Did you know the Charles Lea Center’s story started in a small building on North Forest Street in Spartanburg?
In 1965, the Spartanburg School for Handicapped Children was part of the newly formed Spartanburg County Rehabilitation and Special Education Center, Inc. The school started humbly - with just one teacher and three students - but marked a huge leap forward in services for children with disabilities in our community.
By 1966, Lawrence D. McCarthy started as its principal, helping to guide and grow the school’s mission. The school later joined the Speech and Hearing Clinic under one roof - laying the foundation for what would eventually become the Charles Lea Center.
From three students to thousands of lives changed, it all started here.