Allendale is a town in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of
Allendale County
Allendale County is a county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,039, making it the least populous county in South Carolina. Its county seat is Allendale.
History
Allendale County was formed in 191 ...
,
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
, United States.
The population was 3,482 at the 2010 census,
a decline from 4,052 in 2000.
History
The
Allendale County Courthouse,
Antioch Christian Church,
Erwin House,
Gravel Hill Plantation,
Red Bluff Flint Quarries,
Roselawn, and
Smyrna Baptist Church are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
The artist
Jasper Johns
Jasper Johns (born May 15, 1930) is an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker whose work is associated with abstract expressionism, Neo-Dada, and pop art. He is well known for his depictions of the American flag and other US-related top ...
lived in Allendale during his childhood in the 1930s and 1940s. He was raised there by his grandfather, a farmer, and then with his aunt, the only teacher in a two-room school.
In his 2015 book entitled ''
Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads'', author
Paul Theroux
Paul Edward Theroux (born April 10, 1941) is an American novelist and travel writer who has written numerous books, including the travelogue, '' The Great Railway Bazaar'' (1975). Some of his works of fiction have been adapted as feature films. He ...
describes Allendale as a "ghost town", "poor, neglected, hopeless-looking, a vivid failure."
On
April 5, 2022, an intense low-end EF3 tornado impacted the southern and southeast side of the city, causing major damage to several structures and injuring one person.
The tornado prompted a rare
tornado emergency
A tornado emergency is an enhanced version of a tornado warning, which is used by the National Weather Service (NWS) in the United States during imminent, significant tornado occurrences in highly populated areas. Although it is not a new warning ...
to be declared for the city by the National Weather Service office in Charleston, South Carolina.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 2,694 people, 1,244 households, and 667 families residing in the town.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 4,052 people, 1,542 households, and 997 families residing in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 1,225.2 people per square mile (472.7/km
2). There were 1,763 housing units at an average density of 533.1 per square mile (205.6/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 18.19%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 80.03%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.17%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.17%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.96% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.47% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 2.25% of the population.
There were 1,542 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.2% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 31.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.34.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.6% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $16,632, and the median income for a family was $21,167. Males had a median income of $22,800 versus $20,873 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $10,433. About 36.7% of families and 41.2% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 59.5% of those under age 18 and 21.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Allendale County Schools provides education for elementary, middle and high school students while the
University of South Carolina Salkehatchie
The University of South Carolina Salkehatchie (USC Salkehatchie) is a public college with campuses in Allendale and Walterboro, South Carolina. It is one of four regional University of South Carolina System campuses which make up Palmetto Colleg ...
established in 1965 is the only college in the small town.
Allendale has a
public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants.
There are ...
, a branch of the Allendale Hampton Jasper Regional Library.
Gallery
File:Allendale County Courthouse.jpg, Allendale County Courthouse
File:Gravel Hill Plantation, Allendale County, SC, US.jpg, Gravel Hill Plantation
File:Erwin House, Allendale County, SC, US.jpg, Erwin House
Media
WEBA-TV/DT, a
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
station serving the South Carolina side of the Central Savannah River Area, is located here.
Notable residents
*
George B. Daniels (born 1953), federal judge
References
External links
History of Allendale from Allendale County website
*
{{authority control
Towns in Allendale County, South Carolina
Towns in South Carolina
County seats in South Carolina