Woodside Building

The Woodside Brothers Impact on the Upstate

At the time of its construction, the Woodside Building in Downtown Greenville was the tallest building in the state at 17 stories high. The building was a landmark for Greenville and saw the city through decades of change.

As Woodside brothers John T., J. David, Robert I., and Edward F. gained affluence due to the success of their cotton mill venture they set out on a new enterprise: banking. Robert attended Clemson College for several semesters before withdrawing and studying at a business school in New York City where he developed an interest in banking. When the Woodside National Bank was established in 1906, Robert was at the helm and was named President of the Bank in 1919.

As a marker of their success the plans for a new home of the Woodside National Bank were drawn up and after three years of construction the Woodside Building on Main Street was completed. Boasting 17 stories, the building was the tallest in the state and remained the tallest in Greenville until 1965. The tower included mahogany framing, a two story marble foyer, and many other modern furnishings.

The success of the bank is noted by John T. in his autobiography in which he remarks the brothers ability to handle a $400,000 forgery crisis without calling in any stockholders to bear the loss. Unfortunately the bank was unable to survive the 1929 market crash and the bank was sold. The building remained a landmark to the downtown cityscape until it's demolition in 1973 to make way for more modern buildings.

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