Kershaw is a town in Lancaster County,

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. It was incorporated in 1888. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,803, and as of 2019 the estimated population was 2,321. The Haile Gold Mine, where gold was discovered in 1825, is from town and was at one time the largest single producer of gold in the Appalachian region.

History

The Dr. William Columbus Cauthen House, Clinton AME Zion Church,

East Richland Street-East Church Street Historic District East Richland Street-East Church Street Historic District is a national historic district located at Kershaw, Lancaster County, South Carolina. It encompasses 28 contributing buildings in a residential section of Kershaw. The majority of th ...

, Kershaw Depot, Matson Street Historic District, and Unity 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 ...

Geography and climate

Kershaw is located in southern Lancaster County at (34.547245, -80.582843). U.S. Routes 521 and 601 pass through the town. US 521 leads northwest to Heath Springs and to Lancaster, 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 ...

, while US 601 leads northeast to Pageland. Together the two highways lead south to Camden. Kershaw is northeast of Columbia, the state capital, and south of

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

. 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. The town drains west to Lick Creek and east to the Little Lynches River, all part of the

Lynches River Lynches River, named for Thomas Lynch, Jr., signer of the Declaration of Independence, rises in North Carolina near Waxhaw, North Carolina, at about 700 feet (210 m) elevation, flowing only a short distance to the South Carolina border, and th ...

watershed flowing southeast to the

Great Pee Dee River The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in the Carolinas of the United States. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course, above the mouth of the Uwharrie River, is known as t ...

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 1,693 people, 736 households, and 480 families residing in the town.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 1,645 people, and 465 families in the town. The population density was 888.5 people per square mile (343.3/km). There were 771 housing units at an average density of 416.4 per square mile (160.9/km). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the town was 75.68% White, 22.80% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.73%. Of the 690 households 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 30.1% of households were one person and 16.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.95. The age distribution was 22.5% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males. The median household income was $36,065 and the median family income was $41,204. Males had a median income of $30,987 versus $21,827 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,370. About 9.5% of families and 14.4% 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 19.6% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Kershaw 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 Lancaster County Library.

References

External links

* {{authority control Towns in Lancaster County, South Carolina Towns in South Carolina 1888 establishments in South Carolina