Spartanburg County · Marker 42-34
Montgomery Building
187 N. Church St., Spartanburg
Front inscription
The Montgomery Building was completed in 1924. The 10-story Chicago skeletal frame construction skyscraper was designed by the firm of Lockwood, Greene & Co., who also designed many upstate textile mills. The home of Capt. John H. Montgomery, founder of Spartan Mills, once stood here and it was Montgomery’s sons who developed the property as high-rise office space. Many companies associated with Spartanburg’s textile industry once maintained offices here.
Reverse inscription
In addition to office space the Montgomery Building also housed a theater and radio station. The theater, first known as The Montgomery and later as The Carolina, was used for live performances and later for motion pictures. In 1956 Elvis Presley performed here. The theater closed in the 1970s. The building was also home to Spartanburg’s first commercial radio station. WSPA began broadcasting as an AM station in 1930 with studios on the top floor of the building.