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St. Matthews, South Carolina
Calhoun County Courthouse
Calhoun County Courthouse
Official seal of St. Matthews, South Carolina
Seal
Location of St. Matthews, South Carolina
Location of St. Matthews, South Carolina
Country United States
State South Carolina
County Calhoun
Founded 1841
Area
 • Total 1.93 sq mi (4.99 km2)
 • Land 1.92 sq mi (4.98 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation
279 ft (85 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,841
 • Density 957.86/sq mi (369.88/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
29135
Area code(s) 803
FIPS code 45-62620
GNIS feature ID 1250621

St. Matthews is a town in Calhoun County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,021 at the 2010 census, a decline from 2,107 in 2000. It is the county seat of Calhoun County.

St. Matthews is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The town holds an annual Purple Martin festival in April which includes food, music, cars, and more.

History

St. Matthews was established as the township of Amelia by Gov. Robert Johnson in the 1730s. The Col. J.A. Banks House, Buyck's Bluff Archeological Site, Calhoun County Courthouse, Calhoun County Library, Cherokee Path, Sterling Land Grant, Col. Olin M. Dantzler House, David Houser House, Prehistoric Indian Village, and Puritan Farm are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

St. Matthews is located in the center of Calhoun County at 33°39′53″N 80°46′44″W / 33.66472°N 80.77889°W / 33.66472; -80.77889 (33.664734, -80.778976). U.S. Route 601 passes through the town, leading northeast 51 miles (82 km) to Camden and southwest 13 miles (21 km) to Orangeburg. South Carolina Highway 6 crosses US 601 in the center of town and leads west 7 miles (11 km) to Interstate 26 and southeast 22 miles (35 km) to Interstate 95 near Santee.

According to the United States Census Bureau, St. Matthews has a total area of 1.93 square miles (4.99 km2), of which 1.92 square miles (4.97 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.02 km2), or 0.35%, is water.

Education

Public education in St. Matthews is administered by Calhoun County School District. The district operates St. Matthews K-8 School, Sandy Run K-8 School, and Calhoun County High School.

Calhoun Academy, a school founded as a segregation academy, remains a private institution.

St. Matthews has a lending library, the Calhoun County Public Library.

St. Matthews is home to the Calhoun County Museum, on Butler Street, which is run and directed by Mrs. Roland. The Museum houses countless artifacts and stories of St. Matthews history and character.

Notable people

  • Mike Colter, actor
  • Viola Davis, Academy Award-winning actress
  • Clarence Felder, actor
  • Alshon Jeffery, Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) and (former) University of South Carolina wide receiver; Super Bowl LII champion
  • Eartha Kitt, singer, actress, dancer and activist
  • Ludwig Lewisohn, writer, critic and poet
  • Phillip Merling, Miami Dolphins defensive end in the NFL
  • Harry L. Ott Jr., South Carolina House Representative
  • Horace Ott, musician, orchestral conductor and songwriter
  • Russell Ott, South Carolina House Representative and lobbyist
  • James "Blood" Ulmer, jazz and blues guitarist
  • Othniel Wienges, politician and horse breeder

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 271
1890 524 93.4%
1900 758 44.7%
1910 1,377 81.7%
1920 1,780 29.3%
1930 1,750 −1.7%
1940 2,187 25.0%
1950 2,351 7.5%
1960 2,433 3.5%
1970 2,403 −1.2%
1980 2,496 3.9%
1990 2,345 −6.0%
2000 2,107 −10.1%
2010 2,021 −4.1%
2020 1,841 −8.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

St. Matthews racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 655 35.58%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 1,068 58.01%
Native American 7 0.38%
Asian 7 0.38%
Other/Mixed 52 2.82%
Hispanic or Latino 52 2.82%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,841 people, 943 households, and 531 families residing in the town.

See also

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

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