South Carolina > Greenville County > Landmark #124102

Working Benevolent Temple and Professional Building

Also known as: A.M.E. Working Benevolent Temple and Professional Building
Broad and Fall Sts., Greenville, South Carolina

Photo 

Working Benevolent Temple and Professional Building, Right Oblique

South Carolina Department of Archives and History

View this photo at nationalregister.sc.gov

Map 

Street View 

Description 

The Working Benevolent Temple and Professional Building is significant for its historic association with the development of Greenville’s black business district and professional activities for fifty years. It was designed, built, and financed by the Working Benevolent State Grand Lodge of South Carolina, a black health, welfare, and burial benefit society. The site was chosen to serve as the administrative offices and headquarters of the lodge, as well as to attract black professionals to Greenville. Built in 1922, it provided offices for black doctors, lawyers, dentists, a newspaper, and insurance firms and housed the first black mortuary in Greenville. The temple was also the center for Greenville’s civil rights activities during the 1960s. The building is a three-story, brick building with a steel superstructure. The first and second floors are of brick laid in common bond; the third floor is laid in Flemish bond with burnt headers. Listed in the National Register July 1, 1982. - SCDAH

National Register information 

Status
Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on July 1, 1982
Reference number
82003865
Areas of significance
Ethnic Heritage - Black; Architecture; Social History
Level of significance
Local
Evaluation criteria
A - Event; C - Design/Construction
Property type
Building
Historic functions
Religious structure; Professional
Current functions
Professional; Religious structure
Period of significance
1900-1924
Significant year
1922

Tags 

20th Century (29,077)
African-American heritage (1,531)
Brick (42,460)
Built 1922 (657)
Built during 1920s (8,132)
Greenville County, South Carolina (113)
Greenville MRA (43)
 Greenville, South Carolina (41)
Have Street View (43,494)
Meeting hall (1,521)
Place of worship (5,979)
Private owner (54,396)
South Carolina (2,128)
Working Benevolent State Grand Lodge (1)

Update Log 

  • September 15, 2014: Updated by Michael Miller: Added "Description" & "Street View", Corrected "Category" and Imported Photo
  • September 15, 2014: Photo imported by Michael Miller

Sources 

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