Bennettsville, South Carolina Facts for Kids

Bennettsville is a city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is located on the Great Pee Dee River. Bennettsville is the main town, or county seat, of Marlboro County.

The city is well-known for its old homes and buildings. Many of these date back to the 1800s and early 1900s. The Bennettsville Historic District is a special area with many of these historic places. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's important to American history.

In 2020, about 7,020 people lived in Bennettsville.

Geography of Bennettsville
History of Bennettsville
Historic Places to See
Community Facilities
- Marian Wright Edelman Public Library
Economy and Jobs
Population Information
- Bennettsville's Population in 2020
Education in Bennettsville
Famous People from Bennettsville
Images for kids
See also

Geography of Bennettsville

Bennettsville covers about 6.2 square miles (16 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, but about 0.6 square miles (1.6 square kilometers) is water. This water area makes up about 10% of the city's total size.

History of Bennettsville

How Bennettsville Began

Bennettsville was started in 1819. It was built along the Great Pee Dee River. The city was named after Thomas Bennett, Jr., who was the governor of South Carolina at that time.

The area became important for growing a type of cotton called short-staple cotton. This crop needed a lot of workers. Many people were brought to the area from other places to work on these cotton farms. The invention of the cotton gin made it very profitable to grow this type of cotton. This led to many large cotton farms, called plantations, being built across the southern United states.

The Courthouse and City Layout

In the same year Bennettsville was founded, the state government decided to move the county courthouse. They chose a spot on a hill above Crooked Creek. This new location was more central for everyone in the county.

The first courthouse was designed by a famous South Carolina architect named Robert Mills. Streets were planned to spread out from the courthouse square, which was one of the biggest in the state. The original Mills building was later replaced in 1852.

Bennettsville During the Civil War

During the American Civil War, in 1865, soldiers from the Union Army came to Bennettsville. General William T. Sherman used the Jennings-Brown House and the first County Courthouse as his headquarters. Luckily, the new courthouse was not burned down. Bennettsville is one of the few county seats that still has records from as far back as 1785. These old records are very helpful for people doing family history research.

Changes to the Courthouse

In 1884, another courthouse was built in a style called Second Empire. This building was made bigger between 1952 and 1954. The 1884 part is now the middle section of the courthouse you see today. New parts, like two-story brick wings and the clock tower, were added. These additions were designed by a local architect named Henry D. Harrall.

Growth and "King Cotton"

In 1885, a man named Duncan Donald McColl helped Bennettsville grow a lot. He funded the first railroad, bank, and textile mills in the city. This helped the local economy by connecting Bennettsville to other markets and creating new industries. The city became very busy during this time, known as the "king cotton" era. It was one of the richest farming areas in South Carolina. Later, the state recognized Bennettsville as one of its first "G.R.E.A.T. Towns" (Governor's Rural Economic Achievement Trophy).

Historic Places to See

Bennettsville has several buildings and areas that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include:

Appin
The Bennettsville Historic District
Jennings-Brown House
Magnolia
Robertson-Easterling-McLaurin House
The nearby Welsh Neck-Long Bluff-Society Hill Historic District

The Bennettsville Historic District was added to the National Register in 1978. It includes many important buildings. Some of these are the Jennings-Brown House (built in 1826), the Female Academy (1830), the Medical Museum (1902), and the Murchison School (1902). There are also many homes built in the Queen Anne and Beaux Arts styles.

Community Facilities

Marian Wright Edelman Public Library

In the 21st century, a new library was built in Marlboro County. It is named the Marian Wright Edelman Public Library. Marian Wright Edelman was born and grew up in Bennettsville. She is a famous activist who started the Children's Defense Fund. This organization helps children and mothers.

The library opened on February 22, 2010. It is located on 4.4 acres (1.8 hectares) of land. The building is new and has one story, covering about 20,000 square feet (1,858 square meters). It has a front tower that lines up with the Murchison Building nearby. The library cost $1.325 million, with money from the federal government. It holds 60,000 books and has two rooms for meetings.

Economy and Jobs

Marlboro County is still mostly a rural area. This means there are not as many job opportunities as in bigger cities. Bennettsville acts as a central place for shopping and trading for the county.

The Federal Correctional Institution, Bennettsville is a large prison located outside the city. It is a medium-security prison for men. It also has a smaller, minimum-security camp. Together, these facilities can hold many prisoners.

Population Information

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	343	—
1890	978	185.1%
1900	1,929	97.2%
1910	2,646	37.2%
1920	3,197	20.8%
1930	3,667	14.7%
1940	4,895	33.5%
1950	5,140	5.0%
1960	6,963	35.5%
1970	7,468	7.3%
1980	8,774	17.5%
1990	9,345	6.5%
2000	9,425	0.9%
2010	9,069	−3.8%
2020	7,020	−22.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

Bennettsville's Population in 2020

In the 2020 United States census, there were 7,020 people living in Bennettsville. These people lived in 2,850 households, which are groups of people living together. There were also 1,684 families.

The population of Bennettsville is diverse. Here's a look at the different groups:

Bennettsville racial composition
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	2,089	29.76%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	4,529	64.52%
Native American	46	0.66%
Asian	56	0.8%
Pacific Islander	3	0.04%
Other/Mixed	205	2.92%
Hispanic or Latino	92	1.31%

Education in Bennettsville

Bennettsville has a lending library for everyone to use. It is called the Marian Wright Edelman Public Library.

Famous People from Bennettsville

Many interesting people have come from Bennettsville:

Thomas Carey (baritone) – An American opera singer.
Aziz Ansari – A well-known comedian and actor.
Marian Wright Edelman – She founded the Children's Defense Fund, an organization that helps children.
Scott Howell – An American political consultant.
Hugh McColl – The retired CEO of Bank of America.
Cozell McQueen – A starting center on the 1983 NC State NCAA Championship basketball team.
Jim Odom – A baseball umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Claudius E. Watts III – A lieutenant general in the U.S. Air Force.
Mike Wright – A pitcher for the Seattle Mariners baseball team.
Chancellor Williams – A historian, writer, and educator.

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Bennettsville, South Carolina facts for kids

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