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Piedmont, South Carolina facts for kids

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Piedmont
Top, left to right: Ruins of the Piedmont Number One overlooking the Saluda River, Main Street, Railroad, Piedmont Highway
Top, left to right: Ruins of the Piedmont Number One overlooking the Saluda River, Main Street, Railroad, Piedmont Highway
Location of Piedmont, South Carolina
Location of Piedmont, South Carolina
Country United States
State South Carolina
Counties Anderson, Greenville
Area
 • Total 8.78 sq mi (22.73 km2)
 • Land 8.60 sq mi (22.26 km2)
 • Water 0.18 sq mi (0.46 km2)
Elevation
791 ft (241 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 5,411
 • Density 629.48/sq mi (243.04/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
29673
Area codes 864, 821
FIPS code 45-56365
GNIS feature ID 1225406

Piedmont is a special kind of community called a census-designated place (CDP). It is located along the Saluda River in Anderson and Greenville counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2020, about 5,411 people lived there.

Piedmont is also part of the larger Greenville-Anderson metropolitan area. This means it's connected to the bigger cities nearby.

History of Piedmont

PiedmontSC1890
Downtown Piedmont around 1890

Long ago, Native Americans and early settlers called this area "Big Shoals of the Saluda." This name came from the Saluda River which had many rocky, shallow parts. Native Americans used these shallow areas to cross the river.

Around 1850, a man named David Garrison built a grist mill here. A grist mill is a place where grain is ground into flour. Because of this mill, the area was then called Garrison Shoals.

Later, Henry Pinckney Hammett bought this land. He wanted to build a cotton mill that would use the river's strong water power. The name of the area changed again to Piedmont. This name means "foot of the mountains" and it soon became a town centered around the mill.

The American Civil War (1861-1865) paused Hammett's plans. But by 1876, his mill was finally working. The company was called Piedmont Manufacturing Company. A railroad station was also built, making it easier to transport goods. From the 1880s to the 1920s, the mill even used water power from the Saluda River to make its own electricity!

In 1946, the mills were sold to J.P. Stevens and Company. They updated the factory with newer machines. Manufacturing continued until 1977. Sadly, in 1983, most of the Piedmont Manufacturing Company buildings burned down.

Geography and Location

Piedmont is found in the northern part of Anderson County and the southwestern part of Greenville County. It is about 12 miles (19 km) south of the center of Greenville.

You can reach Piedmont from Interstate 85 at Exit 35. This exit is about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the town's center. South Carolina state road 86 also goes through Piedmont and connects to Interstate 85.

The area of Piedmont is about 8.78 square miles (22.7 square kilometers). Most of this is land, but about 0.18 square miles (0.4 square kilometers) is water. The Saluda River flows south through the middle of the town, passing over a dam.

Population and People

Historical population
Census Pop.
2000 4,684
2010 5,103 8.9%
2020 5,411 6.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

Piedmont's Population in 2020

In the 2020 United States census, there were 5,411 people living in Piedmont. There were 1,787 households and 1,476 families.

The table below shows the different groups of people living in Piedmont in 2020:

Piedmont racial composition
Race Number of People Percentage
White (not Hispanic) 4,321 79.86%
Black or African American (not Hispanic) 508 9.39%
Native American 10 0.18%
Asian 16 0.3%
Other/Mixed 287 5.3%
Hispanic or Latino 269 4.97%

Education in Piedmont

Students in Piedmont attend different school districts depending on which county they live in. If they live in Greenville County, they go to schools in the Greenville County School District. If they live in Anderson County, they attend schools in Anderson School District 1.

Some of the schools in Piedmont include:

  • Wren High School
  • Wren Middle School
  • Wren Elementary School
  • Spearman Elementary School
  • Woodmont High School
  • Woodmont Middle School
  • Sue Cleveland Elementary School

Piedmont also has a public library. It is a part of the Anderson County Library System.

Notable People from Piedmont

  • Ian Henderson: A racing driver.
  • Corinne Boyd Riley: A U.S. Representative from South Carolina from 1962 to 1963.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Piedmont (Carolina del Sur) para niños

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