Towns and Communities
The Town of Clarks Hill had a unique beginning. John Mulford Clark of New Jersey came to Augusta, Georgia in 1836 for his health. His acute coughing spells puzzled his doctors, who finally diagnosed his trouble as tuberculosis and recommended a warm Southern climate. After moving to Augusta, Clark had a violent coughing spell, which dislodged a fish bone that had been embedded in his throat. The fish bone flew out of his mouth during the coughing. His coughing ended and his health mended. In Augusta, John Mulford Clark met Sarah Ann Elizabeth Butler whom he married in 1841. Clark carried his new wife to New Jersey on their honeymoon to visit his family. Clark’s father, Job Clark, was the great-nephew of Abram Clark, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
After returning to Augusta, Clark purchased land in South Carolina from Lewis Collins. He built a home, farmed, and opened a general store at the site that is now “Clarks Hill.”
Clark opened a wholesale grocery business in Augusta in 1856 and created Clark Milling Company for the manufacture of flour. Clark played an active role in the business, political and social life of Augusta, and was active in bringing about the construction of the railroad from Augusta to Greenwood. The railroad station on Clark’s land was named Clarks Hill.
After the railroad was built, Senator George Tillman often kept the train waiting as he strolled over from his office. His brother, Ben Tillman, was instrumental in establishing Clemson University and Winthrop College. A descendant of the Tillmans runs a Tex-Mex restaurant on S33-88 east of S.C. Highway 28 called La Cantina.
Jeptha Sharpton, according to family legend a descendant of John Rolfe and Pocahontas, rode his horse down from Virginia after the American Revolution without kith or kin to claim a land grant on Savannah River, returning only once to his Virginia home to claim his portion of inheritance. Sharpton married Margaret King, built a log cabin home, and pursued the life of a farmer.
Jeptha’s son Alexander Sharpton built a plantation called Cactus Hedge (just north of present-day Clarks Hill), accumulated considerable wealth in several thousand acres of land and slaves, and lived to age 92.
Operated by the Corps of Engineers, this park offers a boat ramp, picnic grounds and shelters, a fish cleaning station, a fishing pier, drinking water, a playground, a beach and restrooms. It is located near Clarks Hill, on U.S. Highway 221, on the South Carolina side of the dam.
Thurmond Dam impounds a lake that stretches nearly 40 miles up the Savannah River and 26 miles up the Little River from Georgia into South Carolina. The lake covers 70,000 acres and has nearly 1,200 miles of shoreline. The entire Thurmond Project encompasses 150,000 acres of land and water. Thurmond Dam was completed in 1954, at a cost of $79 million. More than a mile long and 200 feet high, the dam consists of a concrete causeway flanked by earth embankments. The spillway contains 23 large gates, each 40 feet wide and 35 feet high, for the release of water from the lake.
The quest for gold occupies a unique chapter in the annals of American history. It occupies a special place in the history of the Town of McCormick. The zealous quest for the precious metal influenced two men to the extent that it induced the spawning of the settlement and the town that became McCormick. In spite of their mutual interest, the two men probably never met.
The first was William Burkhalter Dorn’s unrelenting search for and discovery of gold. Dorn’s discovery of the mother lode at Peak Hill in 1852 insured the Dorn Mine a top spot in nineteenth century gold mining in South Carolina. William Burkhalter Dorn made a great strike! On a section of the Hearst tract known as Peak Hill, he uncovered a large and rich lode of the precious metal. He was three days from losing all he owned. His 15-year quest was successful and his conviction that gold existed in paying quantities had been vindicated. The discovery took place just four years after the much-publicized find at Sutter’s Mill, California.
Dorn made extensive investments in real property in the area and was an outstanding philanthropist. As a result of Dorn’s Mine, a small settlement called Dorn’s Gold Mines sprang up around the mines. A post office by that name was established in 1857.
