Skip to content

Random Connections

A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Photos
  • Resources
  • Other Voices
  • Post Archives
  • Home
  • Geocaching and Maps
  • Ghost Towns of South Carolina

Ghost Towns of South Carolina

Posted on May 22, 2007 By Tom 83 Comments on Ghost Towns of South Carolina
Geocaching and Maps, Local, Travel

Bodie Ghost Town

When one hears the words "Ghost town", one usually conjures up images of an abandoned prospectors’ town somewhere out west, similar to the picture of Bodie, California seen above. However, South Carolina has its fair share of ghost towns. While tumbleweeds and swinging saloon doors may not provide the scenery for the South Carolina towns, the abandoned buildings are still rich in history with own tales of long-gone commerce and community.

South Carolina’s ghost towns can be divided into two groups. First, there are the true ghost towns. These are towns that no longer exist except for one or two remaining edifices. There is no viable commerce, and most of the residents have left the area. Given the population density of South Carolina, these are extremely rare. The only cases I know of are Ellenton, which was abandoned when the Savannah River Plant was constructed, and Andersonville, which was inundated when Lake Hartwell was created.

More common are the near-ghost towns. These feature a central business district with a few remaining buildings of historical significance, all of which have been abandoned or closed. However, there is often a vibrant community surrounding the area that still bears the former town’s name, and often a US Post Office with that name still serves the area. Examples that come to mind are the towns of Owings, Pomaria, Peak, Joanna, Cateechee, and Ware Shoals.

The decline of these towns can be attributed to many things. Changes in transportation routes often bypass the towns, as in the case of Pomaria and Peak with Interstate 26. More often, the main industry leaves town, as was the case with textile mill in towns such as Startex/Tucapau and Joanna. Sometimes the town is subsumed into a larger community, as was the case with Cityview and Taylors in the Greenville area.

Over the summer I hope to visit some of these locations and take photographs. I’m currently creating a Google Map of these locations, and hope to record the locations and brief description. Who knows, this might even turn into a book project. However, I’m not sure how the denizens of these towns would react to having their community labeled a "ghost town."

In addition to my Google Map, I’m using several other resources for my research. I’ll list these below:

  • South Carolina, A Day at a Time by Caroline W. Todd and Sidney Wait – This book goes county by county, listing interesting out-of-the-way places and communitys in the state.
  • SCIWAY.net – They have a section entitled "Lost Places," with links.
  • South Carolina Ghost Towns – This independent website is part of the USGenNet project. While it does have some information, it looks like it hasn’t been updated in quite awhile.
  • SC Ghost Towns on Rootsweb – Here is another independent project with a listing of some SC Ghost Towns. As with the other site, it hasn’t been updated in awhile.
  • South Carolina Encyclopedia – Edited by Walter Edgar, this is on my wish list for this summer.
  • USGS Geographic Name Information System (GNIS) – I’ve mentioned this resource before. If a place has a name in the United States, be it town, community, cemetery, stream, hill, or hollow, chances are it can be found here.

And finally, I have extracted data from GNIS and created my own little application for just South Carolina place names. You can search by place name or county, and clicking on the link will bring up a new window with the location in Google Maps.

So, with four-day work weeks over the summer, I may use my Fridays to visit some of these locations.

[tags]Ghost Town, South Carolina[/tags]

Tags: Ghost Town South Carolina

Post navigation

❮ Previous Post: From Marsh to Swamp
Next Post: The Life of Brian ❯

83 thoughts on “Ghost Towns of South Carolina”

  1. Brian the Red says:
    May 22, 2007 at 6:28 pm

    I’ve been to a couple of your near ghost towns and I can think of a few that haven’t made your list that could fit on it rather well. One of them is Grover, SC just south of last weekend’s home away from home. The USPS site says that the PO belongs to St. George with a zip of 29477, but the building still has a sign that says Grover with a zip of 29447. Not much there besides the PO and the church across the street. Ulmer, Cassatt, Mts Carmel & Croghan come to mind as well. But from my recollection no historical buildings…

    Reply
    1. Curt Walters says:
      March 6, 2016 at 2:04 pm

      Grover, SC is there in all it’s radiant glory. The Murray’s, Westburys, Spells, Utseys, Dukes and Rhumps just might take issue with the fact that their beloved town no longer exists. Once known as Murray’s Crossroads, the town has a very interesting history. If you ask the locals, they will tell you that Grover is the gateway to St. George, regardless of the zip code.

      Reply
  2. Tom says:
    May 22, 2007 at 6:52 pm

    Thanks for the info! I’ll have to check those out. My first excursion will probably be Memorial Day, and I may stay in the upstate area.

    Reply
  3. Brian the Red says:
    May 23, 2007 at 6:58 am

    Here is another one to add to the list. It is about 5 miles south of Mt. Carmel and while Mt. Carmel has a few buildings that are occupied, Willington is nothing more than a crossroads with a series of abandoned brick building on one corner.

