Pendleton, South Carolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pendleton
Town
Top, left to right: Downtown Pendleton, Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, Farmers Hall
Flag Seal
Motto(s):  "History, Hospitality, Happenings...Home"
Pendleton, South Carolina Location in South Carolina
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
County	Anderson
Area
• Total	4.85 sq mi (12.57 km2)
• Land	4.83 sq mi (12.50 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2)
Elevation	850 ft (260 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,489
• Density	722.81/sq mi (279.05/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	29670
Area codes	864, 821
FIPS code	45-55645
GNIS feature ID	1225357

Pendleton is a town located in Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. In 2020, about 3,489 people lived there. Pendleton is a sister city to Stornoway in Scotland.

The Pendleton Historic District includes the town and its nearby areas. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Important old buildings in Pendleton's town square are Farmer's Hall and Hunter's Store. Hunter's Store is now the main office for the Pendleton District Historical, Recreational and Tourism Commission. Close to Pendleton, you can find historic plantation homes like Ashtabula and Woodburn.

Detail of window with hinged panels, Woodburn Plantation

A Look Back: Pendleton's History

For many centuries, the land where Pendleton now stands belonged to the Cherokee nation. The Cherokee people traded with the British after England claimed South Carolina as a colony.

After the Cherokee lost a war against the British in 1759–60, the British controlled trade in the area. They began to settle more of the land with large farms. Andrew Pickens, a general in the Revolutionary War, moved to the area. He helped create the District of Pendleton in 1790.

In the early 1800s, wealthy families built homes in Pendleton. These homes were used as summer vacation spots for plantation owners from the low-country. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney built Woodburn Plantation in 1830. Later, the Adger family, a rich family from Charleston, made the plantation much larger. They expanded it to over 1,000 acres and added more rooms to the house.

Historic Places to See

Several important places in and around Pendleton are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include:

• Ashtabula
• Boone-Douthit House
• Faith Cabin Library at Anderson County Training School
• Pendleton Historic District
• Woodburn

Where is Pendleton Located?

Pendleton is in the northwestern part of Anderson County. Its northwestern edge is on the border of Anderson County and Pickens County. It also borders the city of Clemson.

U.S. Route 76 goes through the southwest part of town. This road leads northwest to Clemson. It also goes southeast about 14 miles to Anderson, which is the county seat. Greenville is about 30 miles northeast by U.S. Route 123.

The town covers a total area of about 9.9 square kilometers (3.8 square miles). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Who Lives in Pendleton?

Pendleton's Population in 2020

In 2020, the town of Pendleton had 3,489 people living there. There were 1,504 households and 677 families. The population included people from various backgrounds. About 66.58% of the people were White (non-Hispanic). About 20.44% were Black or African American (non-Hispanic). Other groups included Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, and people of mixed races. About 3.78% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Learning in Pendleton: Schools and Library

Pendleton has several schools for students of different ages. These include Pendleton Elementary, Mount Lebanon Elementary, and LaFrance Elementary. For middle school, students attend Riverside Middle School. Older students go to Pendleton High School.

Tri-County Technical College is also located in the town. This college offers many different programs for higher education.

Pendleton also has a public library. It is a part of the Anderson County Library System. This means students and residents can borrow books and use other resources.

Pendleton has four public schools. On average, schools in Pendleton spend about $11,812 per student. There are about 16 students for every teacher. There is one librarian for every 488 students. Also, there is one counselor for every 366 children.

Famous People from Pendleton

Many interesting people have connections to Pendleton. Here are a few:

• Stephen Adams (1807–1857): Born in the Pendleton District, he became a United States congressman and senator.
• Joe Ellis Brown (1933–2018): He was an American schoolteacher and politician.
• Floride Calhoun: She was the wife of U.S. Senator and Vice President John C. Calhoun. She lived in a house known as "Mi Casa" in Pendleton.
• Warren R. Davis (1793 – 1835): Born in Columbia, South Carolina, he practiced law in Pendleton. He was elected to the United States Congress multiple times.
• Barnard Elliott Bee, Jr. (1824–1861): Born in Charleston, SC, he was a Brigadier General. He gave General Thomas Jonathan Jackson the famous nickname "Stonewall."
• Juanita Goggins: She was the first African-American woman elected to the South Carolina legislature.
• Jane Edna Hunter: An African-American social worker. In 1911, she started the Working Girls Association in Cleveland, Ohio. This group later became the Phillis Wheatley Association of Cleveland.
• Bryce McGowens: He is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA.
• Samuel Augustus Maverick: This Texas rancher and politician was born in Pendleton. The word "maverick," meaning an independent person, came from him.
• Thomas Jefferson Rusk: An early political and military leader of the Republic of Texas. He was its first Secretary of War and a general at the Battle of San Jacinto.
• John Allen Wakefield: A political and military leader and historian. He took part in the Black Hawk War and Bleeding Kansas.
• Margaret Sellers Walker (1935–2020): A Michigan state official who was born in Pendleton.

See also

In Spanish: Pendleton (Carolina del Sur) para niños