Williamsburg County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

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 so ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

. As of the 2020 census its population was 31,026. 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 ...

and largest community is Kingstree. After a previous incarnation of Williamsburg County, the current county was created in 1804.

History

On January 7, 1867, the

Kingstree jail fire The Kingstree jail fire killed 22 prisoners on the evening of Monday, January 7, 1867, in the Williamsburg County seat of Kingstree, South Carolina, United States. One white prisoner escaped the building and survived, but all of the African-Ame ...

killed 22 imprisoned freedmen. Also in 1867, the United States military oversaw the registering of voters in the county in preparation for the election of a new "reconstruction" government. In the Williamsburg District, there were 800 whites and 1,725 African-Americans who were eligible to vote under the new system. A convention was held to organize a new constitutions for the state of South Carolina, the Williamsburg District was represented by William Darrington who was a white reverend from the Williamsburg District who had opposed slavery before the war as well as C.M. Olsen and Stephen A. Swails, who were both African-American. Darrington led a prayer at the opening of the convention on February 14, 1868. In 1868, the state constitution abolished the parishes and designated judicial districts formally as counties thus transforming the "Williamsburg District" into "Williamsburg County." In 1868, an election was held in which all men older than 21 years of age who had never been convicted of committing a felony nor were "prohibited on account of service under Confederate Government" were allowed to vote. This was a form of direct democratic election which had been set up by the reconstruction government of South Carolina. Almost all voters in this election were African American. No one who fought for the Confederacy was allowed to vote in the election. Many African-American officials were elected. Stephen A. Swails was an educated black man from Pennsylvania who had fought in the U.S. military in the

54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment that saw extensive service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit was the second African-American regiment, following the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantr ...

during the civil war, and who was elected to represent Williamsburg County in the South Carolina State Senate. F.H. Frost, J. Pendergrass and Fortune Guilds were three black men chosen to represent Williamsburg County in the South Carolina State House of Representatives. F. H. Frost was a black man elected as school commissioner. F.H. Swails was a black man elected as an auditor of Williamsburg County. C. Rasted and F.H. Frost were two black men who were elected as the assessors for Williamsburg County's county government. W.W. Ward was a white abolitionist from Massachusetts who was elected to be the sheriff of Williamsburg County, F.C. Cooper was a white abolitionist Quaker from Pennsylvania who was elected to be the clerk of the court of Williamsburg County and C.H. Pettingil, a Union Army officer from Boston, Massachusetts and former member of the Massachusetts Abolition Society who was elected as Williamsburg County's state constable representing the county in South Carolina's state government. In all of these elections local whites from South Carolina who had, by coincidence, not fought in the confederate military did run, however every single one of them lost. Every single man elected from Williamsburg County in this election was a member of the Republican Party. During this time, State Senator Stephen A. Swails also served as the mayor of Kingstree from 1868 until 1878. While mayor, Swails published and edited a newspaper called the ''Williamsburg Republican'', he also started a law firm. Swails became the most prominent member of the South Carolina senate, the president pro tempore, placing him in control of all bills that passed through the state legislature. Committed to universal education, he played a critical part in transforming The South Carolina College from a school for planter elite into the integrated

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

. On September 17, 2023, a

Marine Corps Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included raiding ashore (often in supp ...

F-35 stealth fighter jet crashed in rural Williamsburg County after the plane malfunctioned and the pilot ejected and parachuted to safety.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.31%) is water.

State and local protected areas

* Moore Farms Botanical Garden (part) * Wee Tee State Forest (part) * Wee Tee Wildlife Management Area

Major water bodies

* Black Mingo Swamp * Black River *

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 a ...

* Lake Swamp * Muddy Creek *

Santee River } The Santee River is a river in South Carolina in the United States, and is long. The Santee and its tributaries provide the principal drainage for the coastal areas of southeastern South Carolina and navigation for the central coastal plain of ...

* Singleton Swamp

Adjacent counties

* Florence County – north * Marion County – northeast * Georgetown County – east * Berkeley County – south * Clarendon County – west

Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Major infrastructure

* Kingstree Station * Williamsburg Regional Airport

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 31,026 people, 12,686 households, and 8,066 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 34,423 people, 13,007 households, and 8,854 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 15,359 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 65.8% black or African American, 31.8% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 1.0% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, and 4.6% 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, p ...

