Kershaw County, South Carolina

Not to be confused with Kershaw, South Carolina.

Kershaw County
County
Old Kershaw County Courthouse in Camden
Seal Logo
Location within the U.S. state of South Carolina
South Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 34°20′N80°35′W / 34.34°N 80.59°W / 34.34; -80.59
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
Founded	1791
Named for	Joseph Brevard Kershaw
Seat	Camden
Largest community	Camden
Area
• Total	740.26 sq mi (1,917.3 km2)
• Land	726.61 sq mi (1,881.9 km2)
• Water	13.65 sq mi (35.4 km2)  1.84%
Population  (2020)
• Total	65,403
• Estimate  (2023)	69,905
• Density	90.01/sq mi (34.75/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	5th
Website	www.kershaw.sc.gov

Kershaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 65,403. ^[1] The county seat and largest community is Camden. ^[2] The county was created in 1791 from parts of Claremont, Lancaster, Fairfield, and Richland counties. ^[3] It is named for Col. Joseph Kershaw (1727–1791), an early settler and American Revolutionary War patriot.

Kershaw County is part of the Columbia, SC 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 South Carolina. 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 and Wales Protestants who were not from the established Anglican 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, Trap, Carmarthenshire, Llanbedr, Crickhowell, Vale of Grwyney, Abertillery, Griffithstown and Brecon 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, Boston, Lincolnshire, Coningsby, Grantham, as well as Christchurch, Dorset and Lymington. ^{[4] [5]} From about 1800 until about 1867, the county was known as Kershaw District. ^[6]

During the American Revolutionary War, the British occupied Camden from June 1780 to May 1781. Fourteen battles took place in the area, including the Battle of Camden in 1780 and the Battle of Hobkirk's Hill in 1781.

After the state seceded from the Union, six men from Kershaw served in the American Civil War as Confederate generals: James Cantey (1818–1873), James Chesnut (1815–1885), John Doby Kennedy (1840–1896), Joseph Brevard Kershaw (1822–1894), and John Bordenave Villepigue (1830–1862), Zachariah C. Deas (1819–1882). Richard Rowland Kirkland, a Confederate soldier, was also from Kershaw County. He served under General Kershaw. In the last months of the war, Union troops under Gen. William T. Sherman 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, 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. He served in the state senate as a Republican from Kershaw County, from 1870 to 1874. ^[7] (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 to hold a statewide office in the United States.

During World War I, two Kershaw County men were awarded the Medal of Honor in two separate actions while fighting in France 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 (1870–1965), labor leader Lane Kirkland, and baseball player Larry Doby, the first African-American player in the American League, were each born in Kershaw County. Former South Carolina Governor John C. West was also from Kershaw County. ^[8]

Geography

Interactive map of Kershaw County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 740.26 square miles (1,917.3 km²), of which 726.61 square miles (1,881.9 km²) is land and 13.65 square miles (35.4 km²) (1.84%) is water. ^[9] Kershaw County is one of three counties that compromises Lake Wateree, in which the lake is compromised with the Wateree River, 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. ^[10]

National protected areas

• Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site
• Camden Battlefield, site of the Battle of Camden
• Boykin Mill Complex
• Kendall Mill Historic District

State and local protected areas

• Camden Battlefield and Longleaf Pine Preserve
• Goodale State Park
• Liberty Hill Wildlife Management Area ^[11]
• Powderkegg Wildlife Preserve
• Savage Bay Heritage Park ^[11]

Major water bodies

• Beaver Creek
• Black Creek
• Catawba River
• Lake Wateree
• Lynches River
• Raglins Creek
• Wateree River

Adjacent counties

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

Major highways

• I-20
• US 1
• 
  US 1 Truck (Camden)
• 
  US 1 Truck (Cheraw)
• US 521
• 
  US 521 Bus.
• 
  US 521 Conn.
• 
  US 521 Truck (Camden 1)
• 
  US 521 Truck (Camden 2)
• 
  US 521 Truck (Kershaw)
• US 601
• 
  US 601 Bus.
• 
  US 601 Truck
• SC 12
• SC 34
• 
  SC 34 Truck
• SC 97
• SC 261
• SC 522
• SC 903

Major infrastructure

• Camden Station
• Woodward Field (Kershaw County Airport)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1800	7,340		—
1810	9,867		34.4%
1820	12,432		26.0%
1830	13,545		9.0%
1840	12,281		−9.3%
1850	14,473		17.8%
1860	13,086		−9.6%
1870	11,754		−10.2%
1880	21,538		83.2%
1890	22,361		3.8%
1900	24,696		10.4%
1910	27,094		9.7%
1920	29,398		8.5%
1930	32,070		9.1%
1940	32,913		2.6%
1950	32,287		−1.9%
1960	33,585		4.0%
1970	34,727		3.4%
1980	39,015		12.3%
1990	43,599		11.7%
2000	52,647		20.8%
2010	61,697		17.2%
2020	65,403		6.0%
2023 (est.)	69,905	[1]	6.9%
U.S. Decennial Census [12] 1790–1960 [13] 1900–1990 [14] 1990–2000 [15] 2010 [16] 2020 [1]

