HEAR HERE: Spartanburg City Council Votes 6-1 to Rebuild Clock Tower at Barnet Park

Spartanburg City Council voted 6-1 on Monday, April 27, 2026 to advance a plan to rebuild the city’s historic downtown clock tower at the entrance to Barnet Park, at the intersection of E. St. John Street and N. Converse Street. The decision settles months of public debate over where to relocate a bell and clockworks with more than 145 years of Spartanburg civic history — and sets the stage for a major upgrade to one of the city’s most visible park corridors.

The rebuild will house the original 1881 bell, along with the clockworks, plaques, and peak salvaged from the previous tower that stood in a median along W. Main Street before being dismantled last year as part of the W. Main streetscaping project — a $425 million development effort that displaced the structure. The new tower’s design, produced by McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, draws on 19th century Spartanburg civic architecture: arched gateways, warm exposed brickwork, and a visible belfry. A colonnaded promenade will connect the tower to the stage, and the names of donors from the 1970s tower fundraising campaign — originally funded in part by Spartanburg schoolchildren and families — will be mounted on walls flanking the archway. Total rebuild cost is estimated at approximately $800,000, according to the city’s presentation, funded through a combination of significant private giving and public commitment.

Councilwoman Erica Brown cast the lone dissenting vote, citing concerns about visibility at the Barnet Park site. The vote also advances a broader set of park improvements: a replacement steel curved canopy for the Zimmerli Amphitheater stage — replacing a 2001 vinyl roof now at the end of its 25-year lifespan — along with upgraded sound and lighting, a new loading dock, an access drive, and a remodeled green room. City Manager Chris Story reaffirmed the staff recommendation for the Barnet Park site during the meeting, noting the design commitment to preserve the bell’s prominence with modern lighting.

The 1881 bell was originally cast for Spartanburg’s first City Council building, then moved to the Spartanburg County Courthouse in 1895. It went into storage for roughly two decades after the courthouse was torn down in 1958, was restored in the late 1970s for the downtown revitalization effort, and moved to a W. Main Street traffic island in 1989 when the Main Street Mall concept was abandoned. Its relocation to Barnet Park closes a chapter that spans nearly 150 years of Spartanburg civic identity.

What’s Happening

What did Spartanburg City Council vote on April 27?

Council voted 6-1 to advance the plan to rebuild the downtown clock tower at the Barnet Park entrance at E. St. John and N. Converse streets, with Councilwoman Erica Brown casting the lone no vote, per the city’s official news flash dated April 28, 2026.

What will the new tower include?

The new tower will house the 1881 bell, clockworks, plaques, and peak from the previous W. Main Street tower, with an architectural design featuring arched gateways, exposed brickwork, a visible belfry, and a colonnaded promenade connecting to the stage, per city documents and McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture’s rendering.

How much will the rebuild cost?

The rebuild is estimated at approximately $800,000, financed through a combination of private funding and public commitment, according to reporting from the Spartan Weekly citing city presentations on April 27, 2026.

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