Chester, South Carolina
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Chester is a small rural city in
Chester County, South Carolina Chester County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 32,294. Its county seat is Chester, South Carolina, Chester.Chester County is i ...
, United States. The population was 5,607 at the 2010 census, down from 6,476 at the 2000 census. It is the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States ** Chester County Council, boy scout council in Pennsylvania. * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire ...
. The community was segregated. Many African Americans, including the principal and teachers at Finley School, lived in East Chester.


History

While being transported to
Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...
, for his trial for treason, former Vice-President
Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician, businessman, lawyer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805 d ...
passed through Chester. Burr "flung himself from his horse and cried for a rescue, but the officer commanding the escort seized him, threw him back like a child into the saddle, and marched on." ''History of the United States of America during the Administrations of Thomas Jefferson'', Library of America, 1986, p. 828.'' The large stone he stood on has been inscribed and is preserved in the town center, and is known locally as the Aaron Burr Rock. Chester was home to
Brainerd Institute Brainerd Institute was a school for African Americans in Chester, South Carolina. It was founded by the Presbyterian Church and opened in 1868. Alumni include Vivian Ayers Allen and Daniel Jackson Sanders. Originally an elementary school it serv ...
, a school for African American children. The
Catholic Presbyterian Church Catholic Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church in Chester, South Carolina. The church congregation was founded in 1759 and sixty-two men from the church served in the Revolutionary War. Several are buried nearby. The current bri ...
, Chester City Hall and Opera House, Chester Historic District, Colvin-Fant-Durham Farm Complex, Fishdam Ford, Kumler Hall, Lewis Inn, and McCollum Mound are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.


Geography and climate

Chester is located just west of the center of Chester County at (34.705553, -81.211638). U.S. Route 321 bypasses the city to the west and the south, leading north to
York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
and south to Winnsboro.
South Carolina Highway 9 South Carolina Highway 9 (SC 9) is a major state highway in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The highway travels from Cherry Grove Beach to the North Carolina state line upstate. The highway is currently the longest state highway ...
passes through the city center and leads east to
Interstate 77 Interstate 77 (I-77) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the ...
near Richburg and west to
Spartanburg Spartanburg is a city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city had a population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-most populous city in the state. The Office of Management and Budg ...
. Highways 72 and
121 121 may refer to: *121 (number), a natural number * AD 121, a year in the 2nd century AD * 121 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 121 (Eagle) Sqn, a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron that during the Second World War was one of the three Eagle Squa ...
lead northeast to Rock Hill and southwest to Whitmire. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , all of it land.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,269 people, 2,244 households, and 1,131 families residing in the city.


2000 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 6,476 people, 2,465 households, and 1,639 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,774 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 62.26%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 36.37%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.15% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 0.25% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population. There were 2,465 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.4% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 26.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.24. In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,518, and the median income for a family was $32,973. Males had a median income of $27,321 versus $20,802 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $13,386. About 16.4% of families and 19.4% 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 ...
, including 28.3% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over. Chester is the center of an urban cluster with a total population of 11,140 (2000 census).


Education

Chester has a
public library A public library is a library, most often a lending 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 servic ...
, a branch of the Chester County Library System.


Police

The Chester Police Department has a staff of three police officers. The department includes gang, narcotics and road patrol units. Although a small town, Chester suffers higher crime rates than the national average in all categories.


In the media

''Chiefs'', a
miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
based on the novel by
Stuart Woods Stuart Woods (born ''Stuart Chevalier Lee''; January 9, 1938 – July 22, 2022) was an American novelist, known best for his first novel '' Chiefs'' and his series of novels featuring protagonist Stone Barrington. Woods was a Georgia native, e ...
, was filmed in Chester over the course of three months in 1983.''"A Salute to Chiefs", The Rock Hill Herald, July 27, 1983.'' It was nominated for three prime-time Emmy awards, and featured a star-studded cast including
Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...
,
Keith Carradine Keith Ian Carradine ( ; born August 8, 1949) is an American actor. In film he is known for his roles as Tom Frank in Robert Altman's ''Nashville'', E. J. Bellocq in Louis Malle's ''Pretty Baby'', and Mickey in Alan Rudolph's '' Choose Me.'' ...
, Brad Davis,
Paul Sorvino Paul Anthony Sorvino (, ; April 13, 1939 – July 25, 2022) was an American actor. He often portrayed authority figures on both the criminal and the law enforcement sides of the law. Sorvino was particularly known for his roles as Lucchese cri ...
,
Billy Dee Williams William December Williams Jr. (born April 6, 1937) is an American retired actor, novelist and painter. He has appeared in over 100 films and television roles over six decades. He is best known for portraying Lando Calrissian in the ''Star Wars ...
, Paula Kelly and
Danny Glover Danny Glover ( ; born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, producer, and political activist. Over his career he has received List of awards and nominations received by Danny Glover, numerous accolades including the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian A ...
. In 2014, a celebration of the filming of Chiefs was organized in Chester by
Catherine Fleming Bruce Catherine Fleming Bruce (born December 3, 1961) is an American author, preservationist, and activist from South Carolina. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Early life and education Catherine Fleming Bruce was born in Kentucky and later ...
in collaboration with local organizations. Among the presenters was author Stuart Woods. The Chester newspaper reprinted coverage of Woods' visit to the City on the occasion of his death in 2022.