2020 census

Kershaw County racial composition ^[17]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	43,391	66.34%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	15,083	23.06%
Native American	146	0.22%
Asian	417	0.64%
Pacific Islander	29	0.04%
Other/Mixed	2,871	4.39%
Hispanic or Latino	3,466	5.3%

As of the 2020 census, there were 65,403 people, 24,544 households, and 16,019 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 61,697 people, 23,928 households, and 17,114 families living in the county. ^{[18] [16]} The population density was 84.9 inhabitants per square mile (32.8 inhabitants/km²). There were 27,478 housing units at an average density of 37.8 units per square mile (14.6 units/km²). ^[19] 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. ^[18] In terms of ancestry, 28.1% were American, 7.8% were English, 7.7% were Irish, and 6.3% were German. ^[20]

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. ^[18]

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, including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over. ^[21]

2000 census

At the 2000 census, ^[22] there were 52,647 people, 20,188 households, and 14,918 families living in the county. The population density was 72 people per square mile (28 people/km²). There were 22,683 housing units at an average density of 31 units per square mile (12 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 71.61% White, 26.29% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 1.68% of the population were Hispanic 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 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 for the county was $18,360. About 9.70% of families and 12.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.90% of those under age 18 and 14.10% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

United States presidential election results for Kershaw County, South Carolina ^[23]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	20,471	60.87%	12,699	37.76%	459	1.36%
2016	17,542	60.50%	10,330	35.63%	1,123	3.87%
2012	16,324	58.41%	11,259	40.29%	363	1.30%
2008	16,466	58.84%	11,226	40.11%	293	1.05%
2004	14,160	61.79%	8,515	37.16%	240	1.05%
2000	11,911	60.53%	7,428	37.75%	338	1.72%
1996	8,513	52.05%	6,764	41.36%	1,077	6.59%
1992	8,499	49.12%	6,585	38.06%	2,217	12.81%
1988	8,877	65.89%	4,494	33.36%	102	0.76%
1984	8,822	66.70%	4,323	32.69%	81	0.61%
1980	6,652	55.55%	5,103	42.62%	219	1.83%
1976	6,126	49.40%	6,211	50.08%	65	0.52%
1972	8,035	74.79%	2,531	23.56%	178	1.66%
1968	4,079	38.56%	2,539	24.00%	3,960	37.44%
1964	5,617	63.94%	3,168	36.06%	0	0.00%
1960	3,465	52.16%	3,178	47.84%	0	0.00%
1956	1,518	28.17%	1,875	34.79%	1,996	37.04%
1952	2,935	58.85%	2,052	41.15%	0	0.00%
1948	49	2.49%	302	15.36%	1,615	82.15%
1944	21	1.07%	1,872	94.98%	78	3.96%
1940	20	1.68%	1,174	98.32%	0	0.00%
1936	20	1.41%	1,400	98.59%	0	0.00%
1932	8	0.76%	1,051	99.24%	0	0.00%
1928	14	1.09%	1,274	98.91%	0	0.00%
1924	1	0.14%	733	99.86%	0	0.00%
1920	42	3.51%	1,156	96.49%	0	0.00%
1916	14	1.39%	989	97.92%	7	0.69%
1912	7	0.95%	708	95.68%	25	3.38%
1904	25	2.86%	850	97.14%	0	0.00%
1900	43	4.51%	910	95.49%	0	0.00%

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

High schools

• Camden High School
• Lugoff-Elgin High School
• North Central High School
• 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 community)

Towns

• Bethune
• Elgin

Census-designated places

• Abney Crossroads
• Boykin
• East Camden
• Lugoff

Other unincorporated communities

• Antioch
• Buffalo
• Cassatt
• DeKalb
• Liberty Hill
• Mt. Pisgah
• Westville

Gallery

• 
  Original Kershaw County Courthouse in 1978
• 
  Joseph Brevard Kershaw

See also

• List of counties in South Carolina
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Kershaw County, South Carolina

References

1. "QuickFacts: Kershaw County, South Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "South Carolina: Individual County Chronologies". South Carolina Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2009. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
4. William Screven: A Journey from English Separatism to the Founding of the First Baptist Church Charleston, South Carolina by Charles B. Aiken
5. The Frontier in the Colonial South: South Carolina Backcountry, 1736-1800 by George Lloyd Johnson - pg. 9, 16-19, 53, 141, 145, 165, 169
6. Map of Kershaw District, South Carolina. Authored by Robert Mills (1781–1855) and J. Boykin. Published 1825. Library of Congress, accessed March 2020.
7. Dixon, Nenie; Elias B. Bull (February 21, 1975). "Bethel Methodist Church (Old Bethel United Methodist Church)" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
8. South Carolina State Library Reference Room
9. "2020 County Gazetteer Files – South Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
10. "Recent Earthquakes". SCDNR Geological Survey. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
11. "SCDNR Public Lands". www2.dnr.sc.gov. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
12. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
13. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
14. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
15. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
16. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
17. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
18. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
19. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
20. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
21. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
22. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
23. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 13, 2018.

External links

• Geographic data related to Kershaw County, South Carolina at OpenStreetMap
• Official website
• Kershaw Chamber of Commerce
• Kershaw County history and images