When Dorn, at age 56, married a teen-aged bride at a grand wedding ceremony, he is said to have paid the minister with a pair of kid gloves. Reportedly, each finger of the gloves was found to hold hundreds of dollars in gold. Dorn's mine was one of the richest in the nation.
Profits from the gold mines made Dorn rich, but his profits declined several years later. The Civil War took its toll on Dorn's wealth, according to local author Bob Edmonds. Dorn was a strong supporter of secession "and reportedly at his own expense, outfitted an entire Confederate Army unit and volunteered many of his slaves to work on coastal fortifications." When the war was over, Dorn was left without much of his accumulated wealth.
Cyrus McCormick of Chicago, inventor of the reaper, invested in Dorn Mining Company in 1867 and then bought the mines in 1871 for $20,000. A few years later, in an effort to encourage a rail spur to the mines, McCormick purchased stock in the Augusta and Knoxville Railroad and the Savannah Valley Railroad. His investment in and ultimate purchase of the Dorn Mine from Billy Dorn, and his influence in the acquisition of a railroad terminal at the site clinched the permanence of the Town of McCormick. McCormick’s interest in securing a railroad connection to Augusta and Greenwood was an attempt to boost the success of his gold and manganese mines.
The railroad brought prosperity to the village that would later become the town of McCormick, tying the area to nearby areas of commerce. The railroad provided an outlet for nearby farmers to export cotton and poultry.
More than eight passenger trains served the village, bringing salesmen and visitors to lodge at the three downtown hotels. Two of these hotels still stand in downtown McCormick today. The rail bed that runs through the center of town is now part of the CSX lines.
Cyrus McCormick never visited his namesake town, even though he had a winter home in nearby Aiken. But his wife, Nettie, visited the town often. In 1882, the McCormicks designed the town, ordering 40 acres laid out in blocks, giving the area the distinction of being a planned town. Each block was divided into 20 lots, each 30 feet by 100 feet. McCormick auctioned off the lots and donated property for churches, schools and a cemetery. According to local historian Bob Edmonds, Nettie McCormick named the streets in the town. Virginia Street is named for the McCormicks’ daughter. The original boundaries of the town were Virginia, Cherry, Clayton and Cedar streets.
In 1882, Dorn's Gold Mines, as the settlement was then known, was incorporated as the Town of McCormick. McCormick was established as a "dry" town, prohibiting the sale of intoxicating drink. The town was the first village in South Carolina to be incorporated as a dry town.
As the mines became unprofitable, McCormick closed them in 1883. And in 1884, a fire destroyed much of the town's business district. The town sprang back, however, and continued to thrive.
The prosperity of McCormick continued at the turn of the century. McCormick's population grew and more churches, banks and retail business were established. The town of McCormick features many historic homes that date back to the 1880s, but many of the downtown homes were constructed between 1900 and 1920. Despite disastrous fires in 1910 and 1922, the downtown area of McCormick flourished.
In 1916, McCormick County was formed out of sections of Edgefield, Greenwood and Abbeville counties. It is the smallest county in South Carolina and one of the youngest. The town of McCormick is the county seat.
The mines in McCormick have been used by several different companies. During both World Wars, manganese, used in the hardening of armor-plated steel, was mined in McCormick, according to Edmonds. Today, the mines lie dormant, owned by McCormick County. The Gold Mine is open as a tourist attraction by appointment. (864) 852-2225
In addition to its distinction as a gold mining town, McCormick's history features a tie to U.S. Senator J. Strom Thurmond. The country's longest-serving and oldest U.S. Senator taught and coached football at McCormick High School in 1923 and 1924. Thurmond opened a law office in McCormick in 1935, before moving on to become governor of South Carolina, a presidential candidate in 1948 and a U.S. Senator.
In 1935, the town of McCormick received national attention in connection with the trial for the kidnapping of Charles Lindberg's baby. The wood in the ladder used in the kidnapping was traced to the Dorn Lumber Mill on Main Street in McCormick. Mill owner J.J. Dorn, also a state senator, was called to testify at the trial of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, accused of the kidnapping.
