Fountain Inn is a city in Greenville and Laurens counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

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 = ...

. The population was 7,799 at the 2010 census, up from 6,017 in

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

. It is part of the Greenville– Mauldin– Easley

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

History

The Cannon Building, Fairview Presbyterian Church,

Fountain Inn High School The Fountain Inn High School was a building that formerly served as a high school, located in Fountain Inn, South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South ...

Fountain Inn Principal's House and Teacherage Fountain Inn Principal's House and Teacherage is a historic home and teacherage located at Fountain Inn, Greenville County, South Carolina. It was built in 1935 as a home for teachers, and is the only remaining building associated with the Foun ...

McDowell House The McDowell House is a National Register of Historic Places property located in Fountain Inn, South Carolina, United States. The Craftsman style bungalow was built in 1922 by J. B. Wasson for his sister, Quentine Wasson McDowell. The house fe ...

, Robert Quillen Office and Library,

Tullyton Tullyton, also known as the Bolling-Stewart House, is a historic property located in Greenville County near Fountain Inn, South Carolina. The historic property includes a ca1839 house and the adjacent ruins of a house built ca1821. Both the hous ...

, and F. W. Welborn House 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 ...

Geography

The southern part of the city is in Laurens County, while the bulk of the city is in Greenville County. The city's nickname is "The Diamond Tip of the Golden Strip". The city took its name from an inn and fountain that were along the old stagecoach route. The stagecoach drivers called the stop "Fountain Inn", and it stuck. A small garden fountain is installed at City Hall, and there is a marker on the north side of town showing the former location of the old inn.

South Carolina Highway 14 South Carolina Highway 14 (SC 14) is a state highway in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 76 Business (US 76 Bus.) in Laurens north to Interstate 26 (I-26) in Landrum. SC 14 connects Laurens and Landrum w ...

runs through the center of town as Main Street, and

Interstate 385 Interstate 385 (I-385) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway located in the Upstate region of South Carolina. I-385 is a spur route of I-85. The highway provides a connection between Greenville and I-26 to the south, connecting Greenville t ...

runs along the southern edge of the city, with access from Exits 22, 23, and 26. Greenville is to the northwest, and Columbia is to the southeast. Via Highway 14, Laurens is to the southeast. According to the

U.S. 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 city of Fountain Inn has a total area of , of which , or 0.43%, are water. There are several festivals in Fountain Inn, including Aunt Het Day, based on syndicated cartoon columnist

Robert Quillen Verni Robert Quillen (March 25, 1887 – December 9, 1948) was an American journalist and humorist who for more than a quarter century was "one of the leading purveyors of village nostalgia" from his home in Fountain Inn, South Carolina. In 2012, ...

, that brings in several hundred visitors as Main Street is closed and filled with many unique vendors.

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 10,416 people, 3,170 households, and 2,532 families residing in the city.

2020 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 2020, there were 10,416 people. 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 988.9 people per square mile (421.6/km²). There were 2,465 housing units at an average density of 447.2 per square mile (172.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 61.49%

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 ...

, 27.9%

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 ...

, 1.6% Native American, 0.2%

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 ...

, 0.00%

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 ...

, and 7.4% 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 ...

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 8.7 % of the population. There were 3,538 households. The population in the city consists of 25.7% under 18 and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. The median income for a family was $65,221. 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 city was $25,855. About 13.2% 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 ...

Government

Fountain Inn is governed by a mayor, a city council, a city administrator, and several boards and commissions. The current officeholders are: City council * Mayor: GP McLeer * Council Ward I: Jason Sanders * Council Ward II: Jay Thomasson * Council Ward III: Joey Garrett * Council Ward IV: Phil Clemmer * Council Ward V: John Don * Council Ward VI: Mack Blackstone Board of Zoning Appeals/Variance Board Donna Brown Nelson Deever Chris Ellisor Steve Habina Clifford Jennings Jackie Johnson Avis Kelley Planning Commission Chris Ellisor Matt Waschkowski Brent Fonokalati Walt Tanner Sara Threatt Bobby McKelvey Jr. Erik Stoddard

Crime

The city of Fountain Inn has one of the lowest crime rates in Greenville County and has the best record in closing case files of towns of similar sizes and geographic area. The Fountain Inn Police Department has annual reports and information regarding current records and statistical surveys of the area.

Education

88.6% of the residents have a high school diploma or equivalent, 27.4% with bachelor's degree, and 4.1% hold a master's, professional or doctorate.

Notable people

Fountain Inn was the adopted home of journalist and humorist

, one of the "leading purveyors of village nostalgia" during the early decades of the 20th century.John Hammond Moore, ed., ''The Voice of Small-Town America: The Selected Writings of Robert Quillen, 1920-1948'' (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2008), xi. Fountain Inn was the home town of one-legged tap dancer Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates. Fountain Inn is the home town of

Travelle Wharton Glenn Travelle Wharton (born May 19, 1981) is an American football offensive line coach for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football as an offensive lineman at the University of South Carolina ...

, a retired NFL offensive lineman. He played for the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...

of the NFL from 2004 through 2011. He joined the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

for the 2012 season. He played college football at the University of South Carolina.

References

External links

City of Fountain Inn official website
{{authority control Cities in South Carolina Cities in Greenville County, South Carolina Cities in Laurens County, South Carolina Upstate South Carolina

History

Geography

Demographics

2020 census

2020 census

Government

Crime

Education

Notable people

See also

References

External links