This railroad was chartered in 1845, construction began in 1849 and was completed in 1854. It was a main feeder into Columbia from the South Carolina piedmont for the Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War.

After the war, politicians defrauded the state of South Carolina out of $400,000 in a failed investment in the troubled Greenville & Columbia Railroad Company. The loss was equal to a quarter of the state's revenues for that year. As a result of the failed investment, the state adopted a constitutional ban on investing public money in stocks.

Towns on Route:

Line #1 - Greenville to Columbia:

Greenville C.H. > Greenville (1888)

Golden Grove > Grove (1883)

Piedmont (1876)

Mineral Spring > Williamston (1852)

Belton (1851)

Honea Path (1853)

114-Mile Turnout

Donaldsville (1852) > Donalds (1890)

Mount Hill

Barmores

Hodges (1852)

Cokesbury

Dead Fall

89-Mile Turnout

Woodville > Greenwood (1850)

New Market > Newmarket (1895)

79-Mile Turnout

Lodi > Ninety-Six (1852)

Dyson's Mill (1852) > Dyson (1881)

Brick House

Chappells Bridge (1857) > Chappells (1881)

Saluda Turnout (1850s) > Saluda Oldtown (1881) > Oldtown (1896)

Boazmans

Shop Spring > Silver Street (1865) > Silverstreet

Burtons Tank

Helena (1875)

Newberry C.H. > Newberry (1892)

Maffetts Turnout

Stony Battery > Frog Level (1850) > Prosperity (1851) > Frog Level (1865) > Prosperity (1877)

Pomaria

Hope Station (1851)

Peak (1880)

Alston (1850)

Little River Depot (1851) > Littleton (1851)

Bookman (1880)

Frosts Mill (1850s)

Columbia

Line #2 - Cokesbury to Abbeville:

Cokesbury

Abbeville C.H. > Abbeville (1895)

Line #3 - Belton to Anderson:

Belton (1851)

Anderson C.H. > Anderson (1895)

Line #4 - Spartanburg to Alston:

Spartanburg

Cedar Spring

Batesville > Rich Hill (1882) > Rich (1894) > White Stone (1908)

Pacolett Depot > Pacolet (1882)

McBridesville

Jonesville

Union

Green Pond

Santuck

Fishdam > Carlisle (1891)

Simsville

Sheldon

Lylesford

Strother

Tradesville (1880)

Alston