Limestone College was founded in 1845 in Gaffney, South Carolina as the first women's college in the state. It has a long history of pioneering higher education access for those who otherwise may not have had the opportunity, including women in the 1800s, local men in the early 1900s through commuter programs, and working adults through its Block Program starting in the 1970s. Limestone has grown to be a coeducational liberal arts institution of over 3,500 students both on its main campus and through extended campus programs. It has strengthened the local community through teacher training and adult education initiatives while becoming a leader in online education.

1. Dr. Thomas Curtis, Limestone co-founder and
president, 1845-1859
Limestone College has always been a
pioneer in providing access to higher education
for those who otherwise might not have enjoyed
that access. In 1845, when higher education was
only a dream for young women, Limestone was
founded as the first women’s college in South
Carolina and one of the first in the United States.
In the early 1900s, when young men from the
local area sought higher education, but could
not afford to attend distant universities, Limestone
admitted them as daytime commuting students.
In the 1970s, when most colleges and
universities had no interest in educating working
adults, Limestone established the Block Program,
one of the pioneer programs for non-traditional
students. The Block Program allowed students to
complete their bachelor’s degrees entirely
through evening classes, using a novel one
course-at-a-time accelerated format. In the mid
1990s, through the establishment of the Virtual
Campus, Limestone emerged as a national
leader in applying computer technology to teach
students who could not utilize traditional
classroom settings. In 2005 the Block Program
and the Virtual Campus were combined into the
Extended Campus Program. Providing higher
education access to those needing it the most has
been a proud theme throughout the history of
Limestone College.
Limestone College is an accredited, indepen-
dent, coeducational, four-year liberal arts
institution, and a non-denominational Christian
college. Limestone’s main campus is located in
Gaffney, nestled among the rolling hills in the
Piedmont region of the state. The county seat of
Cherokee County, Gaffney, and its suburbs have
a population of approximately 25,000, and are
within an hour’s drive of the Greenville/Spartan-
burg and Charlotte metropolitan areas.
Limestone also offers its Extended Campus
Classroom Program at eight sites throughout
South Carolina. Today, Limestone is truly a
statewide college.
The institution that became Limestone College
was founded by Dr. Thomas Curtis and his son,
Dr. William Curtis, distinguished Baptist ministers
and scholars who were born in England and
emigrated to the United States in 1833. Dr.
Thomas Curtis served churches in Maine,
Georgia, and South Carolina, including the
Wentworth Street Baptist Church in Charleston,
while Dr. William Curtis was pastor of the First
Baptist Church in Columbia.
In 1845 Dr. Thomas Curtis was able to fulfill
his dream of establishing an institution of higher
learning for young women by purchasing a
magnificent building at Limestone Springs, which
had been constructed in the 1830s as a resort
hotel. The village of Limestone Springs, now a
part of Gaffney, had developed adjacent to a
mineral water springs, which attracted families
from the Midlands and Lowcountry who wished
to avail themselves of the supposed medicinal
value of the spring water and avoid the oppres-
sive summer heat of their home regions.
Originally named the Limestone Springs
Female High School, the new institution attracted
the daughters of the most influential families of
South Carolina, who sought the finest liberal arts
education available in the antebellum period.
On November 6, 1845, 67 young women
began their classes at Limestone.
Dr. Thomas Curtis assumed an active role in
education beyond the confines of his own
school. He was instrumental in organizing the
South Carolina Teachers Association and
founding the Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary, which eventually moved from
Greenville, South Carolina to Louisville,
Kentucky.
For much of the 20th century, Montague
McMillan was a highly respected professor
and deeply revered alumna (Class of 1911)
at Limestone. Known by generations of
students as “Dr. Mac,” she served her alma
mater from 1917 to 1971 and was author of
a comprehensive history of the College
(1970).

2. Tragedy struck Limestone in 1859, when Dr. Thomas Curtis, returning from
a visit to the North, perished in a shipboard fire on Chesapeake Bay.
Leadership of the college passed to his son, Dr. William Curtis. During the
War Between the States, William was an ardent supporter of the Confeder-
ate cause. He was a signer of the South Carolina Ordinance of Secession
and loaned a large sum of money to the Confederate government. When
the South was defeated, there was no hope of repayment and the wealthy
planters who had sent their daughters to Limestone were now destitute.