In later years, McCormick suffered a decline similar to that experienced by many small towns in the state. But a renewed dedication to tourism and business promotion, with a focus of historic preservation, has taken hold.
Today, the town of McCormick lays claim to the county's only two traffic signals. Most of the downtown buildings have been restored to their 1900's appearance. Retailers and restaurants fill the historic brick buildings of the downtown area. Shops with antiques and gifts invite visitors to pause and explore a mix of history and heritage. And Strom's Drug Store still offers milkshakes, ice cream and drinks from its vintage soda fountain.
Historical structures in McCormick, all open to the public.
Saved from demolition in the 1970s, The Dorn Mill was built in 1898 on land sold by Nettie McCormick. Originally used to process cottonseed oil, in the 1920's it was converted to a flour and grist mill. It is the only steam-powered mill of this type in South Carolina and one of only two in existence.
Today, the Dorn Mill is restored and open to the public by appointment. It is located on North Main Street. Call (864) 852-2144.
This grand hotel was built in 1910 and named after the wife of the builder. It housed travelers from the passenger trains. Restored, it now serves as home to the MACK (McCormick Arts Council at Keturah) and features monthly art exhibits, a gift shop and a grassy park for picnicking. It is located at 113 South Main Street.Return to Top
Built of native pink granite with WPA labor in 1938, Judge J. Strom Thurmond, the longest-living U.S. Senator, dedicated the building. The town hall is located at 117 West Augusta Street.
Now known as Fannie Kate's Country Inn, Restaurant and Pub, the bed and breakfast was once a temperance hotel. It was built in 1882 and is located at 127 South Main Street.
South Carolina formed McCormick County in 1916. In 1923, the court house was built. It is an example of Neo-Classical style and has large Doric columns on its front facade. It also features extensive decorative brickwork and a pressed metal ceiling. The structure underwent an extensive renovation in 2001. The court house is located at the intersection of S.C. Highway 28 and Augusta Street.
The J.J. Dorn House was built in 1917 on Gold Street and was the first brick home in McCormick. Dorn and his brother owned lumber yards and farmland in the early part of the 20th century. He was president of Dorn Banking Company and a state senator.
The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The first floor houses a museum that will depict the life-style of wealthy Southerners at the turn of the century. A genealogy center is on the second floor.
Home to the McCormick County Chamber of Commerce, the Visitors Center is located in an old service station in the county. Visitors are welcome to drop by for county information, maps and brochures. The building is located at the intersection of Main and Gold streets.
McCormick remains the bustling hub of an incredibly beautiful and varied County. A visit to her Visitors Center will encourage you to visit her shops and attractions, as well as to invite you to spend time among her people and places, here and within the County. Whatever your interests, there is something here for you. You will always be welcome!
The Modoc Post Office was originally established as Bountwell in 1875. At the time of the building of the railroad, the U.S. was having trouble with the Modoc Indians of the Northwest. The railway agents, resenting efforts to "scalp" them, apparently retaliated by importing the name for the station on the victimized line when the depot was built in 1882.
Corps of Engineers - located on U.S. Highway 221 and S.C. Highway 28, one half mile south of Modoc, on Lake Thurmond. It offers 49 family camp-sites, a playground, two nature trails (1.5 mi. and .8 mi.), a beach, a picnic shelter, boat ramp, water, electricity, bathhouse and RV dump station.
Hiking and biking located off S.C. Highway 28 in Modoc. North section includes Stevens Creek, 14.2 miles, rated moderate. South section is 6 miles, rated moderate; an additional looped section ties into Hamilton Branch State Park. In the spring, wildflowers will treat you to a show that changes weekly as different varieties bloom.
Wes McAllister
PO Box 126
Mt. Carmel, SC 29840
Phone: (864) 391-2121
The Town of Mt. Carmel, first blessed by traffic on Savannah River and Vienna Road and later by rail transportation, predates the formation of the county. The town’s early history is closely tied to the religious and educational needs of the early settlers. Little Run Church and Mt. Carmel Academy actually gave birth to the Town of Mt. Carmel.
