Branchville, South Carolina

Branchville, South Carolina
Town
Depot during Raylrode Daze 2007
Location in Orangeburg County, South Carolina
Coordinates: 33°15′7″N80°49′4″W / 33.25194°N 80.81778°W / 33.25194; -80.81778
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
County	Orangeburg
Government
Area [1]
• Total	3.17 sq mi (8.20 km2)
• Land	3.17 sq mi (8.20 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	125 ft (38 m)
Population  (2020) [3]
• Total	998
• Density	315.12/sq mi (121.66/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	29432
Area code(s)	803, 839
FIPS code	45-08245 [4]
GNIS feature ID	1220931 [2]
Website	branchville.sc.gov

Branchville is a town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,024 at the 2010 census.

History

The community was so named because a railroad branch began at the town site. ^[5]

Branchville, located on the southern tip of Orangeburg County, is home to the world's oldest railroad junction. The junction was built in 1828 and ran from Charleston to Branchville and was on the route of the country's first scheduled train. For more than a century, Branchville's economy was based on railroad passenger service. ^[6]

The Southern Railway Passenger Depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. ^[7]

Geography

Branchville is located at 33°15′7″N80°49′4″W / 33.25194°N 80.81778°W / 33.25194; -80.81778 (33.252055, -80.817778). ^[8]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.5 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1870	366		—
1880	517		41.3%
1890	732		41.6%
1900	1,101		50.4%
1910	1,471		33.6%
1920	1,814		23.3%
1930	1,689		−6.9%
1940	1,351		−20.0%
1950	1,353		0.1%
1960	1,182		−12.6%
1970	1,011		−14.5%
1980	1,769		75.0%
1990	1,107		−37.4%
2000	1,083		−2.2%
2010	1,024		−5.4%
2020	998		−2.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [3]

2020 census

Branchville racial composition ^[9]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	532	53.31%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	416	41.68%
Native American	8	0.8%
Asian	7	0.7%
Other/Mixed	28	2.81%
Hispanic or Latino	7	0.7%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 998 people, 450 households, and 263 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the census ^[4] of 2000, there were 1,083 people, 446 households, and 276 families residing in the town. The population density was 331.2 inhabitants per square mile (127.9/km²). There were 508 housing units at an average density of 155.3 per square mile (60.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 54.48% White, 43.12% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 1.11% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.39% of the population.

There were 446 households, out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $22,429, and the median income for a family was $34,625. Males had a median income of $26,607 versus $20,917 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,509. About 17.5% of families and 20.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.8% of those under age 18 and 18.6% of those age 65 or over.

See also

• Branchville and Bowman Railroad

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Branchville, South Carolina
3. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
4. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. Federal Writers' Project (1941). Palmetto Place Names. Sloane Printing Co. p. 28.
6. "Branchville Railroad Shrine and Museum". discoversouthcarolina.com. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
7. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
8. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
9. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 14, 2021.

External links

• Town Website
• History of Branchville
• Info on Branchville ^{[ permanent dead link ]}
• Raylrode Daze Festivul Homepage
• Webpage on Town of Branchville from Orangeburg County