Kershaw County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located 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 sove ...

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 = ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 65,403. 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 ...

and largest city is Camden. The county was created in 1791 from parts of Claremont, Lancaster, Fairfield, and Richland

counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

. It is named for Col. Joseph Kershaw (1727–1791), an early settler and

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

patriot. Kershaw County is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Kershaw County was named for Col. Joseph Kershaw (1727–1791), an early settler considered as "the father of Camden". Originally part of Camden District, Kershaw County was formed in 1791 from parts of Claremont, Lancaster, Fairfield, and Richland counties. The county seat is Camden, the oldest inland city in

. This site was settled around 1732 by English traders and farmers who moved inland from Charleston. Welsh Baptists moved the area in large numbers in the 1740s and 1750s. At the time, in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

and

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

Protestants who were not from the established

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

church were politically disadvantaged in various ways, however, in South Carolina they could still practice freely (provided that they called their churches "meeting houses.") Baptists from

Abergavenny Abergavenny (; cy, Y Fenni , archaically ''Abergafenni'' meaning "mouth of the River Gavenny") is a market town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a ''Gateway to Wales''; it is approximately from the border wit ...

Trap, Carmarthenshire Trap (or Trapp in English spelling) is a hamlet in the county of Carmarthenshire in southwest Wales, located on the western border of the Brecon Beacons National Park, around four miles southeast of the town of Llandeilo. It is unclear whether the ...

Llanbedr, Crickhowell Llanbedr is a small village northeast of Crickhowell in the county of Powys, Wales and the community of Vale of Grwyney. It lies above the river known as the Grwyne Fechan just above its confluence with the Grwyne Fawr in the southern reaches o ...

Vale of Grwyney The Vale of Grwyney is a community in Powys, Wales. It follows most of the border between Powys and Monmouthshire. It takes its name from the river Grwyney (in Welsh, Grwyne) which flows through it into the River Usk. The river Grwyney has two ...

Abertillery Abertillery (; cy, Abertyleri) is a town and a community of the Ebbw Fach valley in the historic county of Monmouthshire, Wales. Following local government reorganisation it became part of the Blaenau Gwent County Borough administrative area ...

, Griffithstown and

Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the c ...

arrived in what has since become Kershaw County between 1740 and 1760, primarily arriving as large family units. They were joined by a similar migration of English Baptists who came from

Long Sutton, Lincolnshire Long Sutton is a market town in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies in The Fens, close to the Wash, east of Spalding. History Long Sutton belonged historically to the wapentake of Elloe in the Parts of Holland. ...

Boston, Lincolnshire Boston is a market town and inland port in the borough of the same name in the county of Lincolnshire, England. Boston is north of London, north-east of Peterborough, east of Nottingham, south-east of Lincoln, south-southeast of ...

, Coningsby,

Grantham Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln a ...

, as well as

Christchurch, Dorset Christchurch () is a town and civil parish in Dorset on the south coast of England. The town had a population of 31,372 in 2021. For the borough the population was 48,368. It adjoins Bournemouth to the west, with the New Forest to the east. Pa ...

and

Lymington Lymington is a port town on the west bank of the Lymington River on the Solent, in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. It faces Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, to which there is a car ferry service operated by Wightlink. It is within the ...

. From about 1800 until about 1867, the county was known as Kershaw District. During the

, the British occupied Camden from June 1780 to May 1781. Fourteen battles took place in the area, including the

Battle of Camden The Battle of Camden (August 16, 1780), also known as the Battle of Camden Court House, was a major victory for the British in the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War. On August 16, 1780, British forces under Lieutenant General ...

in 1780 and the

Battle of Hobkirk's Hill The Battle of Hobkirk's Hill (sometimes referred to as the Second Battle of Camden) was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on April 25, 1781, near Camden, South Carolina. A small American force under Nathanael Greene occupying Hobkir ...

in 1781. After the state seceded from the Union, six men from Kershaw served in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

as Confederate

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

James Cantey James Cantey (December 30, 1818 – June 30, 1874) was a Confederate States Army brigadier general during the American Civil War. He was a lawyer, slave owner, state legislator in South Carolina and officer in the Mexican–American War, and a ...

