Coosawhatchie, South Carolina | |
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Coordinates: 32°35′20″N80°55′38″W / 32.58889°N 80.92722°W | |
State | South Carolina |
County | Jasper |
Area | |
• Total | 0.60 sq mi (1.55 km2) |
• Land | 0.59 sq mi (1.52 km2) |
• Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
Elevation | 10.01 ft (3.05 m) |
Population | |
• Total | 57 |
• Density | 97.10/sq mi (37.47/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
ZIP Code | 29912 |
Area code | 843 |
FIPS code | 45-16675 |
Coosawhatchie (koo-saw-HATCH-ee) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in Jasper County, South Carolina, United States at the northern head of the Broad River. It served as the headquarters for General Robert E. Lee during the early part of the American Civil War. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 57. [3] It is accessible from Interstate 95 via Exit 28.
The area derives its name from its original inhabitants, the Coosaw band of Native Americans and their word for river, hatchie. [4] A sub-group of the Muskogees, they spoke a mixture of the Muskogee and Koasati languages. Located on the King's Highway that stretched from Boston to Charleston, Coosawhatchie was settled by trappers in the 1740s. The town grew around a store owned by rice planter brothers, Henry and Daniel DeSaussure. [5] During the American Revolutionary War, much of the town was burned by British forces in 1779. It became the seat of Beaufort District in 1788.
In 1810, the local court of equity was relocated to Coosawhatchie. Seven years later a new courthouse was constructed in town. Designed by British architect William Jay, the two story structure remained in use until 1840, when the county seat was moved to nearby Gillisonville. After 1840 Coosawhatchie declined somewhat due to the perception that its marshy terrain was unhealthy. [6]
During the Civil War, it was the site of several small battles. Robert E. Lee made his headquarters in Coosawhatchie when he was fortifying the coastal defenses of South Carolina and Georgia during late 1861 and early 1862. [7] To protect the railroad bridge in Coosawhatchie against Federal gunboats coming up the Broad River, Lee's troops dug massive earthworks along its banks. Lee bought and named his famous horse Traveller in Coosawhatchie. [8]
In 1912, Coosawhatchie became part of newly created Jasper County. [6]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 57 | — | |
U.S. Decennial Census [9] 2020 [10] [2] |
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2020 [10] | % 2020 |
---|---|---|
White alone (NH) | 6 | 10.53% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 40 | 70.18% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
Asian alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
Other race alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 5 | 8.77% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6 | 10.53% |
Total | 57 | 100.00% |
The CSX Railway's Charleston Subdivision (also known as the Charleston-Savannah Railway) currently operates both freight trains and passenger trains (via Amtrak) along the lines, but do not stop at Coosawhatchie. The line runs west of Nuna Rock Road, having run parallel to it as far south as Ridgeland, then has one grade crossing with Morgandollar Road (SC 462) until crossing a bridge over the Coosawhatchie River and running through the swampland surrounding that river.
Jasper County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,791. Its county seat is Ridgeland and its largest community is Hardeeville. The county was formed in 1912 from portions of Hampton County and Beaufort County.
Hampton County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,561. Its county seat is Hampton. It was named for Confederate Civil War general Wade Hampton, who in the late 1870s, with the ending of Reconstruction, was elected as governor of South Carolina.
Effingham County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 64,769. The seat is Springfield.
Hardeeville is a city in Jasper and Beaufort counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 7,473 as of the 2020 census, an increase of over 150% since 2010. Hardeeville is included within the Hilton Head Island–Bluffton metropolitan area.
Ridgeland is a town in Jasper and Beaufort counties, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,749 at the 2020 census, a 7.1% decrease from 2010. It has been the county seat of Jasper County since the county's formation in 1912. As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Ridgeland is included within the Hilton Head Island–Bluffton metropolitan area.