The Rev. Robert Lathan wrote in History of the Associate Reformed Synod of the South, “In the spring of 1782, Rev. Thomas Clark was, at his own request, released from the pastoral care of Salem congregation, in New York. Soon afterward he repaired to Abbeville County, South Carolina, and spent the greater part of the year 1783, in laboring in the congregations of Long Cane, Little Run and Cedar Creek. The majority of the members of these three congregations had been in connection with the church of which Mr. Clark was pastor in Ireland.”
The church formed as Little Run (later Little River) in 1782 ceased to exist as an A.R.P. congregation and became known as Lodimont, a Presbyterian congregation about two miles from present-day Mt. Carmel. When this church later dissolved, Lodimont A.R.P. Church was established in the same building. The congregation erected a church building in Mt. Carmel in 1885 and it became the Mt. Carmel A.R.P. Church.
Mt. Carmel Academy is mentioned in an April 5, 1836, entry to Mary Moragne’s diary published in Neglected Thread. A post office named Mount Carmel was opened June 3, 1854. Lodimont, an earlier post office had been established January 7, 1822. The growth of the town is attributed to the construction of the Savannah Valley Railroad in 1886.
Drury Boykin Cade established a pottery and brick factory in Mt. Carmel about 1885. Cade lived just across Savannah River on his cotton plantation near old Petersburg. Cade hired several former slaves and two men from Elberton, Georgia, emigrants who had formerly worked in the Elberton marble works, to operate the factory.
Although salt-glazed stoneware rarely appears in South Carolina, Cade produced such stoneware at the Mt. Carmel pottery. Other stoneware produced was alkaline-glazed. Cade’s pottery and brick factory (c. 1885-1900) were located just behind Hester’s Gin. According to L.L. Hester, late long-time McCormick County senator, the store buildings in Mt. Carmel were built with brick made from Cade’s kiln.
In the heydey of extensive cotton production, Mt. Carmel had a bank, two cotton gins, Morrah Hotel, four white churches (Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian and Associate Reformed Presbyterian), three black churches (Baptist, Methodist and Episcopal), passenger and freight train service, and 22 stores.
The Calhoun Mill complex located three miles northeast of Mt. Carmel served as a commercial center for the area prior to the emergence of Mt. Carmel, providing employment and services, and supporting a thriving community since the 1770s. Early during the American Revolution, Rev. William Tennent crossed Little River at the then Hutchinson’s Mill on September 3, 1775. Joseph Calhoun, a prominent planter and politician, owned the mill by the early 1800s.
During the antebellum era, Calhoun Mill was a popular spot for political gatherings. There was a general store and post office. Calhoun Mill sustained slight damage from the 1886 earthquake that was so devastating in Charleston.
No mention of Mt. Carmel is complete without mentioning McAllister & Sons store. Operating since 1888, this general store has been a major source of everything from farming equipment to clothing, furniture and appliances for over a hundred years. The store remains today practically the same as it did when it was opened. It is almost a museum as well as a merchandising center. As such, it is a real stop for any tourist or resident interested in either an historical perspective or a current analysis of today’s events. You will not be disappointed.
The McAllister family represents Mt. Carmel, the County of McCormick and, indeed, South Carolina in many ways.
John McAllister, together with son Ed, is shown welcoming Governor Jim Hodges to McCormick County on a visit, during which John then the Governor on a tour of the County.
John Robert McMillan, Mayor
P.O. Box 4887
Parksville, SC 29844
Phone: (864) 333-5796
Parksville, the only town situated on Thurmond Lake, was named for Richard Parks in 1882 by his son William Lewis Parks when the Augusta & Knoxville Railroad was constructed through the town.
After selling his farmland in Lincoln County, Georgia, Richard Parks bought 165 acres of land from Sanford Robertson and 160 acres from Nathan Fortner, adjoining tracts on March 1, 1820. This acreage was on the west side of present-day Route 28 in Parksville. He built a home on the Robertson tract on a lot where Clifford Ward Robertson’s home now stands.