Notable people

*
Debbie Allen Deborah Kaye Allen (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer, director, producer, and a former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She has been nominated 20 times for an Emmy Award ...
(born 1950), actress, dancer, choreographer, television director and producer * Sheldon Brown (born 1979),
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
*
Marion Campbell Francis Marion Campbell (May 25, 1929 – July 13, 2016) was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a defensive lineman and was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelp ...
(1929–2016),
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player: University of Georgia,
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
, Coach,
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
(born in Chester) * Devan Downey (born 1987), basketball player (born in Chester) *
John Dunovant John Dunovant (1825-1864) was a brigadier general with temporary rank in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. ...
(1825-1864), Confederate Brigadier General * Allison Feaster (born 1976),
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player in the WNBA,
French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
citizen since 2004 (born in Chester) *
Carroll Glenn Elizabeth Carroll Glenn (October 28, 1918April 25, 1983) was an Americans, American violinist and music educator. Early years Glenn was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1918. She began studying violin under her mother’s guidance when she was f ...
(1918–1983), concert violinist *
James Hamilton James Hamilton may refer to: Dukes *James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton (1606–1649), heir to the throne of Scotland *James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton (1658–1712), Scottish nobleman *James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton (1703–1743), Sco ...
(born 1938), attorney * Robert W. Hemphill (1915-1983), Pilot in Army Air Corps (1941-1945), U.S. Congressman (1957-1964), Federal District Court Judge (1964-1983) (born in Chester) * J. Charles Jones (1937–2019), civil rights activist (born in Chester) *
Donnie McClurkin Donald Andrew McClurkin Jr. (born November 9, 1959) is an American gospel singer and minister. He has won three Grammy Awards, ten Stellar Awards, two BET Awards, two Soul Train Awards, one Dove Award and one NAACP Image Awards. He is one of t ...
(born 1959),
pastor A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...
and
gospel singer Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compos ...
*
Maurice Morris Maurice Autora Morris (born December 1, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks and was selected by the Seattle Seah ...
(born 1979),
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
(born in Chester) *
Ron Rash Ron Rash (born September 25, 1953) is an American poet, short story writer and novelist and the Parris Distinguished Professor in Appalachian Cultural Studies at Western Carolina University. Early life Rash was born on September 25, 1953, in Ch ...
(born 1953), author of short stories,
Western Carolina University Western Carolina University (WCU) is a public university in Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the University of North Carolina system. The fifth oldest institution of the sixteen four-year universities in the UNC system, WCU ...
(born in Chester) *
Phylicia Rashad Phylicia Rashad ( ) ( Ayers-Allen; born June 19, 1948) is an American actress. She was most recently dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University before her three-year contract ended in May 2024. Known for her roles on stage and scree ...
(born 1948), actress (''
The Cosby Show ''The Cosby Show'' is an American television sitcom created by (along with Ed. Weinberger and Michael J. Leeson) and starring Bill Cosby that originally aired on NBC from September 20, 1984, to April 30, 1992, with a total of 201 half-hour e ...
'') *
Britt Robertson Brittany Leanna Robertson-Floyd (née Robertson; born April 18, 1990), known professionally as Britt Robertson, is an American actress. She has appeared in the films '' The First Time'' (2012), ''Tomorrowland'' (2015), '' The Space Between Us'' ...
(born 1990), film actress ( ''Tomorrowland'') * Elizabeth Talford Scott (1916–2011), artist (born in Chester)


References


External links

* {{authority control CHESTER OWN"S FAIRFIELD Cities in South Carolina Cities in Chester County, South Carolina County seats in South Carolina