211 Main Street, Greer, SC 29650

The R. Perry Turner house was constructed in 1937 at the corner of North Main and Arlington Streets. The house is significant not only because it is an excellent example of Neo-Classical design but as an extensive residential design and construction in what was known as the secondary depression of 1937. The house was begun on February 3, 1937 and completed on September 13, 1937. It was one of the largest structures in Greer and, according to Annie Turner; people asked if a hotel was being built. Renowned architect William R. (Willie) Ward designed the home. Ward a native of Eutaw, Alabama, skipped high school and entered Auburn University. He started his career as a draftsman for the New York firm of Hill & South during the day and attended night classes at Columbia University to obtain his master s degree. During World War I he was stationed in Paris where he attended classes at the Academie des Beaux Arts furthering his education and steeping himself in the classical tradition. When released from the service in 1916 he traveled directly to Greenville, South Carolina and embarked upon his life s calling. There are 133 residences statewide, which are attributed to Ward. He was meticulous and demanded perfection from everyone associated with him. He would not hesitate to demand that the workmen tear out anything that he considered unacceptable. For example, Ward s standard for the grand stairway in the Turner house was that you should be able to drive a team of mules pulling a truckload of logs up those steps without the steps trembling. He remained a bachelor and considered his houses his children until he died in 1984. Strategically located near I-85 between Greenville and Spartanburg on a lovely tree-shaded acre-plus lot, just blocks from the commercial heart of Greer, this home is a wonderful example of Neo-Classical design. This magnificently restored home is constructed of handmade brick, topped by a slate roof and finished off with copper gutters. The front entry, with a two story covered front porch and a hanging second floor balcony, leads to a grand foyer punctuated by a sweeping semi-circular grand stairway. The balance of the first floor is comprised of a large music room/parlor, formal living room, formal dining room with built-in corner cabinets, butler s pantry/breakfast room, wood paneled library, kitchen, utility room and the first floor bedroom suite discreetly tucked away to the rear of the house. At the top of the grand staircase, the focal second floor grand hall mirrors the foyer and provides access to four magnificent bedroom suites plus the back hallway that leads, in turn, to a sewing room/nursery, a sleeping porch (or sixth bedroom), and the back staircase that reaches the attic, from the basement, in three flights. The attic houses a portion of the central heating and cooling equipment while an abundance of storage space is provided by the fully floored attic. The three room heated and cooled basement provides definite wine cellar potential, a toilet and its own separate doorway to the outside. The tree-canopied grounds are completed by a lighted formal English garden, fishpond, slate roofed two-car garage and interconnected front and rear driveways accessing both bordering street. The full height entry porch supported by classical columns and balustrade-topped side porches of this stately residence place it within the Neo-Classical style, highly prevalent in the Southeast during the first half of the 20th century. The irregular plan of this residence rests upon a poured concrete foundation. The house is divided into six masses: a dominant side gable; two single story side porches; a two story front gables entry porch; a two story cross gables rear wing and a flat roofed single height story inset to the rear of the house. The roof is a compilation of dormer gables and cross gables neatly intersecting with the massive side gable of the house. The roof is clad in the original slate tiles of the house