Despite these difficult times, Limestone managed to survive. Peter
Cooper, prominent industrialist and inventor, briefly considered the
possibility of transforming Limestone into a Southern version of his famed
Cooper Union in New York City. While his plans for Limestone did not
materialize, in 1881 the school became known as Cooper- Limestone
Institute. In 1898 it became Limestone College.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries Limestone was fortunate to
have trustee leadership from two of the leaders of the textile industry in
Upstate South Carolina, Captain John Montgomery of Spartan Mills and
Dr. Wylie Cicero Hamrick of Hamrick Mills. Captain Montgomery served as
chairman of the board of trustees from 1888 until his death in 1902. Under
his leadership and through his personal generosity, Limestone regained its
stability and reputation. Dr. Hamrick served as a member of the board of
trustees from 1899 until his death in 1935 and oversaw Limestone during its
golden years of expansion. His descendants have played prominent
leadership roles at Limestone down to the present day.
During the 67 year period, 1899–1966, Limestone College was led by
three of the most influential presidents in the long history of the institution —
Dr. Lee Davis Lodge (1899–1923), Dr. Robert C. Granberry (1923–1952),
and Dr. Andrew Jackson Eastwood (1953–1966). Each of these three
leaders is memorialized through the naming of major campus buildings in
their honor — Dixie Lodge, Granberry Gymnasium, and Eastwood Library.
One of Dr. Lodge’s first endeavors was the construction of the Winnie
Davis Hall of History. This unique structure, one of the most architecturally
splendid buildings on any college campus, was occupied in 1904 and
named in honor of the daughter of Confederate President Jefferson Davis
and Varina Howell Davis. The new building was to be used to promote the
study of Southern history and Southern literature. Dr. Lodge proposed to
make Limestone a great center of historical study, where the rich materials of
the South could be collected, preserved, organized, and interpreted.
Visiting scholars would share their knowledge with Limestone students.
For the next 40 years, Limestone students who completed a prescribed
sequence of history courses received a special diploma from the Winnie
Davis School of History in addition to their Limestone diploma.
Limestone College has always been deeply involved with improving
educational opportunities in Gaffney and Cherokee County. In the late
1890s, shortly after the creation of Cherokee as a separate county,
Limestone administrators supported the efforts of local citizens to establish a
public school system. When the new system opened its doors, every teacher
was a Limestone graduate. More than a century later, Limestone provides a
large percentage of teachers to Cherokee County and the Upstate.
During World War I Limestone continued its outreach efforts to the local
community. Under the leadership of Professor Eunice Ford, later dean of the
college, Limestone established evening classes to assist local citizens gain
the necessary literacy skills to serve their country both in the military and in
critical civilian occupations.
In 1923 Dr. Lodge was succeeded by Dr. Robert C. Granberry. Many of
the buildings on Limestone’s front campus date from his presidency. Both the
Hamrick Hall of Science, a gift from Dr. Hamrick who was then serving as
chairman of the board of trustees, and the Carroll School of Fine Arts, a gift
from longtime benefactor James A. Carroll, were completed in 1925.
From 1921 until 1941 Limestone was formally affiliated with the South
Carolina Baptist Convention, a relationship which ended amicably when
Cooper-Limestone Institute, circa 1888
John H. Montgomery (left), chairman of the board of trustees, 1888-1902;
Dr. Wylie Cicero Hamrick (right), chairman of the board of trustees,
1921-1935
Limestoneʼs three great presidents of the 20th century: Dr. Lee Davis Lodge,
1899-1923; Robert C. Granberry, 1923-1952; and Dr. Andrew Jackson
Eastwood, 1953-1966
control of the institution passed to a self-governing board of trustees. In
1928 Limestone College received regional accreditation from the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), an accreditation which has
been continuously maintained since that date.
In 1953 Dr. Andrew Jackson Eastwood, longtime professor of history,
ascended to the presidency of Limestone. During his tenure, student
enrollment increased, admission standards were raised, and the relationship
between the college and the local community was strengthened.
The Fullerton Auditorium, completed in 1964 and seating nearly 1,000,
provides one of the finest performance venues in the Southeast. Limestone’s
priceless Aeolian-Skinner organ, constructed by G. Donald Harrison, who
also built the organ for the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, was
moved into the new auditorium.
