Kingstree, South Carolina
Encyclopedia
Kingstree is a town in and the county seat
of Williamsburg County, South Carolina
, United States
. The population was 3,328 at the 2010 census.
in colonial times. But a lone, unusually large white pine
was found along the Black River
. Since tall white pines were ideal for use as masts for ships, King George claimed it. The king's broad arrow
mark was put upon this tree to prevent anyone else from cutting it. It was never cut. The tree that the town gets its name from is the only tree of King George’s ever found in the south. Over time, the county kept the name Williamsburg, but the county seat became known as The King's Tree, giving rise to its modern name.
Williamsburg Presbyterian Church celebrated its 275th Birthday in October 2011. The church held a service to share Kingstree's history. The church is the oldest church that still exists today between the Santee and Cape Fear Rivers in North and South Carolina. Williamsburg Presbyterian is the mother church to 33 other Presbyterian churches. Two daughter churches include nearby Union Presbyterian church in Salters, South Carolina, and Indiantown Presbyterian Church in Williamsburg County.
The Kingstree company formed at Williamsburg Presbyterian Church's original churchyard in July 1780. The company was led by Captain Henry Mouzon and later turned into the battalion and then formed a brigade led by Francis Marion against the British.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), of which, 3.1 square miles (8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.63%) is water.
The Williamsburg County Hometown Chamber Quality of Place Committee was able to get the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to include the Black River in the Scenic River Program in 2001. A 75 mile piece of the river is included in the program. The Black River is South Carolina's longest river and was the seventh addition to the Scenic Rivers. The river is 150 miles long and goes through Williamsburg, Clarendon, Sumter, and Georgetown Counties in South Carolina.
of 2010, there were 3,328 people. The racial makeup of the town was 28.5% White, 70.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 0.5% from Hispanic or Latino according to the 2000 census. There are 5857 housing units and 88.6% of the units are occupied and 74.7% are owner-occupied units.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 70.3% who were 18 years of age and older, 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.3 years. There were 932 people or 10.8% of people that held a college or graduate degree, and 2,667 people held a high school degree.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Williamsburg County, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 3,328 at the 2010 census.
History
The original town was laid out as Williamsburg by the Lords ProprietorsProvince of Carolina
The Province of Carolina, originally chartered in 1629, was an English and later British colony of North America. Because the original Heath charter was unrealized and was ruled invalid, a new charter was issued to a group of eight English noblemen, the Lords Proprietors, in 1663...
in colonial times. But a lone, unusually large white pine
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
was found along the Black River
Black River (South Carolina)
The Black River is a blackwater river in South Carolina in the United States....
. Since tall white pines were ideal for use as masts for ships, King George claimed it. The king's broad arrow
Broad arrow
A broad arrow or pheon is a type of arrow with a typically flat barbed head. It is a symbol used traditionally in heraldry, most notably in England, and later the United Kingdom to mark government property.-Use in heraldry:...
mark was put upon this tree to prevent anyone else from cutting it. It was never cut. The tree that the town gets its name from is the only tree of King George’s ever found in the south. Over time, the county kept the name Williamsburg, but the county seat became known as The King's Tree, giving rise to its modern name.
Battle of the Lower Bridge
General Francis Marion, known as the Swamp Fox, defeated the British at the Battle of the Lower Bridge in March of 1781. There is a historical marker to mark the battle between US Highway 521 and the Black River.Battle of King's Tree
After the British had destroyed Charles Town during the revolution, the Swamp Fox, Francis Marion gained supporters from Major John James. The Battle of King's Tree took place on August 27, 1780. The town sustained losses including, Indiantown Presbyterian Church being burned to the ground.Williamsburg Presbyterian Church
Williamsburg Presbyterian Church was founded in August of 1736. The church consisted of three structures. Its founders built the first church in 1738 across from the Williamsburg Cemetery in town; the second building was constructed in 1828 and was across from the Williamsburg Cemetery as well. The third, the current structure of the church located on North Academy Street was built in 1914. The stained glass windows on the roof of the church today were imported from Austria. One of the stained glass windows on the roof was removed in 1989 during a renovation and was placed behind the pulpit of the sanctuary. The first person to be buried in the church cemetery was James Witherspoon, the builder on Thorntree.Williamsburg Presbyterian Church celebrated its 275th Birthday in October 2011. The church held a service to share Kingstree's history. The church is the oldest church that still exists today between the Santee and Cape Fear Rivers in North and South Carolina. Williamsburg Presbyterian is the mother church to 33 other Presbyterian churches. Two daughter churches include nearby Union Presbyterian church in Salters, South Carolina, and Indiantown Presbyterian Church in Williamsburg County.
