Do you think this historic hotel is haunted? | Photo by James Simpson Photography
Is the Westin-Poinsett Hotel haunted? While we can neither confirm nor deny, we’re here to give you some history so you can decide for yourself.
The Poinsett Hotel, built in 1925, was erected a few feet away from the former Mansion House Hotel downtown, after it was demolished in 1924. The roughly $1.5 million hotel was named after Joel R. Poinsett, an SC politician who was the Secretary of War under President Martin Van Buren.
Joel Poinsett sits next to Westin Poinsett Hotel. | Photo by GVLtoday
Unfortunately, the hotel didn’t make a profit until 1930, after J. Mason Alexander took over. The hotel boomed until the 1970s, when chain hotels took over in popularity. It closed its doors in 1975.
After that, it was acquired by a developer in who turned it into a retirement home. In 1987, the building once again closed its doors due to a foreclosure and a failure to pass fire code inspections.
It sat empty until 1997 when Steve Dopp and Greg Lenox purchased + renovated the vacant building, and The Westin-Poinsett that we know and love today re-opened in 2000.
So many windows. | Photo by GVLtoday
Now for the scary stuff. The most well-known story is about the man in the black coat. According to Greenville360, “guests have reported seeing an elderly man appear in their room, only to vanish seconds later.”
A specific patron claimed to see an “undiscernable figure” {sic} standing in front of a third floor window, dressed in a black coat. He took it off, and vanished into thin air.
Some say the man is Dr. Robinson Earle, who was killed outside the site of the Westin-Poinsett Hotel in 1838. But that’s only a spectre-lation.
Whether it’s haunted or not, the Westin-Poinsett is arguably one of the coolest buildings downtown, and you should stop by for a visit... if you dare.
Events
Events
Wednesday, Oct. 23
Lunchbox Learning | Wednesday, Oct. 23 | 12-1 p.m. | Upcountry History Museum | $0+ | Learn about the hidden history of The Dark Corner, where the oldest standing bridge + only covered bridge in SC are.
Page Pairings | Wednesday, Oct. 23 | 7:30-9 p.m. | M. Judson Booksellers | $35 | Pair wines with books that share the same spirit — your ticket includes the tasting and your choice of one featured book.
Thursday, Oct. 24
Dine Out for Mom 2024 | Thursday, Oct. 24 | 6 a.m.-11:59 p.m. | Various restaurants | Price of purchase | Dine at one of the 170 select restaurants where 20% of the total sales for the day benefit Let There Be Mom.
“Dracula” | Thursday, Oct. 24 | 12 p.m. | Greenville Center for Creative Arts | $25 | Step into the eerie world of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” with a performance that marries the music of Philip Glass’ Dracula Suite with excerpts from the original novel.
Friday, Oct. 25
Green Monster Mash | Friday, Oct. 25 | 4-8 p.m. | Fluor Field | $8+ | Stop by Fluor Field for trick-or-treating, games, and pup-themed Howl-o-ween Hangout.
Cookie Decorating Workshop | Friday, Oct. 25 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Sun and Soil Plant Parlor | $45 | Learn how to decorate cookies with royal icing.
Saturday, Oct. 26
BOO!seum: Trick-or-Treat at TCMU + Sensory-Friendly Trick-or-Treat | Saturday, Oct. 26 | 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | The Children’s Museum of the Upstate | $7-$8 | Enjoy a fun-filled day of candy collecting, along with spooktacular activities like mad scientist experiments, face painting, carnival games, and more.*
See why top nods + a one-week-only event make this week the ideal time to apply to UNC Asheville.
Presented by UNC Asheville
Financial aid, scholarships, and programs like these help make a quality education affordable. | Photo provided by UNC Asheville
Looking for a top-rated university that not only paves the way to a successful career, but also provides a well-rounded liberal arts and sciences education?
We’ve got two reasons this is the week to consider attending UNC Asheville.