(1818–1873), James Chesnut (1815–1885), John Doby Kennedy (1840–1896),

Joseph Brevard Kershaw Joseph Brevard Kershaw (January 5, 1822 – April 13, 1894) was a prominent South Carolina planter and slaveholder. He was also a lawyer, judge, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. Early life Kershaw was born on January 5, 18 ...

(1822–1894), and

John Bordenave Villepigue John Bordenave Villepigue (July 2, 1830 – November 9, 1862) was a career U.S. Army officer who served on the Western Frontier and became a Confederate general in the American Civil War. One of his descendants would later be World War I Me ...

(1830–1862), Zachariah C. Deas (1819–1882). Richard Rowland Kirkland, a Confederate soldier and hero at the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Bur ...

, was also from Kershaw County. He served under General Kershaw. In the last months of the war, Union troops under Gen.

William T. Sherman William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

burned parts of Camden in February 1865, in their March to the Sea. Under the 1868 South Carolina Constitution, the Kershaw District became home rule Kershaw County with the state representatives also being county commissioners. During the

Reconstruction era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

, some freedmen and other men of color were elected to various political offices. Among them was Henry Cardozo, who had been pastor of Old Bethel Methodist Church in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

. He served in the state senate as a Republican from Kershaw County, from 1870 to 1874. (February 1, 1836 – July 22, 1903) was an American clergyman, politician, and educator. When Francis Lewis Cardozo was elected in South Carolina as Secretary of State in 1868, he was the first

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 ...

to hold a statewide office in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, two Kershaw County men were awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

in two separate actions while fighting in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

in October 1918. The first was Richmond Hobson Hilton, recognized for actions taking place on October 11, 1918, during which he lost an arm. The second was John Canty Villepigue on October 15, 1918; he was wounded so severely in the action for which he was recognized that he died several months later from his injuries. Villepigue was a descendant of General John B. Villepigue noted above. Statesman and financier

Bernard M. Baruch Bernard Mannes Baruch (August 19, 1870 – June 20, 1965) was an American financier and statesman. After amassing a fortune on the New York Stock Exchange, he impressed President Woodrow Wilson by managing the nation's economic mobilization in ...

(1870–1965), labor leader

Lane Kirkland Joseph Lane Kirkland (March 12, 1922 – August 14, 1999) was an American labor union leader who served as President of the AFL–CIO from 1979 to 1995. Life and career Kirkland was born in Camden, South Carolina, the son of Louise Beardsley ( ...

, and baseball player

Larry Doby Lawrence Eugene Doby (December 13, 1923 – June 18, 2003) was an American professional baseball player in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball (MLB) who was the second black player to break baseball's color barrier and the first black pl ...

, the first

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 ensl ...

player in the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league b ...

, were each born in Kershaw County. Former South Carolina Governor John C. West was also from Kershaw County.

Geography

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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.9%) is water. Kershaw County is one of three counties that compromises

Lake Wateree Lake Wateree is a reservoir in Kershaw, Fairfield, and Lancaster counties, South Carolina, in the United States. Developed in 1919 by the damming of the Wateree River, it is one of South Carolina's oldest man-made lakes. It has of shoreline a ...

, in which the lake is compromised with the

Wateree River } The Wateree River, about 75 mi (120 km) long, is a tributary of the Santee River in central South Carolina in the United States, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean. It was named for the Wateree Native Americans, a tribe who had migr ...

, which flows through Kershaw County.

Earthquakes

Between December 2021 and December 2022, southeastern Kershaw County experienced over 80 earthquakes, 11 of which exceeded a 2.5 magnitude. 6 of the quakes exceeded a 3.0 magnitude, the largest of which registering at a 3.6.

National Protected areas

* Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site * Camden Battlefield, site of the

* Boykin Mill Complex * Kendall Mill Historic District

State and local protected areas

* Camden Battlefield and Longleaf Pine Preserve *

Goodale State Park Goodale State Park is a South Carolina state park located just outside Camden, SC. In addition to a lake, that is actually a Civil War era mill pond, this park also has canoe access to Pine Tree Creek. A canoe trail follows this creek for t ...

* Powderkegg Wildlife Preserve * Savage Bay Heritage Park

Major water bodies

* Beaver Creek * Black Creek *

Catawba River The Catawba River originates in Western North Carolina and flows into South Carolina, where it later becomes known as the Wateree River. The river is approximately 220 miles (350 km) long. It rises in the Appalachian Mountains and drains into ...

