GREENVILLE, SC – Local historian Robert Benedict will be sharing the fascinating stories of the children of Vardry McBee at the Greenville County Historical Society’s 2026-27 Bainbridge Lecture Series event in November.
Benedict is a Greenville-based historic preservation expert, real estate developer, and Clemson University professor, best known as the founder of Palmetto Preservation Works, LLC. He also serves on the Greenville County Historical Society Board.
An authority on the financial aspects of preservation, Benedict earned his Doctorate in Environmental Design and Planning at Clemson University and previously taught Preservation Economics at the University of Georgia. He also holds a Master of Arts in Historic Preservation from Goucher College, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Georgia, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Benedict is a former member of the Design Review Board for the City of Greenville; a former member of the National Register Review Board for the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, and a member of several preservation organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation South Carolina, and the Archaeological Research Trust Board.
While many people know the name Vardy McBee as the founder of Greenville, Benedict will be sharing the stories of how his descendants helped shape our community.
The Bainbridge Lecture Series brings together eminent historians to speak on key events and topics that made Greenville. Benedict’s lecture will be held on Wednesday, November 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Downtown Presbyterian, 435 W. Washington Street.
The cost is $15 for non-Society members. Free for Society members. Learn more at greenvillehistory.org/lectures-and-events-new.