Littlejohn's Grill

Front inscription

Horace and Gertrude Littlejohn opened Littlejohn’s Grill in a small concrete building in the 1940s. After a c.1950 fire, they rebuilt the Grill as a two-story nightclub. It became a stop on the “Chitlin’ Circuit” of venues that hosed African American entertainers during segregation. Among those who performed there were James Brown, Little Richard, Marvin Gaye, and The Supremes.

Reverse inscription

Littlejohn’s Grill was an important social and cultural institution for black Clemson-area residents. Artists and other black travelers barred from local whites-only hotels often lodged in the Grill’s tourist cabins. After Horace Littlejohn’s 1966 death, the club continued to operate under different names and management. It was demolished in 1995 and replaced by the Littlejohn Community Center.