Parks was a planter and merchant. Parks Store was the nucleus for the town of Parksville. A post office was established March 13, 1826 in the store with Parks as postmaster.
Calliham’s Mill Baptist church, constituted in 1785 between Parksville and Stevens Creek near Price’s Mill, was moved about two miles and the name changed to Parksville Baptist Church. The sanctuary portion of the present church is part of the building that was moved.
In the 1880's, when the Savannah Valley railroad was under construction, an unusual event took place in Parksville. The Parks family cemetery was located where the station was to be built and had to be moved. When the grave of Richard Parks was opened, his casket was removed and put on two sawhorses at the gravesite. The metal door of the sealed glass window over the upper body slid open and showed him in a perfect state of preservation. Neighbors, relatives and school children viewed the body before he was reinterred in the Parksville Cemetery. He had died 20 years earlier on April 12, 1861, the day of the first shots on Fort Sumter.
The Sunbeam, President William McKinley’s personal railroad coach is located in Parksville. President McKinley used the coach as he campaigned for re-election through the West. During his administration, the United States fought the Spanish American War that secured Cuba’s independence, and annexed Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines.
The Sunbeam was originally known as the Ortega. The Pullman Car Works built it in Chicago June 23, 1888. It was sold to the Southern Pacific Railroad September 13, 1888, for $109,499.34 and was assigned the number 8144. Subsequently, the name was changed to the Sunbeam. North Western Railroad of South Carolina bought it June 16, 1903, and sold it to Charleston and Western Carolina Railway in 1918 to be used as a private car for the general manager. In 1952 ownership was transferred to some company officials and located to Clarks Hill Lake on J.C. Parks’ lot in Parksville for recreational use. Parks bought the coach in 1958.
This Corps of Engineers recreation area is located on Lake Thurmond in Parksville, west of U.S. Highway 221 and S.C. Highway 28. It offers picnic grounds and shelters, a fishing pier, playground, horseshoe pits, a net ball game area, a baseball field, a beach, a boat ramp, a fish cleaning station, drinking water and restrooms. There is a day use fee.
Historic Price's Mill, built in 1890 to replace the original mill that washed away in a flood, is one of only two water-powered grist mills in operation in S.C. The National Register property is located on Steven's Creek and has been in operation since 1890 with occasional shutdowns because of flooding and repair.
The mill does not maintain regular hours but the grounds are available during daylight hours for photography. It is available for group tours with prior arrangements.
As you enter the Corps of Engineers day-use recreation area in Parksville, note the Historic Sunbeam Coach of the late President McKinley on your right. President McKinley stepped from this coach (in another location) and was assassinated. The coach is owned by Dick Parks. (Not open to the public.)
Mac Winn, Mayor
PO Box 86
Plum Branch, SC 29845
Phone: (864) 443-5500
Plum Branch received its name from its first church, Plum Branch Baptist, constituted in 1785 and built near the little stream where banks were covered with plum bushes.
The first one-room log building stood at the lower end of the church cemetery. The basic little church had three windows and three doors. It was unsealed and had no means for heating. During the ministry of Rev. Farrow, one of the greatest revivals in the history of the church was held. Sixty-five new members were added. The impressive Baptismal service was conducted in Stevens Creek. All were carried out at one time and there they remained until all were baptized. Temporary dressing rooms had been constructed on the bank of the creek.
Dr. James Clement Furman, president of Furman University, presided over the first associational meeting held at Plum Branch Baptist Church September 6-8, 1873. J. Strom Thurmond spoke at the dedication of the present church building held October 17, 1937. More than five hundred people attended.
In a McCormick Messenger news story in 1916, Plum Branch was described as “a thriving and fast-growing town on the C&WC Railroad with an enterprising business population and farms surrounding it of a high order.” The stagecoaches made regular stops at what are now the King home and the Robertson house on their way to or from Edgefield and Augusta, or to the Ferguson/Sturkey Ferry. When the railroad was built, the town moved to its current location.
