New Zion, South Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
New Zion, South Carolina
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
 New Zion, South Carolina
Location in South Carolina
New Zion, South Carolina
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | South Carolina |
| County | Clarendon |
| Elevation | 102 ft (31 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
29111
|
| Area code(s) | 803, 839 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1225029 |
New Zion is a small community in Clarendon County, South Carolina, United States. It is not an official town but a close-knit area. The community is located near Puddin Swamp. New Zion has its own post office with ZIP code 29111. This post office first opened a very long time ago, on March 25, 1852.
Contents
Education in New Zion
New Zion has an interesting history when it comes to schools. Today, the community has one public school. This school is called Walker-Gamble Elementary School. It is part of the Clarendon County School District Four.
Past Schools in New Zion
In the past, New Zion had three different schools. Two of these were public high schools. There was also one private school.
Salem High School
Salem High School was a public school that opened in 1929. It served students until 1949. At that time, it joined with another high school from Gable, South Carolina. Together, they formed a new school called Black River High School. Most students from Salem High School moved to this new school.
Walker-Gamble High School
Walker-Gamble High School started in 1953. Before this, many local churches ran small schoolhouses. Ten of these church schools joined together to create Walker-Gamble High School. This school operated until 1970. In 1970, schools in the area began to integrate. This happened after an important court decision called Brown v. Board of Education. Walker-Gamble High School then joined with East Clarendon High School.
Salem Schools, Incorporated
In the summer of 1970, a private school was created. It was called Salem Schools, Incorporated. People in the area sometimes called it "Salem Academy." This school was started by local leaders and farmers. They created it in response to the changes happening in public schools. The school's mascot was the eagle. Many of its first students came from Turbeville, South Carolina's East Clarendon High School.
Salem Schools, Incorporated operated until the end of the 1985-1986 school year. It closed because it cost too much to keep running. Also, not enough students were enrolling. A few years later, the school building was taken down. A new store was built in its place using bricks from the old school. This school had many sports teams. Students could play baseball, basketball, football, softball, and volleyball.
Churches in New Zion
New Zion is home to several Christian churches. These churches are part of different Protestant groups. There are six churches within the community:
- Howard Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church
- Lodabar African Methodist Episcopal Church
- McKenzie Tabernacle Pentecostal Holiness Church
- Midway Presbyterian Church
- New Zion United Methodist Church
- Union Crossroads Baptist Church
Community Impact and Safety
New Zion was mentioned in the news in 2019. This was because of an event that led to important discussions about safety. A student from the University of South Carolina was found in the area. This sad event brought attention to the importance of being safe when using rideshare services.
This incident led to the creation of a new safety rule. It is called Sami's Law. This law was created in the student's home state of New Jersey. Sami's Law helps make rideshare services safer for everyone. It reminds people to always check that their rideshare car and driver are correct before getting in.
Notable People
- Marie Deans (1940-2011) - She was an activist who worked to change laws about the death penalty.
