Frederick and Granard Streets into a Visitor's Center and Art Gallery.

There are also plans for a large cultural center to be placed in the downtown area. In 2009 Darren Mason was elected president of Gaffney Downtown Business Assoc. and has worked closely with city officials in revitalizing the Historic Downtown area which consists of about 6 blocks. New matching fund programs have been key to restoring old buildings by painting and using attractive awnings to spruce up the old look of main street.

A farmers' market, Gaffney Station Farmers' Market, has been established in a city parking lot directly across from the old post office downtown. The farmers' market operates on Wednesdays and Saturdays June through October. There are also plans to create a more permanent site for the farmer's market at that site. The City of Gaffney plans to build a partial replica of the old train depot that was once located there. The partial replica will house a portion of the farmer's market, and also act as a landmark that calls back to the days of the old depot.

Limestone College

The city recently concluded Spring Session '08 of a popular concert series entitled Shindig at the Gaffney Cabin. Bands perform on a weekly basis - Fridays during the Spring Session (May) and Thursdays during the Fall Session (late August through September). Concerts are held on Thursdays during Fall Sessions so as not to conflict with Gaffney Indian football games on Friday nights. The City will hold more of those concerts in 2009, this time from April to June 2009, and again from August to October of the same year.

Two serial killers have at different times attacked residents of Gaffney. In 1968 Lee Roy Martin, known as the Gaffney Strangler, killed four women. In 2009, a series of shootings led to five deaths.

Text from Wikipedia