Have you heard of the Broad Margin house? It is unlike any Greenville home because it was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Of Frank Lloyd Wright’s extensive architectural designs during his lifetime, only 2 were built in SC — Auldbrass Plantation in Beaufort + Broad Margin — right here in Greenville.
Broad Margin is a private residence and was designed for sisters Gabrielle + Charlcy Austin in 1951 and built in 1954 — when Frank Lloyd Wright was in his 80s. Wright named the house Broad Margin after Thoreau’s most famous novel, Walden, in which you can find the line, “I love a broad margin to my life.”
The Austin sisters requested Wright to design their home for years, even sending him a picture of their lot on North Main Street once. But Wright did not design houses on lots + responded with, “I design houses on acreage,” so the sisters bought 2 acres of land at 9 W. Avondale Drive, overlooking Richland Creek.
Aside from being visually stunning, the Broad Margin house is special for a few reasons. It’s a 1900-sqft structure consisting of the home, a carport, a concrete patio, and a storage area for tools. The Broad Margin house features 12 inch thick concrete walls, heated concrete floors, and has brass screws in the walls instead of regular nails.
Wright’s dictum was, “shelter should be the essential look of any dwelling,” which explains the bunker-esque vibe of Broad Margin. He designed it to be Usonian in style — a word he coined to describe a home that is distinctly American + democratic in its architectural style, while still affordable for middle class people. Wright designed ~60 of these homes during his career, beginning in 1934.
The Broad Margin is 1 of only 19 homes he signed with his initials on a small red plaque at the home's entrance.
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Arts
- Swamp Rabbit Clay Day | Fri., Aug. 20 | 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. | Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery | $35+ | If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to try out the pottery wheel and throw your own pieces, this is your opportunity to try something new. 🏺
TryThis
- Fresh Friday | Fri., Aug. 20 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Hartness Community | Free | Hartness’ Grand Lawn will come alive with an open-air market, entertainment, and activities for everyone to enjoy. 🌿
FeaturedEvent
- Celebrate the Arts Under the Stars | Fri., Aug. 20 | 7:30-10 p.m. | Camperdown Plaza | Free | The family-friendly Camperdown Art Walk will feature live performances by the Carolina Ballet Theatre (think: a Tribute to Queen) and a special live speed painting performance by Jared Emerson, plus a DJ and cash bar. Ⓟ
Sat., August 21
- Movies in the Park - Forrest Gump | Sat., Aug. 21 | 8:30 p.m. | Trailblazer Park, Travelers Rest | Free | Enjoy a classic movie + don’t forget to bring chairs and blankets — plus, food trucks will be on site. 🎬
- Off The Grid Greenville’s 5th Birthday Brunch Fundraiser | Sat., Aug. 21 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | FishEye Studios, 803 Augusta St. | $20+ | With music line-ups, drinks, and brunch, this will be a birthday party to remember. 🥞
- Summer Breeze Soiree Part 2 | Sat., Aug. 21 | 7:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. | Fluor Field at the West End | $25+ | Put on your sweetest sundress, seersucker suit, or linen look for the second Summer Breeze Soiree featuring The Jamie Wright Band and DJ Sterl the Pearl on the 1's & 2's.
- Furman Fan Fest | Sat., Aug. 21 | 2-6:30 p.m. | Paladin Stadium | Free | Head over to Furman for a day of watching the team practice, face painting, and pictures with Furman’s mascot.
Sun., August 22
- Helen Campbell | Sun., Aug. 22 | 4-7 p.m. | Southernside Brewing Co., 25 Delano Dr. | Free | Catch live music with Helen Campbell and grab some brews with friends. 🎤
- Greenville Triumph versus Richmond Kickers | Sun., Aug. 22 | 7 p.m. | Legacy Stadium | $10+ | Watch Greenville Triumph take on the Richmond Kickers. ⚽
We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
CHEF’S CRAFT® Gourmet Chicken is making back-to-school easier by giving away one $500 grocery shopping spree, two air fryers, and three $50 grocery gift cards | Photo by CHEF'S CRAFT Gourmet
We know life gets hectic with back-to-school to-dos and fall activities. So, CHEF’S CRAFT® Gourmet Chicken is making this season *a little* easier by giving away:
• a $500 grocery shopping spree to 1 grand prize winner
• air fryers to 2 winners
• $50 grocery gift cards to 3 winners
Enter to win now through Sept. 6. (Bonus: All entrants receive $2 off any CHEF’S CRAFT chicken product, found locally at these grocery retailers.) 🍗 Ⓟ
Weather
- 89º | Scattered thunderstorms | 58% chance of rain
Coronavirus
- Greenville County Schools launched a COVID-19 dashboard to help parents keep up with case numbers in the district. The dashboard includes cases reported daily, case numbers for individual schools, and more. (FOX Carolina)
Edu
- Greenville Tech has instituted a mandatory mask policy stating masks must be worn indoors by everyone — including those who have been vaccinated. The policy applies to all indoor spaces on campuses + centers unless alone in a private office. There will also be several vaccine events on campus in the coming week.
Biz
- NEXT Upstate announced their new Executive Director this week. Eric Weissmann was part of the Cintrifuse founding team in Cincinnati, Ohio + even launched StartupCincy, which started as a hashtag and became a connected community. Meet Eric. 👋
TryThis
- Birds Fly South will host 50 national breweries at Hampton Station on Aug. 28 for their 5 year anniversary. Tickets are still available. Birds Fly South is still looking for volunteers to help with the event. Interested in helping? Send them an email — must be 21+. 🍻
Outdoors
- The Greenville Journal has released a list of popular fishing spots in the area. The fish-tastic list includes Jones Gap State Park, Lake Jocassee, Lake Keowee, and more. Make sure you’ve got your SC fishing license before you head out — you’ll need it to fish in public places. You can reel in a freshwater fishing license for $10. 🐠
DYK
- In case you missed it — Gospel singer + pastor Travis Greene was in Greenville this week and stopped by Varsity Goods and from the look of this photo, we’d say he definitely got the goods. 👟
Tech
- A Clemson research team in the automotive engineering department won the Green Chemistry Challenge Award from the US Environmental Protection Agency for their work of turning wood processing waste into a foam substance that makes padding for car seat cushions + shoes. 🌿 (Greenville Journal)
Civic
- Effective Sept. 1, there will be several changes to Route 602 to provide Greenlink customers with service to the new Family Court + Department of Social Services offices, moving to Halton Road. Check out the interactive network map to see the changes.
Digs
Health
Deal
- Babbel teaches you a lot more than just vocabulary words — it helps you truly understand a new language and discover its people, places, culture, history + more. (The best part? You can learn it all in 3 weeks.) Get up to 55% off for a limited time. 🌏 Ⓟ
Yesterday, Contour Airlines announced new nonstop flights from GSP Airport to Nashville, TN. GSP will be the first airport in SC to offer scheduled Contour Airlines service + the flights to Music City will take off 5 times each week, starting on Nov. 17.
Not sure where to go or what to do once you land in Nashville? Don’t worry — our friends over at NASHtoday have a daily newsletter + a monthly calendar of events — just like us. Be sure to tag them in all of your Instagram adventures for a chance to be posted on their IG. 📸
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