Famous Statues by Falls Park in Greenville, South Carolina

Whether you are an art lover, a sports fan or an amateur historian, the statues located just beyond Falls Park symbolize the breadth of culture and perspectives that abound in Greenville, South Carolina. Whether you are a long time Greenville resident or just passing through, slowing down for a moment to take in the statues surrounding Falls Park is a great way to learn and admire a portion of the rich cultural history of Greenville, South Carolina.

Shoeless Joe Jackson Statue

Baseball and cinema enthusiasts alike might get a charge out of the larger than life Greenville statue of Joseph Jefferson Jackson, also known as Shoeless Joe Jackson. Shoeless Joe is a legendary icon of early baseball who was famously portrayed in Field of Dreams, as well as a handful of novels and plays. He grew up playing textile league baseball right here in Greenville before starting a professional career that lasted from 1908 until he was controversially banned from baseball in 1920 due to charges that he refuted for the rest of his life. The Shoeless Joe Statue is located at the center of Shoeless Joe Plaza, which lies at the corner of Augusta Street and the 600 block of Main Street.

Dr. Charles Hard Townes Statue

Portrayed sitting on a park bench and holding a metal envelope inscribed with his famous laser and maser equation, the sculpture of Nobel Prize winning physicist Dr Charles Hard Townes depicts the eureka moment during which Townes though of this equation in a moment of clarity that theoretical mathematicians and physicist sometimes base their entire careers upon. In addition to earning the Nobel Peace Prize, locally born Townes received many other awards and acclamations before and after his death. According to the statue's inscription, Dr. Charles Hard Townes's discoveries make him one of the most influential men of the last 1000 years. The statue is located at Townes Square on the corner of Camperdown Way and South Main Street, directly adjacent from Falls Park in Downtown Greenville.

Falls Lake Falls Statue

Culture vultures may be a little more interested in Falls Lake Falls, a sculpture by Bryan Hunt located at Tate Plaza at the top of the stairs heading out of Falls Park. This large abstract sculpture captures the dynamics of the falling water of Reedy River Falls. Similar in spirit to park's Liberty Bridge, Falls Lake Falls provides a great visual reminder of Greenville's embrace of modern thought and technology in conjunction with the natural and historical setting of Falls Park in Greenville, South Carolina.

Sources:

Monument Plaques
Local Lore