Welcome to Blackville Area Historical Society

Blackville Area Historical Society
PO Box 277, Blackville, SC 29817

Historic Town Tours
Guided tours of Blackville and the surrounding area can be arranged by contacting: Joan McDonald
Email joanemcd60@bellsouth.net, phone 803-284-3267.

We are dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of Blackville, South Carolina.  Join us in exploring the stories and events that have shaped our community. We are preserving the Heritage of Blackville for Future Generations.

Our Exhibits and Archives include information from graduating classes of the schools of the area, especially school yearbooks.  We are asking for yearbooks or information for years not already on file.  Also included are photographs of the town and farms from days gone by as well as family genealogy. We are accepting information and photographs from any family that has lived in or near Blackville over the years since the founding of the town in 1837.

Blackville was in the part of South Carolina called the "Back Country."  Due to a plentiful supply of water for drinking and transportation, settlers came to the area prior to the Revolutionary War.  The battle of Slaughter Field was fought north of Blackville near the Mennonite church.

When the railroad was built between Charleston and Hamburg, John Black chose this area as an overnight stop for the train.  Several hotels sprang up, as did a bustling railroad town.  Blackville was established in 1833 and chartered in 1837.

Blackville became a marketing and transportation center and thrived until the Civil War.  By February of 1865, sixty thousand Union troops had passed through the town.  General Sherman met with his generals here, burned much of the town, looted, demolished the railroad, and continued on his march.

After the Civil War most of the former slaves remained in the area and began a system of farming known as "sharecropping."  The agricultural industry continued to thrive and Blackville was at one time called the "cucumber capital of the world."

Blackville survived General Sherman as well as burnings in 1887 and 1888.  Homes and buildings from that era still stand.