Greenville is about to gain a stunning new landmark. The Thomas and Vivian A. Wong Honor Tower, rising 10 stories above Unity Park, opens its doors to the public on Veterans Day, November 11. This observation tower isn’t just about breathtaking views—it’s a powerful symbol of unity, honor, and community collaboration.
Views That Will Take Your Breath Away
Standing 125 feet tall, Honor Tower offers visitors a 360-degree panorama that captures the best of what Greenville has to offer. From the observation deck, perched 99 feet above ground, you’ll see sweeping views of downtown Greenville’s skyline on one side and the majestic rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the other. It’s a perspective of our city that few have experienced before.
“The view is beautiful,” said Greenville City Councilmember Lillian Brock Flemming, who was among the first to see the vista from the tower. “It was exciting because I got a chance to see the community from a different perspective.”
Honoring Those Who Serve
Honor Tower is more than an observation deck—it’s a tribute. The tower provides a dedicated space to pay respect to active-duty and veteran military personnel, police officers, firefighters, and other first responders who put their lives on the line to protect our communities.
At the base of the tower, you’ll find the Philip J. Carlton Memorial Plaza, created through a $500,000 donation in honor of the late businessman and philanthropist. This designated space will host ceremonies, memorials, and tributes, surrounded by beautiful gardens that create a peaceful setting for reflection.
“The tower represents honor for those who have put their lives on the line for us,” said Mary Duckett, president of the Southernside Neighborhoods in Action.
A Design Inspired by Greenville’s Heritage
California-based Endrestudio, led by Paul Endres, designed Honor Tower with Greenville’s industrial heritage in mind. The contemporary spiral design draws inspiration from the historic textile mill smokestacks that once dotted our landscape.
The tower features an aluminum outer structure with a distinctive double-helix staircase that wraps around a glass-walled elevator shaft. The architects didn’t guess at the ideal height—they actually used a bucket truck during the design process to test different elevations and ensure visitors would have the best possible views.
From Vision to Reality
The idea for an observation tower dates back to the earliest conceptual drawings of Unity Park, created by the late Tom Keith, a landscape architect with Arbor Engineering who also designed Falls Park. Mayor Knox White envisioned it as the park’s signature attraction, much like the iconic Liberty Bridge has become in Falls Park.
“It’s a symbol of Unity Park,” White said.
The tower’s location is deeply meaningful. It stands on the highest ground in Unity Park, between the former sites of two segregated parks: Mayberry Park and Meadowbrook Park.
“This was once segregated. Now it’s unified,” Duckett said. “(Honor Tower) is a lasting monument that symbolizes what can be done, what people can do when they come together.”
A Community Effort
Honor Tower represents what’s possible when public and private sectors work together. The nearly $11 million project was funded through:
The tower bears the names of Thomas and Vivian Wong, who contributed $1 million to the project and expressed early interest in helping create Unity Park. Their generosity, along with that of many other donors, has given our city this remarkable gift.
Greenville-based Harper General Contractors began site work in April 2024, and The Heirloom Companies of Spartanburg County crafted the stainless steel stairs. After 19 months of construction, Honor Tower now stands as the final planned element of Unity Park—and what a finale it is.
Important Steps to Rent Your Home Out from A to Z
Step by step checklist for getting a home rented, and link to the full property management guide
1 Consider strengths and weaknesses for your home and location and consider special strategies to utilize them. Is it a college area? If so, you’ll likely handle a lot differently from low income, or a suburb
2 Get the property in show-ready condition by handling repairs, but also low-cost aesthetic fixes like spray painting rusted AC grates, and other things that really stand out. A sure way to attract sub-par tenants and repel the rest is to show a home with unrepaired issues
3 Decide whether you’re going to allow pets or not. Before you decide, know that for most landlords it’s the single best thing you can do to increase your “bottom line” profit over the long term. More on this subject here
4 Set a rental rate that will balance a minor amount of time on market hassle, with monthly rate. Whether in the form of owner-occupied showings, stress, or vacancy. Most owners fail to properly account for these subtle but real costs, especially vacancy. Vacant homes are much more costly than most account for. We can provide a free rental rate estimate compiled by people, not an algorithm, here
Plan Your Visit
Hours:
Admission: Free for the first year
Good to Know:
For more information, visit greenvillesc.gov/1868/Honor-Tower.
As Reverend Stacey Mills of Mountain View Baptist Church near Unity Park beautifully put it, Honor Tower is “a lasting monument that symbolizes what can be done, what people can do when they come together.” We couldn’t agree more. We’ll see you at the top!
