Pretty Place, the Fred W. Symmes Chapel at YMCA Greenville Campground, drew hundreds the first day it was reopened by officials on January 3, just more than three months since Tropical Storm Helene damaged the site.
Sam Franklin, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greenville, said he was happy to open at sunrise at the chapel famous for its view, “a beacon of light for the community of Greenville.” Franklin said 52 cars were in the parking lot for sunrise, and estimated nearly 200 visited during sunrise and throughout the day.
“Right after the Hurricane, the cross stood during the hurricane and did not come down, a beacon of hope and light for the community. To see it fully back up, the new benches, the chapel, all the things we have done here, you see all the people who (are) gathering on the first day, you see what it means to people,” he said.
The chapel, known for attracting people since 1941, draws more than 300,000 people a year and more than 500 weddings a year. With the weather being clear Friday, it made the view from Stone Mountain range toward Greenville and the Upstate easy to see.