The Ruth Drake Museum, South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame, and exhibition gallery and performance space---with enhanced sound and lighting and top notch burglar and fire alarm systems---all make up the good-as-new Belton Train Depot.  As of December 2007, more than 9,000 people had visited the venue.

"The Belton Area Partnership has done a fantastic job of promoting tourism in this region, and all the while accentuating the heritage of this old depot," said Mike Bedenbaugh, Executive Director of the Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation.

On behalf of the Trust, Bedenbaugh presented the Historic Preservation Awards at the Hyatt Regency Greenville on March 27, 2008.  The S.C. Department of Archives and History and the Governor's Office also co-sponsored the awards ceremony.

The Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the irreplaceable architectural heritage of South Carolina through efforts of advocacy, education, preservation and networking.  The Palmetto Trust is South Carolina's only statewide partner with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.