In the mid-1980's, the south end of Main Street in Greenville, South Carolina looked like many other downtowns across the country - empty store fronts, vacant lots, and a rapidly diminishing business community.

The City of Greenville decided it was time to rejuvenate what had been the very heart of downtown, and in 1985, Mayor Bill Workman appointed a citizens' committee to investigate building a performing arts center. The committee then hired C.W. Shaver Inc. to conduct a feasibility study of the project.

At the same time, Greenville attorney David Freeman proposed a unique public-private fundraising partnership for such a center. Through his encouragement, three branches of Greenville's Peace family kicked off a capital fund drive by pledging $10 million in the memories of Roger C. Peace, B.H. Peace, Jr., and Frances Peace Graham - no strings attached.

On a six-acre site at the corner of Main and Broad Streets there were three deteriorating buildings - a factory building where wagons were produced for the Confederate army during the Civil War, a textile plant built in the 1880s, and a building which served as home of Duke Mayonnaise.

The city agreed to purchase the land at Main and Broad Streets for the center, develop the site at a cost of $6.02 million and then lease the land to The Peace Center for $1 a year. They were joined by the county with a grant of $1.25 million from accommodations tax money and the state contributed an additional $6 million grant. In 1989, Dorothy Hipp Gunter, an advocate of the arts, pledged $3 million for the 400-seat theatre which bears her name.

The first Center for the Performing Arts Foundation Board of Trustees consisted of five members: David Freeman and Eric Amstutz of the Wyche, Burgess, Freeman and Parham law firm; and Etca White, Frances MacIlwinen, and Betty Stall representing the three Peace families.

Soon representatives from the Metropolitan Arts Council and the Community Foundation joined the group. In the summer of 1986, Fred Walker, former vice chairman of Henderson Advertising, agreed to head up the fundraising campaign, which raised $42 million from public, private, and corporate donors. More than 70 percent of the funds came from the private sector.

The foundation hired Craig, Gaulden, and Davis, a local architectural firm, to design the center with the input of nationally-recognized acoustician, Larry Kirkegaard and theatrical design firm, Jerit/Boys.

The late Currie Spivey chaired a volunteer building committee which oversaw design and construction, seeking input from the historical preservationists, performers, and donors. Fluor Daniel managed the construction using local and minority-owned contractors wherever possible.

In an effort to preserve Greenville's heritage, the Foundation purchased the historic Coach Factory and Sauer (Duke's Mayonnaise) buildings, restoring and incorporating them into the complex.

In November 1990, the five-year effort culminated with a weekend gala celebrating the completion of The Peace Center for the Performing Arts.