4 days ago
Zip Trips: Roebuck
ROEBUCK, S.C. (WSPA) – Roebuck was one of the first settlements in the Upstate, settled in 1790.
It all began at Walnut Grove Plantation, the oldest home in Spartanburg County. The Moore family received eight land grants spanning five square miles from King George III following the French and Indian War.
Local historian Tim Fowler said it may be thanks to a few travelers who stopped at Smith's Tavern, a lodging place near the plantation, that Roebuck is what it is today.
'A couple of travelers were passing through in the late – you know – 1790s,' Fowler explained. 'They decided to come back, and they established a church which is a Bethlehem Baptist church, which was established in 1800 and that was mainly the general gathering area.'
The church still stands today.
'I get a little emotional sometimes, you know I'm so proud of our folks who they were and where they came from that's why I've spent so much time and money making sure my two sons and my grandchildren know all about them,' said Tim Foster, a seventh generation at the church.
Throughout the centuries many, like Foster, said Roebuck has stayed the same.
They describe it as a quiet, laid-back town where people can take a break from the hustle and bustle of other booming cities.
Lifetime resident Joe Parrish described Roebuck as a 'piece of countryside.'
'Oh, it's just a beautiful community,' described Parrish. 'You have all the growth of Spartanburg County, but in Roebuck, it's like the untouched, so to speak. You still have nature, you know, you can go to Spartanburg or wherever, but you get Roebuck and it's peaceful.'
All whom we spoke with said they quietly hope Roebuck always remains the same.
'I think that this is a spot where you're close to the city, but you're all of a sudden immersed in nature and you're sent back in time, ' said Lauren Preston-Friedrich. 'I really think that's special.'
'We're hoping Roebuck gets to be Roebuck for as long as it can,' said Parrish.
First Responder Friday: South Spartanburg Fire Department
Colonial Milling
Friends of Croft State Park
Glenn Springs Preservation Society
Grill 221
Inn the Doghouse
Pauline Cafe
Roebuck Greenhouses
SIPSetc. Coffee Shop
Spartanburg County Councilman Monier 'Mo' Abusaft
Walnut Grove Plantation
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