What used to be at...?

[Labonte18]

Originally Posted by UpstateJohn

I knew that low life through an acquaintance that owned a welding shop near where he lived, but I wont go into that. I think it was earlier this year, or late last year when the church purchased the building, so they may have not dont anything with it yet. Like you, I dont go to that area of town much, and was curious if you had heard anything.

The church didn't purchase it recently.. Oh, you don't know this story? Oh, it's SO much better than that.


So, John Howard bought the building. Lord knows when. He opens up "The World Famous Redneck Shop and Klan Museum" in it.. Now, I will say, I went in there once.. Curiosity.. I was rather hoping that it was just someone kinda improperly expressing their rights. You know, a first amendment person that was using extremes to prove a point. No.. This guy was a stone cold racist. That term is thrown around too loosely at times.. Not in this case.

He sold/gave the building to one of his buddies. Name of Michael Burden. With the stipulation that John Howard would have occupancy rights until his death. Everything goes along just swimmingly until the late 90's, when Burden apparently gets booted from the Klan and winds up homeless and is helped by David Kennedy, the pastor of New Beginnings Baptist Church in Laurens.

Burden winds up 'selling' the theater to Kennedy and the church. I'm unclear whether this is a gift or an actual sale and whether Kennedy or the church was the actual buyer, but.. End of the day.. A predominantly black church owns the building that has a Klan museum. Obviously, they start the process to evict John Howard.

However.. Howard did a fine job in writing the contract for sale to Burden. They can't get him out.

From about 1997 until 2012, they tried to get him out. Finally succeeding in May of 2012.

So, the New Beginnings Church and Rev Kennedy have had the building to do with as they please for 6 years, and.. From what I can see.. Nothing has been done. I doubt anything will.. Lord knows what kind of condition that building is in. It wasn't overly pretty when I went in there back in the 90's.. I mean the building, not talking about what was in it. I just don't really see the church having the funds to do anything with it as I suspect there'd be substantial repairs required and likely the church would look at it as the goal having been accomplished, and there being better things to spend money on.



A few articles.


https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/u...-neighbor.html


https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-h...8/shop-horrors

https://www.postandcourier.com/news/...c0d4da314.html

[UpstateJohn]

I knew all of that other stuff, somewhat. The articles set my memory right. I was thinking someone else had bought it from NBC, but I guess they didn't, and the 1st article is exactly the one I was thinking of. Thanks for that!

Unfortunately, my family history is covered in those white robes. My father was raised to hate, but an incident in Vietnam changed his mind. All he would say about it is we are all the same inside. Raised us to not hate and judge.

[Labonte18]

Got another one just wondering about the timeline on it..



The former Ryan's HQ in Greer..



Ryan's was located there until (and a bit after) Ryan's was purchased by the then Buffets, Inc


North Greenville University purchased the building in 2016 and is probably getting ready to open it up (perhaps, they already have).. But exactly when did Ryan's leave there permanently? I seem to recall the HQ moved out, then moved back, then moved out again?