GREENVILLE COUNTY — Slater Hall has seen better days.
The historic community center in northern Greenville County once served as the social focal point for the surrounding mill village.
But in the decades since its heyday, the building has fallen into disrepair, narrowly avoided destruction, and, for the past 14 years, operated on a limited basis.
That is set to change.
The state and Greenville County are investing $1.3 million to breathe new life into the nearly century-old building.
The project will stabilize the structure, fully refurbish the interior and open up the top two floors which have long been closed for public use.
At a March 29 event announcing the project, state Rep. Mike Burns said the renovation will provide an asset to the community, as well as preserving a cherished part of the area’s past.
“The kids who grew up here, I’m telling you, they spent their whole lives up here on this hill, in this building, on these grounds, in the swimming pool that was here back in the day,” he said. “This was a magnet for the community.”
At one point, the once-bustling community center was in danger of being demolished.
The Slater Community Association gifted the building to Greenville County’s parks and recreation department in 1984. But the county lacked the resources to upfit the already deteriorating structure, and it closed several years later. It remains unused for decades.
At one point, the county planned to raze Slater Hall and move limited programming to an annex building on the property.
But community pushback, with help from then County Councilman Joe Dill, saved the community center from demolition.
Bill Cashion, who was at the March 29 event, said his parent’s played a role in saving the historic building, which first opened its doors in 1934, and he’s continued to advocate for its preservation.
A portion of it reopened in 2010, and the facade and roof have been completely refurbished. But its uses remain limited and the interior still shows signs of decay.