Following the passing of Dr. Eastwood in 1966, Limestone College
experienced many of the challenges facing other higher education
institutions during those turbulent years. During the next twenty-six years
Limestone had eight presidents, three of them serving on an interim basis.
Male commuting students had been allowed on campus in the early 20th
century, but there were no residence halls for men until the late 1960s when
Limestone became a coeducational, liberal arts college. With desegrega-
tion occurring throughout the nation, African American students were

3. admitted to the college for the first time. In recent years, Limestone has been
cited for the diversity of its student body.
In the 1970s Limestone developed a novel, accelerated approach to
education for working adults. The Block Program, which has served as a
national model for successful evening programs, gave working adults the
opportunity to complete their baccalaureate degrees without sacrificing
their jobs.
Limestone’s intercollegiate athletics program began during the
1972–1973 academic year with four sports — men’s basketball, men’s
tennis, men’s golf, and women’s volleyball. Blue, old gold, and white were
selected as the school colors. The nickname for the athletic teams was
“Saints,” and a Saint Bernard dog was chosen as the Limestone mascot.
Facilities for intercollegiate athletics improved dramatically in 1976 with the
opening of the Timken Physical Education Center, which contained a
1,500-seat basketball arena and an aquatic center. In 1984 the men’s golf
team brought home Limestone’s first national title, winning the National
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Championship. Limestone
added a men’s baseball program in 1987 and selected as its first coach
former major league pitcher and future Hall of Fame member Gaylord
Perry.
In 1991 Limestone secured membership in NCAA Division II, and in
1998 joined the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC). In 2007
the name was changed to Conference Carolinas.
The men’s and women’s lacrosse teams have enjoyed particular success
at the national level as of late. The men’s team won NCAA Division II
National Championships in 2000, 2002, 2014, and 2015. The team has
advanced to the national tournament for 16 straight years. The women’s
lacrosse team has advanced to the national tournament nine times in recent
years. The 2011 and 2013 women’s squads advanced to the National
Championship finals.
In October 2005, Limestone dedicated a new Physical Education Center
containing a state-of-the-art Fitness Center and athletic training facilities, a
wrestling practice area, locker rooms, classrooms, and offices.
Field hockey, men’s volleyball and football have been added in recent
years, bringing the total number of men’s intercollegiate sports to 13 and the
total number of women’s intercollegiate sports to 12. Limestone also offers
competitive cheerleading and dance. The Saints played their inaugural
Built in 1904, the Winnie Davis Hall of History is an excellent example of
late Gothic Revival architecture. The buildingʼs design features an
octagonal sky-lighted tower, a double staircase in its entry foyer and
ornate, arched windows.
football season in 2015. Today, more than 60 percent of Limestone’s day
students participate in intercollegiate athletics.
Dr. Walt Griffin became president of Limestone College in 1992, at a
time when the institution was experiencing dwindling enrollment, major
financial deficits, and deteriorating buildings. However, Limestone not only
recovered from the hard times of the 1980s, but has flourished during the 23
years of Dr. Griffin’s presidency and is now enjoying an era of growth,
stability, and renewal.
Day Program enrollment has increased each year and is now more than
1,200. The Extended Campus enrollment has tripled, aided by the establish-
ment in 1996 of the Virtual Campus Internet Program. With a total enroll-
ment approaching 3,500, Limestone is one of the largest private colleges in
South Carolina.
Limestone College is committed to the liberal arts and sciences and to
educating men and women for leadership, service, and professional
responsibility in the 21st century. While receiving a strong foundation in the
liberal arts, Limestone students generally major in fields directly related to
career preparation — business administration, education, computer science,
social work, physical education, and criminal justice.
Limestone is privileged to have a distinguished and dedicated faculty.
Nearly 80 percent of the day faculty possess the Ph.D. or other terminal
degree in their academic disciplines. The student-faculty ratio is 13:1. At a
time when many higher education institutions are increasingly relying on the
services of part-time faculty, more than 80 percent of the daytime classes at
Limestone are taught by full-time faculty and staff.
Limestone students are active in campus and community life through
social, service, and athletic organizations. The Honors Program challenges
those with exceptional intellectual ability; the Christian Education and
Leadership Program serves those interested in deepening their religious
commitment; and the Program for Alternative Learning Styles fosters
academic success for those with documented learning disabilities.
