Join us as Joanna Angle, host of the SCETV magazine Palmetto Places, takes us on a tour of Allendale County. The original location of Allendale was named for its first postmaster Paul Allen in 1849. After the town's destruction during the Civil War, it was moved to its current location in 1873. It was well placed to prosper due to its location near the Port Royal Railroad. Allendale County was formed from part of southern Barnwell and part of northern Hampton County and while it is one of SC's youngest counties, the history of its land and earliest inhabitants takes it clear back to the Ice Age.
Bordered by the Salkehatchie River on the east and the Savannah on the west, its location gives it archaeological and anthropological importance. Archeological studies about prehistoric life have been ongoing along the Savannah River for years and Dr. Al Goodyear, Archeological Project Director, talks about the people who lived at various dig sites, shows remnants of primitive tools left in the area and talks about the layers of history that can be seen along the eroding riverbanks.
The tour takes us to two of the plantation houses that had been used as headquarters by the Union Forces and had escaped destruction during the Civil War, as well as a variety of standing historical buildings in the county, highlighting their stories and design.
When Highway I 95 came through, it routed commerce away and Allendale's economic prospects dwindled. Many of the storefronts in the downtown were abandoned and as a gift to the community, Carolina Commercial Bank restored the old corner pharmacy and dentist's office and use the rear of the building for their business. This video presents a bright glimpse into those times past.
Side Notes:
- Jasper Johns was born in Augusta, Georgia, on May 15, 1930, probably because its hospital was the closest one to Allendale, South Carolina, where his parents were living. His father, William Jasper Johns, was a farmer and former lawyer who divorced his mother, Jean Riley, by the time the artist was three years old. Johns spent his childhood with various family members in Allendale, Columbia, Batesburg, and Sumter, where he graduated from high school in 1947. He attended the University of South Carolina from September 1947 until December 1948, when he moved to New York. In May 1951 he was inducted into the United States Army and was stationed at Fort Jackson until he was sent to Japan during the Korean War. Upon his discharge he moved to Manhattan and resided there until the mid-1990s, with regular sojourns spent at Edisto Beach, South Carolina (1961–1966), Saint Martin, French West Indies (1969–), and Stony Point, Long Island (1974–1991). SC Encyclopedia
- Should you want to visit the many historic sites in Allendale County, here is a listing found at Welcome to Allendale