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 ...

* Raglins Creek *

Adjacent counties

* Richland County – southwest * Lee County – southeast * Fairfield County – west * Lancaster County – north * Chesterfield County – northeast * Sumter County – southeast * Darlington County – east

Major highways

* * * (Camden) * (Cheraw) * * * * (Camden 1) * (Camden 2) * (Kershaw) * * * * * * * * * *

Major infrastructure

Camden Station Camden Station, now also referred to as Camden Street Station, Camden Yards, and formally as the Transportation Center at Camden Yards, is a train station at the intersection of South Howard and West Camden Streets in Baltimore, Maryland, and is ...

* Woodward Field (Kershaw County Airport)

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 off ...

, there were 65,403 people, 24,544 households, and 16,019 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

, there were 61,697 people, 23,928 households, and 17,114 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 27,478 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 71.3% white, 24.6% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 1.7% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 28.1% were

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, 7.8% were

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

, 7.7% were Irish, and 6.3% were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

. Of the 23,928 households, 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.5% were non-families, and 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age was 40.2 years. The median income for a household in the county was $44,064 and the median income for a family was $53,053. Males had a median income of $40,794 versus $30,553 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,777. About 12.1% of families and 15.5% 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 ...

, including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.

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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 52,647 people, 20,188 households, and 14,918 families living in the county. 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 RosenberPopu ...

was 72 people per square mile (28/km²). There were 22,683 housing units at an average density of 31 per square mile (12/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 71.61%

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 ...

, 26.29%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

, 0.29% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.62% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 1.68% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 20,188 households, out of which 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.80% 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 ...

living together, 13.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.10% were non-families. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.02. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.10% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $38,804, and the median income for a family was $44,836. Males had a median income of $32,246 versus $22,714 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 county was $18,360. About 9.70% of families and 12.80% of the population were below the

, including 16.90% of those under age 18 and 14.10% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Education

The Kershaw County School District serves as the governing body for all public schools in Kershaw County. Central Carolina Technical College has two branches located in Camden. Kershaw County is home to Camden Military Academy, the official state

military academy A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned. ...

of South Carolina. The Montessori School of Camden is a public charter located in Camden.

High schools

* Camden High School *

Lugoff-Elgin High School Lugoff-Elgin High School (often ''LEHS'') is a public high school located in Lugoff, South Carolina. It is one of the three high schools in the Kershaw County School District of South Carolina. It opened in 1971. It is home of the Lugoff-Elgin ...

North Central High School North Central High School may refer to one of many high school in the United States: * North Central High School (Farmersburg, Indiana) *North Central High School (Indianapolis) * North Central High School (Louisiana), Lebeau, Louisiana * North Ce ...

* Woolard Technology Center

Middle schools

* Camden Middle School * Lugoff-Elgin Middle School * North Central Middle School * Leslie M. Stover Middle School * Montessori School of Camden

Elementary schools

* Camden Elementary School * Lugoff Elementary School * Wateree Elementary School * Blaney Elementary School * Doby's Mill Elementary School * North Central Elementary School * Midway Elementary School * Pine Tree Hill Elementary School * Jackson Elementary School * Montessori School of Camden

Communities

City

* Camden (county seat and largest city)

Towns

* Bethune * Elgin

Census-designated places

* Abney Crossroads * Boykin * East Camden * Lugoff

Other unincorporated communities

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ� ...

* Buffalo * Cassatt * DeKalb * Liberty Hill * Mt. Pisgah * Westville

Gallery

File:Former Kershaw County Courthouse, Camden, South Carolina.jpg, Original Kershaw County Courthouse in 1978 File:Kershaw.jpg,

References

External links

Kershaw Chamber of Commerce

Kershaw County Website

Kershaw County History and Images
{{authority control Columbia metropolitan area (South Carolina) 1791 establishments in South Carolina Populated places established in 1791

History

Geography

Earthquakes

National Protected areas

State and local protected areas

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Major infrastructure

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Government and politics

Education

High schools

Middle schools

Elementary schools

Communities

City

Towns

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Gallery

See also

References

External links