The City of Greenville has announced its first official “local landmark,” marking a site, building or structure within the city limits that holds historic significance to Greenville.
The historic Thompson Automotive building was chosen as the first landmark by the City’s Design Review Board in September. Located at 1007 Hampton Avenue, the building may be known by locals as the old automotive building, but its history stretches much further back and played a unique role in subverting laws during Prohibition.
The story of the building dates to the early years of the 20th century, when an English immigrant by the name of Robert Scales founded the Scales-Wilson Company in Greenville in 1910, which produced carbonated beverage flavors and sodas. Scales started his company on East Coffee Street but later moved to Hampton Avenue, building the five-bay window, brick building to meet increased demand.
These were the soda fountain days, when flavors were added on-site to carbonated water to create beverages similar to the soda we know today. Popular flavors from the Scales-Wilson company included “Robin Hood Ginger Ale” and “Hot Tom,” the latter of which was made with an extract of chili peppers.
But when the United States passed the 18th Amendment to the Constitution in 1920, ushering in the age of Prohibition, that popular Hot Tom flavor became far more popular for its unique ability to make moonshine more palatable — to a fault, it would turn out, as it contributed to the deaths of several people.
Production ended in 1937 and Scales himself died in 1941, after which the building went through a number of occupants, including a neon signs manufacturer and later the American Textile Engraving company.
The tenant by which most locals now associate with the building, Evon Thompson, signed a lease for the space in 1989 and later purchased it in 1999.
A portion of the property technically lies within Greenville County, but an annexation petition is in process for that portion.
Today the structure is recognized by the city for having served as a unique time capsule for the growth of Greenville — from the Prohibition moonshine days to the present — thus preserving its historic nature for perpetuity.
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October 01, 2021 at 01:02AM
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Former Thompson Automotive building becomes Greenville's first 'local landmark' - Greenville Journal
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