Bracknell's Store in Plum Branch was built and operated in 1902 by John W. Bracknell, and was once the largest merchandise house between Augusta and Greenville. The store boasted of serving you from the "cradle to the grave." Mr. Bracknell also served as president of the Bank of Plum Branch and, at the age of 18, was the youngest bank president in the U.S. The store closed in the 1980's.
The marina offers moorage and supplies for boating, camping and fishing. The Yacht Club is the only AAA designated campground on the lake. Three different lakeside campgrounds are available. Cabins and campers are available for rental. There is also a boat service center, gift shop and other amenities.
The endangered Rocky Shoals Lily blooms in May and may be seen from the bridge at Steven's Creek on S.C. Highway 283, east of Plum Branch.
David Twiggs, Chief Operating Officer
Property Owners Association
5812 Hwy 378 West
McCormick, SC 29835
Phone: (864) 391-4116
Along one of South Carolina’s many “Freshwater Coast” regions, on the Savannah River, lies Savannah Lakes Village & Golf Clubs. This planned recreational community was created through an intergovernmental agreement between the Army Corps of Engineers, South Carolina’s Savannah Valley Authority, and the County of McCormick.
Savannah Lakes Village is located 40 miles from Augusta (GA), 20 miles from Abbeville, 75 miles from Columbia and 178 miles from Charleston. It is nestled in Sumter National Forest on J. Strom Thurmond (Clarks Hill) Lake, formed by the Savannah River between the Richard B. Russell and J. Strom Thurmond hydropower dams operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Builders from all over the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) have constructed more than 580 homes since the conception of Savannah Lakes Village in 1989. New residents arrive in the fast-growing community each month, joining the local culture and bringing new ideas and energy.
Residents of Savannah Lakes bring a wealth of talent and experience from careers in the business world of industry and finance, the military, education and the arts. Their influence is felt in all facets of life in McCormick County and the CSRA.
Residents enjoy many recreational choices. Golf lures a majority of newcomers with two beautiful golf courses—Tara and Monticello. The Monticello course was ranked 8th in the nation by Golf Digest in 200. Along with the golf courses, the Village features multiple dining clubs, including the Monticello, Tara, and Beach Clubs.
Along with the golf courses, the Village features the Tara Country Club with fine dining and a 19th Hole Lounge. Reservations are required on the fine dining nights. The newest addition to the food service operation is Monticello’s 19th Hole, which offers a breakfast and lunch menu.
A $2 million 23,000-square-foot Activity Center houses indoor and outdoor pools, state-of-the-art fitness room, four bowling alleys and a multi-purpose great hall, with elevated stage and room for Savannah Lakes Village events. The outdoor pavilion is popular for cookouts and potluck suppers. An active tennis group enjoys competition on four tennis courts. Water aerobics, bocce ball, table tennis, card groups, crafters, bowling, yoga, tia chi, and other programs fill the monthly activity center calendar.
Boating and fishing are favorite activities in Savannah Lakes Village. With 20 miles of shoreline, private and community dock facilities are available to property owners. A chapter of the U.S. Power Squadron has been chartered with events planned throughout the year.
The Lutheran Church by the Lake is the first church in Savannah Lakes Village, was completed in the fall of 2000.
Savannah Lakes Village is home, full or part-time, to more than 1,145 people. There are six residential neighborhoods: Tara, Southwind, Magnolia, Monticello, Savannah Point, and Shenandoah. Each is enriched by a sense of pride by the homeowner of Savannah Lakes Village.
For more information on beautiful Savannah Lakes Village, visit their website: www.savannahlakesvillage.net or call (800) 332-0013 or the local number which is (864) 391-4116.
