Left Oblique	Right Oblique	Interior Meeting Room

The Working Benevolent Temple and Professional Building is significant for its historic association with the development of Greenville’s black business district and professional activities for fifty years. It was designed, built, and financed by the Working Benevolent State Grand Lodge of South Carolina, a black health, welfare, and burial benefit society. The site was chosen to serve as the administrative offices and headquarters of the lodge, as well as to attract black professionals to Greenville. Built in 1922, it provided offices for black doctors, lawyers, dentists, a newspaper, and insurance firms and housed the first black mortuary in Greenville. The temple was also the center for Greenville’s civil rights activities during the 1960s. The building is a three-story, brick building with a steel superstructure. The first and second floors are of brick laid in common bond; the third floor is laid in Flemish bond with burnt headers. Listed in the National Register July 1, 1982.

View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property. In addition, the Historic Resources of Greenville, ca. 1810-ca. 1930 includes historical background information for this and other related National Register properties.

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