Welcome to the Historic East Town Neighborhood!

   We're so glad you've found us - we've got a great neighborhood and we're always happy to share it with others. So come take a tour of our web site and find out just what makes us such a great place! We'll fill you in on our history, events and happenings around the neighborhood, where we are in the world, and what types of businesses and other amenities you'll find both here and nearby.
   If you'd like, click on the Photos page and take a walking tour of East Town! Or check out Properties for Sale to see if you find something to your liking here - new neighbors are always welcome!
   We are a historic district in Rock Hill, SC, and as such are honored to carry on the history of our city. If you have an interest in historical preservation, there are items on this website that you'll want to take a look at. Our Historic Review Guidelines were prepared for the Rock Hill Historic Board of Review and define how to preserve our past while leaving room for growth in our future. The Historic White Home (pictured above) is currently undergoing restoration to preserve our city's first home for generations to come. And you can always check out what neighbors are doing as they restore and preserve their individual homes by checking out the Current Info page.
   So what are you waiting for? Come on in to our website and take a look around! Or better yet, take a trip to our neighborhood and find out why we call Historic East Town "Rock Hill's FIRST Neighborhood"!

Red, White & BOOM! in the Old Town Amphitheater

Come join us in Downtown Rock Hill for Red, White & BOOM! Free concerts by the Oneppo Brothers at 6 p.m., followed by ZoSo (Led Zeppelin tribute band) at 8 p.m., and finishing off with a free fireworks show at 10 p.m. - soundtrack provided by WRHI radio (a member of Historic East Town).    There'll be street vendors, food, Coke products, adult beverage, and much, much more so come bring the family, support Downtown Rock Hill, and join all the East Town Neighborhood residents for some 4th of July F-U-N!

Downtown Movie Series

Looking for something fun to do with family or friends? Check out the outdoor movies in the Old Town Amphitheater!

ChristmasVille 2008 Historic Homes Tour in East Town

Be Seen Green! Check out the video of the parade as seen from the sidewalks of East Town! You'll feel like you were right there with us! Hear the sounds of chirping birds mixed with the voices of neighbors and the music of the Come-See-Me Parade entries.    See the videos by navigating to our Photos page, or just click here.

ChristmasVille 2008 Historic Homes Tour in East Town

Back for our second year - the East Town Tour of Historic Homes is again part of ChristmasVille in Rock HIll! Join us on Saturday, Dec. 6th from 3 PM - 7 PM and Sunday, Dec. 7th from 2 PM - 5 PM as 5 homeowners open their historic era homes for viewing at Christmas time. Get into the Christmas spirit as you walk through each of theses exquisitely decorated houses and enjoy the hospitality of the owners as they share Christmas with their guests. This is a ticketed event - tickets are $10 and are available at each home or in advance at the Rock Hill Economic & Urban Development Office inside City Hall. To learn more about ChristmasVille, click here.   We ask that if you do join us for the tour, please refrain from wearing high-heeled or other shoes that could mark the hardwood floors. Smoking, food, and/or drinks are not allowed in any of the homes during the tour.   Below is a synopsis of each of the 5 homes. To see photos and video from last year's tour click here.

604 E. Main Street (circa 1912) Current Owner: Sarah Gettys Historic Name: The Cowan House   This house was built for Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Cowan in 1912. Mrs. Cowan’s father was a contractor in Florida, and he built it for the couple when they married. Mr. Cowan farmed a large property east of Rock Hill. They had three children, Robert Jr., Eugene (Blue), and Mary. By the 1940s, Robert Jr. and his wife were living in the house. They decided to build a new house at the farm and sold the Main Street house in 1945 to John E. and Maud Martin Gettys. The couple, who were in their 60s, had been renting a house across Main Street since their family home at Roddey Station burned in 1943. The home at 604 East Main has been in the Gettys family since 1945 and is currently occupied by their daughter, Sara Roddey Gettys.   The house has elements of the Colonial Revival style. The porch originally featured brick posts topped by Corinthian columns and a balustrade across the top. The roof was originally clad in clay tiles. The first floor windows feature extensive use of leaded glass.

