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Residents urge council to preserve downtown clock tower as developers plan redevelopment
Summary
Dozens of residents urged Spartanburg City Council to preserve the bicentennial clock tower on Morgan Square during public comment, citing historic designation and the South Carolina Heritage Act; others supported removing the structure and displaying its historic elements as part of a new development.
Dozens of residents asked the Spartanburg City Council on Sept. 8 to preserve the downtown bicentennial clock tower at West Main and Spring Street, a structure city residents say has stood since 1979 and sits within the city’s historic district.
The appeal came during the meeting’s public-comment period and was led by Kimberly Branch, who said the clock tower is “history, not a memory,” and asked the council to consider protections before development work begins near the site. Branch said she submitted a letter from the attorney general’s office and cited the Heritage Act and South Carolina Code Section 10-1-1165 in arguing the tower is entitled to statutory protections.
Why it matters: The clock tower occupies an island at Morgan Square and, according to several speakers, serves as a focal point for downtown events and civic…
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