Name Sara Juengst
1768 Morrah Bridge Road
McCormick, SC 29835
Phone: (864) 391-2218
Willington owes its existence to the educational and religious needs of the region’s settlers. Dr. Moses Waddel’s Willington Academy, established in 1804, attained national prominence. Willington developed into a school town. Waddel ran a notably competent prep school that introduced boys to the life of the mind, taught them very strict Calvinistic self-discipline, and schooled them so well in the texts of the time as to be called the South’s greatest educator and his school “the American Eton.”
Willington was neither a traditional nor a progressive school as we today think of these terms. Willington balanced both demands successfully. Waddel was able to use innovative methods and a redesigned school structure to forcefully teach a traditional or classical discipline. The example of Willington would suggest that education today, in its polarization into traditional versus progressive schooling, is making a vast mistake.
Willington, an extraordinary conception launched by Waddel, was a brief and brilliant meteor, which faded away after him but left a trail of stars. Waddel was the south’s first modern teacher and the greatest practical genius in education the South has ever produced. He lighted one generation and has since shamed the rest. Willington at its present location grew up as the result of the railroad during the mid-1880s.
The town of Willington that survives today developed around the railroad depot located there when the Savannah Valley Railroad was built in 1886. Good returns on cotton production brought prosperity during the 1920s. The town boasted a bank and around 1920-24 an automobile dealership Arial & LeRoy for Hudson, Essex and Willys-Knight Overland 4.
Willington holds the distinction for first growing the Red Spider Lily in the United States. Native son Dr. James Morrow who was a part of Commodore Matthew C. Perry’s expedition to open up trade with Japan in 1853-54, brought the bulbs from Japan.
James Morrow was a medical doctor with a strong interest in agriculture. From early experience on Pleasant Grove, his stepfather’s plantation near Willington, he became interested in botany and the introduction of new crops.
In 1999, the McCormick County Historical Commission undertook the restoration of Willington’s historic commercial buildings. The Commission has obtained the title to eight of these buildings. In addition, an early post office and an African American school building have been donated to the restoration project and moved to a new location on Highway 81, where they will serve as a Visitors’ Center and a African-American Cultural Center.
The Commission formed an independent not-for-profit corporation, “Willington on the Way,” to receive donations and grants. Three goals have been established for the restored buildings:
• promoting economic development and tourism through the establishment of a “Book Town” specializing in antiquarian book stores and other related businesses;
• developing a History Center to provide resources and information about the rich history of the Willington area; and
• creating an Africa American Cultural Center to encourage appreciation for the contributions of African American artists, musicians, and authors.
While you are enjoying an afternoon in Willington, make your visit complete by having lunch at the Taste of Thai Cafe, owned and operated by Bill and Toy Wood. Reservations are required for dinners and special events. For more information, call (864) 391-8424.
Bordeaux remains an entity and reminder of the French Huguenot settlement of New Bordeaux in 1764. The present little town is situated within a mile of the original village of New Bordeaux. Moses Jacobs was the first postmaster of the post office established in Bordeaux June 5, 1837.
Bordeaux flourished for awhile as a railroad town as the result of the construction of the Savannah Valley Railroad in 1885-86. During the early twentieth century, there were several stores, a school, and a busy railroad station in town.
Southwest of Bordeaux near Savannah River was the home of William A. Bull, planter, general in the state militia, and lieutenant governor of South Carolina. General Bull commanded troops during the Seminole War in Florida in 1836.
Once a thriving railroad stop, Bordeaux has disappeared. Only the Gibert-Calhoun home (ca.1867), a large granite Huguenot cross, the Guillebeau House and John de la Howe School (est. in 1797) remain.
The cross marking the spot of the first worship place, is located near Savannah Lakes Village. An early Huguenot home, the Guillebeau House, was moved to Hickory Knob State Resort Park and restored.
John de la Howe, a state operated school for children, is located along the shores of the upper reaches of Lake Thurmond on Little River, in northwestern McCormick County. The large holdings of forest and farm land comprising the school were left as an institution to serve children by decree in the 1797 will of Dr. John de la Howe, a French planter. The school has been under the control of the State of South Carolina since approximately 1918.