U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 (US 17), also known as the Coastal Highway, is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that spans in the Southeastern United States. It runs close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its length, with the exception of the portion between Punta Gorda and Jacksonville, Florida, and the portion from Fredericksburg to Winchester, Virginia, both of which follow a more inland route. Major metropolitan areas served along US 17's route include the Punta Gorda, Greater Orlando, and Jacksonville metropolitan areas in Florida, the Brunswick and Savannah metropolitan areas in Georgia, the Charleston and Myrtle Beach metropolitan areas in South Carolina, the Cape Fear and New Bern metropolitan areas in North Carolina, and the Hampton Roads and Winchester metropolitan areas in Virginia.
Interstate 95 (I-95) is a major Interstate Highway, running along the East Coast of the United States from Florida to Maine. In South Carolina, I-95 runs approximately parallel to the Atlantic Ocean shore although about 50 miles (80 km) inland, from Hardeeville in the south to Dillon in the northeast. The route runs through the cities of Florence and Walterboro.
The Broad River is a tidal channel in Beaufort and Jasper counties, South Carolina. The channel flows between the mainland on the west and Port Royal and Parris islands on the east. The Coosawhatchie River flows into the Broad River at the head. It joins Coosaw River channel Northeast and continues Southeast to the Atlantic Ocean as Port Royal Sound.
U.S. Route 278 (US 278) is a 146.130-mile (235.173 km) east–west United States highway that traverses through the South Carolina Lowcountry, from North Augusta to Hilton Head Island.
Switzerland is an unincorporated community in Jasper County, South Carolina, United States. The community is part of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. The community's name comes from Swiss natives who originally came to South Carolina and had settled in the nearby Purrysburg settlement on the banks of the Savannah River, near present-day Hardeeville. Due to competition from Savannah and health issues, many of the settlers moved further inland and created the hamlet. In the past century, the population of the hamlet has dwindled in comparison to growth in Ridgeland and Hardeeville.
South Carolina Highway 170 (SC 170) is a 49.010-mile (78.874 km) state highway, connecting northern Beaufort County with southern portions of Beaufort and Jasper counties. Due to increased population growth in both areas, the majority of the road is four lanes wide, with certain areas retaining the original two-lane configuration.
U.S. Highway 17 (US 17) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs north–south from Punta Gorda, Florida to Winchester, Virginia. In South Carolina, it is a 221-mile (356 km) major highway that travels near the Atlantic Ocean. Beginning from the Georgia state line at the Savannah River, US 17 enters South Carolina in Jasper County, where it intersects with Interstate 95 (I-95). The route goes through Hardeeville. It merges with I-95 until Point South, then heads east into Beaufort County, through the ACE Basin, and eventually reaches Charleston. There, US 17 crosses the Ashley and Cooper rivers, crossing the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge and becoming a major route through Mount Pleasant. Continuing through the Francis Marion National Forest, it reaches Georgetown. Then it follows the Grand Strand, bypassing Myrtle Beach before entering North Carolina near Calabash.
The Second Battle of Pocotaligo, or Battle of Pocotaligo Bridge, or Battle of Yemassee, often referred to as simply the Battle of Pocotaligo, took place during the American Civil War on October 22, 1862 near Yemassee, South Carolina.
The Hilton Head Island metropolitan area, officially the Hilton Head Island–Bluffton–Port Royal, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is a metropolitan statistical area consisting of the two southernmost counties in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina, centered on the resort town of Hilton Head Island. As of the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 215,908. Prior to March 2013, the region was considered a micropolitan statistical area.
Dale, South Carolina, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in northern Beaufort County in the southern corner of the state of South Carolina, U.S.A. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 633.
South Carolina Highway 462 (SC 462) is a 35.920-mile (57.808 km) primary state highway in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It serves as a circuitous routing through northern and eastern Jasper County.
South Carolina Highway 336 (SC 336) is a 13.590-mile (21.871 km) primary state highway in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It serves to connect Ridgeland with nearby U.S. Route 321 (US 321) and SC 462.
Gillisonville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jasper County, in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 183.
Keowee Key is a lakeside community and census-designated place (CDP) in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. It is considered part of the Salem community. It was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census with a population of 2,716.