. Of the 13,007 households, 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.0% were married couples living together, 23.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.9% were non-families, and 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.13. The median age was 40.2 years. The median income for a household in the county was $24,191 and the median income for a family was $33,705. Males had a median income of $37,678 versus $22,303 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,513. About 26.5% of families and 32.9% 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 45.6% of those under age 18 and 27.5% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 37,217 people, 13,714 households, and 10,052 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 15,552 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 66.26%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

, 32.74%

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 ...

, 0.16% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 0.48% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population were

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. There were 13,714 households, out of which 34.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.30% were married couples living together, 22.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.70% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.22. In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.60% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 87.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $24,214, and the median income for a family was $30,379. Males had a median income of $26,680 versus $18,202 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 county was $12,794. About 23.70% of families and 27.90% of the population were below the

, including 36.10% of those under age 18 and 25.90% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Law enforcement

In 2015, Sheriff Michael Johnson was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and sentenced to 30 months imprisonment. Johnson, with a co-conspirator, filed false reports of identity theft in order to raise individuals'

credit score A credit score is a numerical expression based on a level analysis of a person's credit files, to represent the creditworthiness of an individual. A credit score is primarily based on a credit report, information typically sourced from credit bu ...

s, in exchange for up to a thousand dollars in payment. On March 12, 2025, Governor McMasters suspended Sheriff Stephen Renard Gardner after being indicted on multiple financial crimes by the State Attorney General's Office on charges including "criminal conspiracy, misconduct in office and money laundering (value $20,000 or greater but less than $100,000)".

Politics

Prior to 1948, Williamsburg County was a Democratic Party stronghold similar to the rest of the

Solid South The Solid South was the electoral voting bloc for the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the Southern United States between the end of the Reconstruction era in 1877 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the aftermath of the Co ...

, with Democratic presidential candidates receiving near-unanimous margins of victory in most years. The twenty years from 1948 to 1968 were a highly transitional time for the politics of South Carolina & Williamsburg County, largely in part due to the Democratic Party's increasing support for African-American civil rights & enfranchisement. Dixiecrats managed to carry the county twice, while Republicans managed to carry the county three times in this timespan, while increased black registration led to Democrat

Hubert Humphrey Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American politician who served from 1965 to 1969 as the 38th vice president of the United States. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Minnesota from 19 ...

winning the county in 1968. Since 1968, the majority African-American county has only backed a Republican once in

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

, when

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

won the county as he swept every county statewide in the midst of a 49-state national landslide.

Economy

In 2022, the

GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performance o ...

was $856 million (about $28,639 per capita), and the

real GDP Real gross domestic product (real GDP) is a macroeconomic measure of the value of economic output adjusted for price changes (i.e. inflation or deflation). This adjustment transforms the money-value measure, nominal GDP, into an index for quantit ...

was $703.7 million (about $23,541 per capita) in chained 2017 dollars. As of April 2024, some of the top employers of the county include

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a United States federal executive departments, federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of Law of the Unite ...

Food Lion Food Lion is an American regional supermarket Chain store, chain headquartered in Salisbury, North Carolina, that operates over 1,000 supermarkets in 10 states: Delaware, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsyl ...

Tupperware Tupperware is an American company that manufactures and internationally distributes preparation, storage, and serving containers for the kitchen and home. It was founded in 1942 by Earl Tupper, who developed his first bell-shaped container and ...

, and Williamsburg Technical College.

Communities

City

* Kingstree (county seat and largest community)

Towns

Andrews Andrews may refer to: Places Australia *Andrews, Queensland *Andrews, South Australia United States *Andrews, Florida (disambiguation), various places *Andrews, Indiana *Andrews, Nebraska *Andrews, North Carolina *Andrews, Oregon *Andrews, South ...

(mostly in Georgetown County) * Greeleyville *

Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized f ...

Lane In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in eac ...

* Stuckey

Unincorporated communities

* Cades * Gourdin *

Hebron Hebron (; , or ; , ) is a Palestinian city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Hebron is capital of the Hebron Governorate, the largest Governorates of Palestine, governorate in the West Bank. With a population of 201,063 in ...

* Indiantown * Nesmith * Outland * Rhems * Salters *

Trio Trio may refer to: Music Groups * Trio (music), an ensemble of three performers, or a composition for such an ensemble ** Jazz trio, pianist, double bassist, drummer ** Minuet and trio, a form in classical music ** String trio, a group of three ...

* Piney Forest

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1804 establishments in South Carolina Populated places established in 1804 Black Belt (U.S. region) Majority-minority counties in South Carolina