Located eight miles northwest of McCormick on S.C. Highway 81 (the Savannah River Scenic Highway), the entrance to the school is approximately one mile north of S.C. Highway 28 on the left. The entrance to the Barn is on the right. Or, traveling south on S.C. Highway 81, the Barn is on your left after you cross the Little River bridge over Lake Thurmond.
Special note: Visitors to the school and museum are requested to check in with the Administration Desk.
The road to John de la Howe's Tomb winds through the large pines and hardwoods of a virgin forest. The museum tract contains 120 acres of virgin southern Piedmont forest around John de la Howe's tomb and includes some of the state's oldest trees. The site is recognized as a National Park Service Registered Natural Landmark and a S.C. Heritage Trust Site by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.
Outside the central campus stands a rustic granite barn, built by the WPA, which houses a country market. The Barn showcases plants, crafts and items handmade by the students and senior adults of McCormick County. Combined with the relationship-building process, the project provides hands-on marketing and retail experience for the de la Howe students.
Hours of Operation:
Barn - Saturdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
others by appointment.
John de la Howe School
Mark S. Williamson, Superintendent
Tammy Hill, Information
192 Gettys Road
McCormick, SC 29835
Phone: (864) 391-2131
Liberty Hill received its name, according to legend, when Patriots raised a first-in-the-region “Liberty Pole” at the site during the American Revolution. During the mid-eighteenth century, there was an Indian trading post located on the east side of Cuffeytown Creek just above the present bridge on U.S. Highway 378.
The business center was located at the intersection of Scott’s Ferry Road and Charleston Road (present Roads S-21 and S-138). Before and after the Civil War, Liberty Hill was a busy commercial center. It included several general stores, two blacksmith shops, two shoe shops, a cabinet shop, a tanning vat, and two tailor shops. The operator of one of the two grog shops reportedly rolled his barrels of liquor all night on cold nights in order that he might be able to draw from them next morning.
Shinburg Grist Mill located on Cuffeytown Creek was run by the Sheppard family.
Liberty Hill Academy, boys’ prep school conducted by George Galphin, gained prominence during the antebellum era.
Liberty Hill Female Academy was built c.1860. John Terry Cheatham was a prominent schoolmaster. The building burned in 1916. The community replaced it with a co-ed public school adjacent to Bethany Baptist Church.
Bethany Baptist Church was established in 1809 at a site on the Charleston Road midway between Cuffeytown and Hard Labor creeks. The church was built with a pulpit high from the floor with banisters around it. For slave members, there was a gallery built with steps leading up from the outside. Bethany Baptist Church remains active today.
Meriwether was the name given to the railroad station in honor of Dr. Snowden Meriwether. Dr. Meriwether was an early investor for the construction of the Augusta to Greenwood rail line, and he was the first station agent and postmaster for Meriwether.
Upon the formation of McCormick County in 1916, William Scott Middleton of Meriwether was elected on the first ballot as the county’s first representative in the South Carolina General Assembly.
Representative Middleton was instrumental in securing passage of an act by the legislature, providing for a bond issue of $175,000 for permanent highway improvements in McCormick County. He died April 8, 1918, of pneumonia at age 48.
William Scott Middleton was a pioneer in commercial production of peaches on his Meriwether plantation Locust Hill. At the time of his death, he owned the largest peach orchard in South Carolina, containing more than 35,000 peach trees.
William Scott Middleton and W.M. Rowland of Meriwether were the first commercial peach producers in South Carolina. Commercial peach production caught on quickly in the state. W.M. Rowland was a moving force for founding the South Carolina Peach Growers Cooperative with T.B. Young as its executive director in Florence.
Built west of Mt. Carmel in 1765-67 and now under Lake Thurmond, Fort Charlotte was the site of the first overt act of the Revolution in South Carolina. After Jefferson Davis held the last meeting of his War Council in Abbeville, he passed through Mt. Carmel and used Hester's Ferry, near the ruins of Fort Charlotte, to cross the Savannah River into Georgia.