by Bonnie Neely
Clinton, SC, is the home of Presbyterian College, founded in 1880. The campus is beautiful with stately brick buildings and very large trees, which are decades old. This is perhaps why it was selected as the site for filming some of the thriller movie, Sleeping With The Enemy. Clinton had been a mill town and is the location of Thornwell Orphanage, which was founded on October 1, 1875, with a donation of 50 cents from a ten-year-old boy. The devastation of the South following the Civil War made this Presbyterian facility necessary and it still thrives to help children and families today.
In recent years downtown has grown and now is being beautified by an Upstate SC artist, Janette Marvin, who paints enormous murals which look so real that I was about to enter what I thought was a lovely park. Instead “Clinton Canopy ” is the magnificent work of Janette with assistance of Anne Lane, a local art teacher. In 2017 city officials began the upgrades of J. A. Orr Park and the mural was painted on a small, nearly hidden Musgrove Street. While the mural was growing many Clinton residents stopped to engage the artists and make suggestions for interactive play, which invited and increased participation of anyone studying the painting process. After completion of the mural viewers continue to marvel at the precise details they enjoy in the huge mural. A game/contest was written for people to have fun with a Scavenger Hunt, for which there is a QR code on-site to open for the search list for small things in the scenic mural. This mural became an exciting local inspiration and many who live in Clinton helped with some details such as posing for correction in shadows or helping at top of the 20-foot ladder.
I was recently in Clinton to revisit the Clinton Canopy mural because I was so impressed with it. I was fortunate to discover Janette Marvin painting another enormous mural of a train scene, just across the street from the train track. I loved watching her work and continue to marvel at the enormity of her scenes.
Cotton Mills, were the main industry of Clinton from 1895-1979. Since they were closed the growth of Clinton includes small locally owned shops and good restaurants. And Presbyterian College campus has grown significantly with enhancements to original buildings and additions of many new ones, and the college, formerly for men only, became co-ed in 1965. The small town continues to be an excellent location for students and a vibrant community for residents and visitors. PC is a Division 1 in athletics and many visitors come for the games. Campus life is always fun and thriving. Clinton, though small, retains a “homey” atmosphere, rare for tourists in most other locations. The quiet, welcoming atmosphere and friendly manner, typical of the South, is sure to please!
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7nYKYt4n7c, Presbyterian College, Thornwell Orphanage, Cotton Mills, Scavenger Hunt, Janette Marvin
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