Historic photograph available from the Greenville Historic Society
In addition to the taller and more elaborate buildings constructed on Main Street in downtown Greenville, there were many smaller and architecturally significant commercial buildings on the cross streets. One of these was the Cunningham Building, which was constructed in 1925 on the northeast corner of East Coffee and Spring streets. The eclecticism of the 1920s led to a revival of interest in the Tudor style of architecture. Because this style was especially popular for larger homes, it became known as “Stockbroker Tudor.” The Cunningham Building was constructed of mellowed-brown brick. Double street entrances were surrounded by elaborate stonework. The second-floor casement windows had diamond-shaped leaded glass panes. It is no wonder that this little building was an architectural gem, as it was designed by architects as a home for architects. Among the prominent design firms in Greenville in the 1920s was that of the brothers Frank Harrison Cunningham and Joseph Gilbert Cunningham. They designed the Coffee Street building as a home for their firm. Among their other commissions was Trinity Lutheran Church on North Main Street and Judd Science Hall on the Converse College campus. The Cunningham Building was demolished to make way for the widening of Spring Street from two lanes into four lanes in the 1970s.
From “Remembering Greenville: Photographs from the Coxe Collection,” by Jeffrey R. Willis
Spring Street and a parking lot now occupy the place where the Cunningham Building once stood. The site has been chosen as the home for the new federal courthouse.