600 E. Main Street (circa 1916) Current Owners: Melba & Jerry Peterson Historic Name: J.E. Massey House   The construction of this Craftsman Style Bungalow began in 1916. The first floor was finished in 1919 and the Douglas family moved in. Three years later they sold the house to Dr. & Mrs. J. E. Massey. For many years the doctor used the front parlors as his waiting and examining rooms and had his living quarters in the back of the house.   The Masseys occupied the house until their deaths in the 1960s. The house became rental property until the 1980s, when it was sold and some minor renovations were done. Two other families owned the house before the Petersons bought it in 1990.   The second floor had remained unfinished for decades before the Petersons took ownership of the property. After major renovation, restoration, and completion of the entire second level, the house was opened as a Bed & Breakfast Inn in May of 1991 and continues in that use today.

532 E. Main Street (circa 1905) Current Owner: Anne E. Beard Historic Name: The Twitty House    This house was built around 1905. The earliest owner is not known however in 1915 it was purchased by Dr. Walter Columbus Twitty, an ear, nose and throat specialist. Dr. Twitty and his wife, Lena, were from the Flat Rock/Kershaw community of South Carolina. There were three children: Jean, Anna and Conway. Mrs. Twitty continued to live in the house after her husband’s demise and there were several later owners. Some renovations have been made but the overall original structure remains intact.   This home is a striking example of two-story Four Square with Neo-Classical elements. Many houses of the early 1900s featured these elements. The columned entrance has a fifty-inch wide front door and the central hallway is flanked by parlors with 12-foot ceilings. The pairs of rooms have double fireplaces, each with a classic columned mantle. Downstairs floors are of quarter-sawn oak in a lovely parquetry design, reported by her daughter, Jean, to have been installed by a local artisan during Mrs. Twitty’s later years.

148 Reid Street (1940’s) Current Owner: Ashley Peeples Historic Name: The W.C. Sullivan House   Built in the 1940s, this yellow brick house was once the home of Walter C. Sullivan, an early educator in Rock Hill’s school systems. As a result of his long and distinguished career, Sullivan Middle School on Eden Terrace was named in his honor.   The Sullivans lived in this home for over twenty years. Several other families lived in this house from 1968 thru 2006. In August of that year, Mr. Ashley Peeples bought the Sullivan house.   This 1,900 square foot one-story home has three bedrooms and three full baths with original hardwood floors and a built in telephone “cubby” in the hallway. Also of note is a fishpond with fountain in the backyard that was sold to the owners of the house in the mid 1950’s. Tradition says that a traveling fountain salesman made several sales in the Historic East Town Neighborhood, including one across the street and one on North Confederate Avenue.

335 College Ave (circa 1914) Current Owners: Bob and Leslie Maycock Historic Name: The Schwrar House   On Monday, May 25, 1914, it was announced in The Record, a bi-weekly newspaper in Rock Hill, that “a contract was let to Mr. G. A. Dobbins by Mrs. C. K. Schwrar for the erection of a residence on the corner of College Avenue and Strait Street”. Subsequently on Thursday, September 3, 1914, in The Record it was announced that “the family of Mr. C. K. Schwrar this week moved into their new home.” Mr. C. K. Schwrar was editor and part owner of the publication The Journal, which later became The Record. The Schwrars owned this house until 1942. Since then, seven different families have had the pleasure of living there.   The house is an impressive two-story Craftsman Cottage style structure that has maintained its stained wood interior and classic exterior lines. The current owners have lovingly restored the bathrooms to the 1914 period and are working on restoring each room to its original charm.

Click here for a Historic Homes Tour Brochure - (656K PDF)

Click here to check out the ChristmasVille website!