Limestone’s first graduate degree program, leading to the Master’s of
Business Administration (MBA), was initiated in July, 2012. The MBA
program is designed to prepare students for management positions in
business and industry, government, and nonprofit institutions, and to
provide further educational opportunities for those persons already so
employed.
Recent additions to the undergraduate curriculum include early
childhood education, health care administration, human resource
management, and professional communication, providing an important
array of programs that are important in today’s job market.
Increased enrollments in recent years have produced financial
recovery and growth. Limestone has had a balanced operating budget
with a year end surplus annually since 1992. This financial stability has
Limestone President Dr. Walt Griffin, 1992-present

4. allowed Limestone to complete major renova-
tions of most campus buildings. Nine of the
buildings on Limestone’s front campus are on
the National Register of Historic Places, along
with the old quarry (now a lake) adjacent to the
campus. The Winnie Davis Hall of History
opened in 1904, fell into disrepair in the 1970s,
and remained out of use until 2010 when a
$4.8 million initiative transformed this magnifi-
cent building into a multimedia academic hall
with six contemporary classrooms, museum and
art gallery space, and faculty offices.
In addition to the restoration of the Winnie
Davis Hall of History, Limestone can boast of
the addition of several other buildings to the
campus scene in the early part of this new
century:
 The Physical Education Center was renamed
the Walt Griffin Physical Education Center in
2009.
 A new residence hall, with a capacity of 96
students, was opened in early 2011.
 Across from McMillan Hall at the corner of
O’Neal and Griffith Streets, construction is now
underway on the 200-bed Walter W. Brown
Residence Hall, which is scheduled to open in
the fall of 2016.
 The Limestone Center, acquired from the
Cherokee County Board of Education, was
completely renovated in 2010 and today
affords excellent facilities for both intercolle-
giate athletics and college theatre.
 Timken East, formerly housing YMCA
programs and activities, was renovated for both
academic and student service uses in 2010.
 A building to house the Downtown Campus
in Gaffney was recently leased by the College
primarily for use by the Music Department.
 The College acquired two nearby apartment
complexes for student housing.
 The historic Fort House, a picturesque
two-story brick home located on Overbrook
Drive in Gaffney, was donated to the College
in 2010, and is now being used for student
housing.
 The Landon House near the Camp-Swofford
Chapel was acquired in 2014 for the Christian
Education Leadership Program (CELP). The
nearby Agape House was acquired for CELP in
2015.
 Bob Campbell Field House, providing locker
facilities for 477 student-athletes, opened in the
fall of 2014. The building is part of the current
$6.3 million construction project for Athletics.
 Construction of the state-of-the-art Betsy M.
Campbell Library is expected to begin during
the 2015-2016 academic year.
A campus-wide capital campaign is
underway with an overall goal of $12 million.
Of that total, $6 million is designated for a new
library, $4.8 million to enhance athletic
facilities, and $1.2 million for the Limestone
Fund, the annual fund that helps support many
of the basic needs on campus. Many athletic
facility improvements have been completed
and others are underway.
Dr. Madison Sarratt, Class of 1906, was
Limestone’s first male graduate and later served
as vice chancellor of Vanderbilt University. Dr.
Sarratt eloquently expressed the feelings of
many whose lives have been touched by
Limestone College when he wrote:
We like to think of education as a stream
that flows from small beginnings to deep
and wide and powerful rivers. If I should
apply this to my own education, I would
say that Limestone was the spring where my
small river originated. I hope it is still
flowing.
After 170 years, the spring of education
continues to flow at Limestone College.
An abbreviated history of Limestone College
was incorporated in the 2007 edition of South
Carolina: An Illustrated History of the
Palmetto State, by Ernest McPherson, Jr., and
Archie Vernon Huff, Jr. Updated material was
added in August 2015.
The men's lacrosse team won its second
straight (fourth overall) NCAA Division II
National Title in 2015.
Originally built in 2005, the 16,224-square-foot Physical Education Center was
officially named the Walt Griffin Physical Education Center in 2009 in honor of
the Collegeʼs president.
The new residence hall features suite-style living for 96 students. There are twelve
eight-person suites with a common living area inside each suite.
The former home of the Cherokee County YMCA, Timken East was renovated in
2010 and is now used for academic and student service purposes.
Once the home of Limestone Elementary School, the Limestone Center now houses
the Limestone Theatre and Athletics Departments.