Working Benevolent Temple and Professional Building

Photo 

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

Tags 

20th Century (29,076) African-American heritage (1,531) Brick (42,462) Built 1922 (674) Built during 1920s (8,301) Greenville County, South Carolina (116) Greenville MRA (43)

Greenville, South Carolina (41) Have Street View (46,661) Meeting hall (1,546) Place of worship (6,081) Private owner (54,398) South Carolina (2,160) Working Benevolent State Grand Lodge (1)

Update Log 

• April 7, 2021: New photo from Michael Miller
• 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 

• Michael Miller - michael_a_miller [at] yahoo [dot] com
• South Carolina Department of Archives and History
• National Register database - Reference number 82003865 (Search for documents)

Comments 

Post a comment here Contact webmaster