The Flat River Historical Museum sits where Greenville founder John Green first settled in 1844! A stable was built to house the horses that hauled lumber from nearby sawmills to storage areas across the river. The foundation of that horse barn is now the lower level of the museum.
James T. Ridley was a wholesaler of butter and eggs in the 1890s and purchased the barn in 1902 to house his growing business. In 1904, fire destroyed the building leaving only the foundation. Ridley rebuilt what is now the present museum building and resumed operations by 1905.
After several uses over the years, the building was eventually owned by the City of Greenville and used to store parks equipment until the Flat River Historical Society finalized a lease in October of 1971 and the museum was born. DEDICATION was held October 10, 1972
The front of the building has changed over the years. In 1978-79, an upper window was replaced by the installation of a historic 1912 clock saved from a local school being demolished.
In 1981, the former Eureka Township Hall was moved to the museum property and renovated somewhat to be used for additional display space and/or storage.
In 2012, the clock was returned to the school district for its new athletic fieldhouse and replaced by a custom-built stained-glass scene of John Green surveying his land and river.
Despite being closed during 2020 due to the pandemic, we continued our behind-the-scenes projects and dedicated a new accessible entry and upgraded brick pathway through the garden. We celebrated the museum’s 50th anniversary October 10, 2022 – exactly 50 years from the original dedication in 1972! We look forward to a future of providing an exciting experience for our visitors as they learn more about the history of Greenville and area.
