Society Hill, South Carolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Society Hill, South Carolina
Town
Location of Society Hill, South Carolina
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
County	Darlington
Area
• Total	2.15 sq mi (5.56 km2)
• Land	2.15 sq mi (5.56 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	167 ft (51 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	438
• Density	203.91/sq mi (78.72/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	29593
Area code(s)	843, 854
FIPS code	45-67435
GNIS feature ID	1250950

Society Hill is a small town in Darlington County, South Carolina, United States. It is located right next to the Pee Dee River. This town is the oldest community in Darlington County. It is also one of the first towns ever started in South Carolina.

Long ago, Society Hill was a very important place for learning in the Pee Dee region. But over time, its importance faded. This happened because rivers became less important for travel and moving goods. Society Hill is now part of the larger Florence area.

In 2020, about 438 people lived in Society Hill. This number has gone down over the years. The town was first settled in the 1700s by a group of Baptists. They named the community after their "St. David's Society." This society later became the Society Hill Library Society.

History of Society Hill

Early Settlers and Community Life

Welsh settlers came to the Society Hill area in 1736. They traveled from places like Pennsylvania and Delaware. This was the very first settlement in what is now Darlington County. These Welsh settlers were Baptists. They named their new community after the "St. David's Society."

In the 1700s and early 1800s, Society Hill was a hub for education. Many important people from the Pee Dee region were educated here. For example, James Lide Coker studied here. He later founded famous companies like Sonoco and Coker University. The town's library was built in 1812. It is the second oldest lending library in all of South Carolina. A new library, which is part of the Darlington County Library System, was built in 2011.

Changes Over Time

Society Hill started to become less important as time went on. This was mainly because rivers were no longer the main way to transport things. Businesses began to move to other nearby towns. Towns like Cheraw and Hartsville grew instead.

The town's population was highest in 1980, with about 848 people. By 2010, the population had dropped to 563. In 2000, there were 700 people living there.

In 2017, an organization called Preservation South Carolina started a project. They planned to sell eight historic buildings in Society Hill. Their goal was to find buyers who would protect these old buildings. At that time, Society Hill did not have special rules to protect its historic buildings. This project was the biggest preservation effort the organization had ever done.

Geography and Location

Society Hill is located in the northern part of Darlington County. It sits on high ground that rises to the west of the Pee Dee River. The town's exact location is 34°30′50″N 79°51′4″W / 34.51389°N 79.85111°W / 34.51389; -79.85111.

Two main roads, U.S. Routes 15 and 52, go through the town.

• US 15 goes northeast for about 12 miles to Bennettsville. It continues about 30 miles to Laurinburg, North Carolina.
• US 15 also goes southwest for about 17 miles to Hartsville.
• US 52 goes north for about 14 miles to Cheraw.
• US 52 goes south for about 16 miles to Darlington. Darlington is the main town for the county.

The two highways, US 15 and US 52, join together at the north end of Society Hill. They become Main Street as they pass through the town. They then split up again about 0.8 miles southwest of the town limits.

The town covers a total area of about 2.15 square miles (5.7 square kilometers). All of this area is land. The Pee Dee River is about 1.4 miles northeast of the town. This river forms the border between Darlington County and Marlboro County.

Population Information

Let's look at the people who live in Society Hill. In the year 2000, there were 700 people living in the town. These people lived in 269 households, and 203 of these were families.

The people in Society Hill came from different backgrounds:

• About 44.43% were White.
• About 54.00% were African American.
• A small number were Native American or from other races.
• About 0.57% were Hispanic or Latino.

The average household had about 2.60 people. The average family had about 3.03 people.

The population was spread out by age:

• 22.0% were under 18 years old.
• 9.6% were between 18 and 24.
• 24.3% were between 25 and 44.
• 29.3% were between 45 and 64.
• 14.9% were 65 years or older.

The average age in the town was 40 years old.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,057. For families, the median income was $37,875. This means half of the households earned more than this amount, and half earned less. About 14.5% of all people in Society Hill lived below the poverty line. This included 26.9% of those under 18.

Famous People and Historic Places

Society Hill is known as the birthplace of a few notable people:

• Pat Crawford was a baseball player. He was part of the "Gashouse Gang" team.
• Henry Marshall Furman was a judge in Oklahoma.

There are also important historic places in Society Hill:

• The Welsh Neck-Long Bluff-Society Hill Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. This means it's a special area with many old, important buildings.
• Japonica Hall is another historic building. It was listed separately in 1989.

Former Governor David Beasley also came from Society Hill. He represented the area in the South Carolina House of Representatives for almost 20 years before becoming governor.

See also

In Spanish: Society Hill para niños