The Kingstree company formed at Williamsburg Presbyterian Church's original churchyard in July 1780. The company was led by Captain Henry Mouzon and later turned into the battalion and then formed a brigade led by Francis Marion against the British.
The Arnette House
The Arnette House is one of the three oldest homes in the town and was built in 1840. The home holds significance in the town because dining room was used as a school for two periods of history during the early years of the home.Thorntree House
Thorntree House is the oldest home in the Pee Dee area of South Carolina. The early plantation home was constructed from native materials of South Carolina. James Witherspoon built the home in 1749 when the house was located six miles outside of town near where the Battle of the Lower Bridge took place. Witherspoon was a part of Francis Marion's brigade. After Witherspoon's death, Witherspoon's son inherited the plantation home. The British occupied the home during the revolution when it was at its original location, on the Black River. Gavin Witherspoon was the owner at the time. The house was later moved to its current location in 1969 when it was being restored by the Williamsburg Historical Society and is currently registered by the National Historic Register. . The Williamsburg Historical Society moved the house into Kingstree city limits to provide protection from police and fire department.Williamsburg County Courthouse
The Williamsburg County Courthouse is located in the business district of Kingstree on Main Street. The original grounds of where the courthouse stands were the original parade grounds in the town of Kingstree and were used by the militia during the revolution. The courthouse was built in 1823 by Robert Smalls. Robert Mills is a nationally known architect that hailed from South Carolina. The second level of the courthouse suffered a fire in 1883 but because the walls were 30 inches thick and fireproof, the building was restored. Other changes and additions were added to the courthouse including in 1901 parking for horses was added, and adding a third floor in 1954.Geography
Kingstree is located at 33°40′16"N 79°49′43"W (33.671243, -79.828635).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), of which, 3.1 square miles (8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.63%) is water.
Rivers
The Black River is a free flowing river that is surrounded by banks of undisturbed land. The river has plant and animal habitats including endangered species. Some of the endangered species include the American chaffseed and the swallow-tailed kite. The black color of the river comes from a chemical, tannins, that came from cypress trees and other swamps. The river draws sportsman because of the amount of fishes including bream, red breasted sunfish, large-mouth bass, and catfish.The Williamsburg County Hometown Chamber Quality of Place Committee was able to get the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to include the Black River in the Scenic River Program in 2001. A 75 mile piece of the river is included in the program. The Black River is South Carolina's longest river and was the seventh addition to the Scenic Rivers. The river is 150 miles long and goes through Williamsburg, Clarendon, Sumter, and Georgetown Counties in South Carolina.
Demographics
According to the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 3,328 people. The racial makeup of the town was 28.5% White, 70.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 0.5% from Hispanic or Latino according to the 2000 census. There are 5857 housing units and 88.6% of the units are occupied and 74.7% are owner-occupied units.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 70.3% who were 18 years of age and older, 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.3 years. There were 932 people or 10.8% of people that held a college or graduate degree, and 2,667 people held a high school degree.
Notable people
- Maxine BrownMaxine Brown (soul singer)Maxine Ella Brown is an American soul and R&B singer.-Background and career:Maxine Brown began singing as a child, performing with two New York based gospel groups called the Angelairs and the Royaltones when she was a teenager...
- Blues and R&B Singer - Joseph L. GoldsteinJoseph L. GoldsteinJoseph L. Goldstein from Kingstree, South Carolina is a Nobel Prize winning biochemist and geneticist, and a pioneer in the study of cholesterol metabolism.-Biography:...
- Nobel PrizeNobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
winner - Bryant McFaddenBryant McFaddenBryant McFadden is an American football cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.McFadden has also played for the Arizona Cardinals...
- NFL cornerback for the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... - John Linton RobersonJohn Linton RobersonJohn Linton Roberson , also known as JLRoberson, is an American writer, illustrator, and cartoonist.-Biography:His father was Lt. John Linton Roberson III, who served under Col...
- underground writer/cartoonist - Thomas D. SingletonThomas D. SingletonThomas Day Singleton was a United States Representative from South Carolina. He was born near Kingstree, South Carolina but his birth date is unknown. He attended the common schools...
- United States Representative from South Carolina - Stephen Atkins SwailsStephen Atkins SwailsStephen Atkins Swails was a soldier in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Although originally enlisting as a private, he may have been the first African American soldier promoted to officer rank in that conflict, as evidenced by the U.S...
- soldier and politician - John McKissickJohn McKissickJohn McKissick is the football coach of Summerville High School in Summerville, South Carolina. In 2004, he became the first American football coach in history to win 500 career games. His 500th win came against Mount Pleasant's Wando High School...
- National High School Hall of Fame