🏫 It’s a top-ranked Princeton Review college... again
UNC Asheville (once again) made The Princeton Review’s list of top national colleges, earning impressive nods for academics, health services, conservation, and more.
💸 It’s a “Best Buy” college
The university is one of only 10 public US universities to be named a Fiske Guide “Best Buy” college, which rates the academic quality of a college as it relates to the cost to attend (think: getting the best bang for your buck).
🧑💻 This week is Free Application Week
ICYMI, this week is College Application Week (aka Free Application Week). From Monday, Oct. 21 to Sunday, Oct. 27, UNC Asheville is among the participating NC colleges that are waiving their application fees — yes, that means you can apply for free when applying through the CFNC portal.
Run Greenville, ruuuunnnnn. The 20th Annual Spinx Run Fest returns this weekend on Saturday, Oct. 26. Taking over downtown, the marathon is ~26 miles and goes from Flour Field to the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail in Travelers Rest and back. It’s not too late to sign up.
Number
$25,000. That’s how much The Community Foundation of Greenville awarded the Urban League of the Upstate in the form of a grant. Urban League is a nonprofit that “creates opportunities for underserved members of the community,” and will use the funds to transform the McClaren Medical Shelter into an outreach center. (Greenville Journal)
Arts
Doug Oberhamer, a Broadway musical director, is the first resident in the Peace Center’s Artist in Residency program. The award-winning director will teach classes like Acting the Song + Professional Perspective, and will be here through Friday, Oct. 25. Welcome to Greenville, Doug. (Greenville Journal)
Concert
Greenville makes us fall for live music. Looking for a great concert to go to next month? Our friends at The Post and Courier Greenville put together a list of 13 not-to-miss concerts coming to the Upstate. From country to classical, you’re sure to find something to make your ears happy.
Seasonal
Daylight comes and daylight goes. Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, Nov. 3, meaning we get an extra hour of sleep that night, but it’ll get dark earlier. We’ll get our extra hour of sunlight back on March 9, 2025. (Greenville News)
Looking for family-friendly fun this weekend? The Greer Arts & Eats Festival is happening on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Head to downtown Greer for local handmade goods, live music, kids’ activities, and some of the best sips and bites in the Upstate. Explore the full schedule.*
Five minutes. That’s how quick it is to start advertising with GVLtoday using our self-service ad portal. Explore your options. Psst — no long-term contract required.
Category
Coming Soon
Switch things up
Welcome to Greenville. | Photo by GVLtoday
SwitchYards, a 24/7 neighborhood work club, is coming to The Village of West Greenville. We spoke with CEO Michael Tavani (who said “West Greenville is one of the cooler spaces out of all of them”) + got a sneak peek of the space.
“SwitchYards is not a coworking space,” said Tavani. “It doesn’t share DNA with coworking, we share DNA with coffee shops, hotel lobbies, and libraries.”
Instead, it’s a spot where you can hang out, read a book, grab a coffee, and sit as long as you want. “It’s not an office replacement. It’s a switch-it-up third place.”
If you want to check SwitchYards out, it’s hosting a test drive today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. + throwing a grand opening party tonight from 5 to 7 p.m. RSVP for both.
The Buy
The Buy
The only thing we love more than a trendy find is a timeless one. Check out these five fall and winter fashion must-haves you’ll be wearing for years to come:
Let’s keep the Halloween spirit going. A few years ago for Christmas, my mother-in-law got the family tickets to an interactive scavenger hunt in downtown. The group that got the answer the fastest got a prize. But that’s not why we were there. The group with the best costume also got a prize. Guess who won? I’ll give you a hint... it was us. You can click here to see the full photo. We do, in fact, have a Scooby, but she got cut off.
My father-in-law, aka The Creeper (not in real life, he’s really nice, that’s just what he’s dressed up as) reads this everyday and does not know I’m using this photo. Let’s see what he says.
