Vardry McBee
T.J. Dixon

Commonly referred to as the "Father of Greenville," Vardry McBee was instrumental in accelerating industrial growth in the local area. McBee constructed 100 buildings in Greenville County, built a textile mill along the Reedy River and was extremely vital in bringing the city its first railroad.

McBee’s gifts to Greenville also included the establishment of male and female academies and lands for its first churches. Those same downtown churches gave $5,000 toward the cost of the statue.