Legare Park

Front: Nearby is the site of Legare Park, opened by and named for George S. Legare, a U.S. Congressmen from Charleston and summer resident of Pickens. Legare acquired the lot in 1906 and added such attractions as a carousel, skating rink, playground, and water chute. A popular destination for young local residents, the park offered “a grand view of the Blue Ridge” and was located near the public spring, a well-known gathering place dating to the town’s 1868 founding. It likely closed by 1913. Reverse: The Pickens Tabernacle was an interdenominational Christian worship space built c.1918 near Ann and Griffin Sts., on land formerly owned by George S. Legare. The open-air wooden pavilion resembled a large gazebo and had a tin roof and earthen floor. Primarily used for religious services, it also hosted political talks, musical performances, and other community events. Larger occasions attracted as many as several thousand attendees. The Tabernacle was removed around 1940.