• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SC Picture Project

The purpose of the South Carolina Picture Project is to celebrate the beauty of the Palmetto State while preserving some of its vanishing landscapes.

  • FIND A LANDMARK
    • BY CITY
    • BY COUNTY
    • BY CATEGORY
    • BYGONE LANDMARKS
  • ADD IMAGES
  • VOLUNTEER
  • SPONSORS
  • DONATE

Vann Building

SC PICTURE PROJECT Leave a Comment

SC Picture Project / Spartanburg County / Vann Building

This Victorian building with the ornate mansard roof was built in 1882 in downtown Spartanburg. It served as an early office for the city newspaper, The Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Spartanburg’s growth during the first half of the 1880s was significant; the city received a charter from the state legislature in 1880, and Spartanburg officials quickly improved infrastructure, implementing water services and also paving streets.

Vann Building

Bill Segars of Hartsville, 2010 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

With the new charter – and with the establishment of prosperous railroad and textile industries – 75 businesses were operating in downtown Spartanburg by 1880, many facing the public square. The statue of Revolutionary War hero Daniel Morgan, commander of the Battle of Cowpens, was added to the public square that same year and dedicated in 1881. The statue gave rise to the square’s name, Daniel Morgan Square.

Vann Building Spartanburg

Bill Segars of Hartsville, 2010 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Today the Vann Building sits within a stone’s throw of the square and is currently used as office and retail space. True to its history, the late nineteenth century buildings around Morgan Square – including the Vann Building – continue to be the center of Spartanburg commerce as well as community activities.

The Vann Building is part of the Spartanburg Historic District:

The Spartanburg Historic District contains a concentration of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth commercial architecture in and around Morgan Square in the commercial district of Spartanburg. The town started in the late eighteenth century, named for the Revolutionary War militia regiment called the “Spartans.” The town grew slowly until the late nineteenth century. With around thirty-four contributing properties, the Morgan Square area is historically the center of the city and its architectural character reflects a period of prosperity occurring between 1880 and 1920 when Spartanburg became a leading textile and railroad center in South Carolina. During this period, downtown was substantially rebuilt with new brick commercial structures. Most of the buildings constructed during this period were two- to three-story masonry structures with decorative detailing. Approximately ninety percent of the buildings in the district were built before 1925. Stylistic influences include Neo-Classical, Art Deco, and most commonly Italianate or Commercial style influences. While some alterations have been made to storefronts, a majority of contributing properties in the district retain their architectural integrity.

Plan Your Trip: Vann Building

Where is Vann Building located?
Address: 156 West Main Street, SC 29306
GPS Coordinates: 34.949379,-81.933468
What else should I see?
Morgan Square 0.1 mile
Spartanburg County Courthouse 0.3 mile
Central United Methodist Church 0.3 mile
Hotel Oregon 0.4 mile
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina National Register
  • Spartanburg Historic Sites
    Vann Building Map

    Please Help Us Stay Online

    We’d like thank everyone who generously supports the South Carolina Picture Project. You provide us with the inspiration and financial support we need to keep doing what we do. Every reader’s contribution, larger or small, is valuable. If you have enjoyed this website or found it helpful, please pitch in. Each donation helps – and it only takes a minute. Thank you!

    Support the SC Picture Project!

    $ 50.00
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $50.00

    You may also like

    You may also like

    Walter Scott Montgomery House in Spoartanburg, South CarolinaWalter Scott Montgomery House Default ThumbnailEvins-Bivings House Bishop Duncan HouseBishop William Wallace Duncan House Hotel Oregon, Side ViewHotel Oregon Default ThumbnailSeay House

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    FIND A LANDMARK

    Why This Site Matters

    Help Keep This Site Online

    We depend on the support of today’s readers to document South Carolina’s landmarks for future readers. Please help us continue this important work by making a donation below.

    $ 50.00
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $50.00

    Recent Posts

    • H.L. Hunley
    • Strand Theater
    • Camden Depot
    • Charleston City Marina
    • Secession Hill

    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

    Footer

    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

    CONTACT US

    We’d love to hear from you! Send us a quick email at share@scpictureproject.org.

    If you are looking for permission to use a photo, please reach out directly to the photographer listed in the image’s credit.

    JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

    The South Carolina Picture Project has two Facebook groups. One is dedicated to SC Historic Landmarks and Iconic Landscapes, and the other is dedicated to SC Nature and Wildlife.

    South Carolina Picture Project © 2023 · All Rights Reserved