    Reply
  4. brandal says:
    February 7, 2010 at 2:33 pm

    Ware shoals is about 4 miles square and has about 3 thousand people living there….hardly a near ghost town ….based on size,there are roughly 1300 people per square mile

    Reply
  5. Edward Hudson says:
    May 1, 2010 at 2:26 pm

    Looking for ghost town Shain Rock which was located near Clemson, SC in Pickens County. It was now as a location of a silver mine between 1760 and 1800. Also trying to locate Pointing Rock in Pickens County SC

    Reply
    1. Tom says:
      May 1, 2010 at 2:56 pm

      Edward – neither of those name’s show up in my SC Place Names Database.

      Reply
  6. Keith Dover says:
    May 2, 2010 at 8:49 pm

    Tom there is one I’ve heard of in Union County. called Pinckneyville. As I read it was supposed to be the Charleston of the Upstate. I’ve been meaning to go look for it but haven’t had the chance.

    Reply
  7. Keith Dover says:
    May 2, 2010 at 8:52 pm

    Oh yes, what about Pickens Courthouse?

    Reply
    1. Tom says:
      May 3, 2010 at 4:26 am

      Keith – I’ve hear of both of these. I’ll do some research.

      Now that we don’t have Chorale (for awhile), maybe we can go find one of these.

      Reply
  8. Keith Dover says:
    May 3, 2010 at 7:03 pm

    Pickens Courthouse is where the “Old Pickens Presbyterian Church” is located.

    Reply
  9. tyler morton says:
    August 13, 2010 at 2:13 pm

    I have been there it is truly haunted im going again tommorrow night

    Reply
  10. Kittie Danger says:
    September 11, 2010 at 7:49 pm

    A friend of mine & I went on an adventure & got “locked in” the abandoned town of Pinckneyville a few months ago…it wasn’t that difficult to find, I believe that I saved the directions, from Greenville, it took a little over an hour or so to get there. Got some neat pics & also a few creepy EVP’s, one in particular taken near “the hanging tree” you can hear a woman weeping and the words…’not guilty’..it was really a cool experience & I would love to go again, but there is a gate there that does have a lock & although it is a “state highway” route on a map, it is also a “Private Driveway”, there is a family that has a summer house there . They were not familiar w/the town or the history. Their son thought that it was “cool” the parents were less than thrilled 2 women knocked on their door late at night due to the gate being unlocked when they entered the ‘road’ (which is really like a mile or longer “hog path”, full of deep ruts & grooves) & being locked w/a padlock when they tried to leave. So, I strongly caution anyone who wants to go to Pinckneyville to find the family and gain permission of them or chance being locked in if the family decides to go back to their hometown at night & locks you inside…this is not a gate you could simply crash a truck through or go around either, we thought about that before trying to find exactly ‘who’ had locked us in there….the tape is hilarious.

    Reply
    1. Horace Reese says:
      June 24, 2013 at 6:07 am

      I recently purchased a home believed to have been built at the same time as Pickneyville. Are there any complete structures remaining at the site. I want to compare any archectural features with any remaining building with my house. The home I purchased is on the National Registry as the Hugh Means house, Jonesville , SC.

      Reply
      1. Thom Cole says:
        August 21, 2014 at 11:06 pm

        My ancestor fought in LTC Hugh Means’ Regiment in 1814. My house was built in 1839 and I’d love to see a photo of your house.

        Thanks,
        Thom

        Reply
      2. Maurice Keener says:
        February 11, 2016 at 8:49 pm

        Hi Horace, Do you still own the house? Relatives of General Means are interested in visiting some day.

        Reply
      3. D. Bruce Means says:
        March 31, 2016 at 9:14 am

        Hi Horace,

        I may be a descendent of Hugh Means or his ancestors. I’m thinking about holding a Means family reunion in Union County sometime in the fall of 2016. It would be wonderful if a small group of us could drop by for an hour to see the house. I visited it in the early 1980s and have photos of its interior and exterior. Hoping to strike up a communication with you. All the best, –Bruce Means

        Reply
  11. Travis says:
    September 22, 2010 at 9:32 am

    Kittie, where is the place that you are talking about? Sounds neat.

    Reply
    1. Tom says:
      September 22, 2010 at 12:03 pm

      Travis – I think she was referring to Pinckneyville. This where Google Maps has its location, but I’m not sure if this is the actual place…

      http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=pinckneyville,+SC&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Pinckneyville,+Union,+South+Carolina&gl=us&ei=gESaTOKTM4S8lQfeq9Ry&ved=0CBYQ8gEwAA&ll=34.841986,-81.467743&spn=0.13807,0.308647&z=12

      Reply
  12. Elaine says:
    September 24, 2010 at 12:12 am

    We have been trying to locate a lost community somewhere around Kershaw, S.C. called Bend in the Creek. Having no luck. Anyone heard of it?

    Reply
    1. Tom says:
      September 24, 2010 at 4:20 am

      According to the GNIS database there is a place called “Bend Creek” in Lancaster County, which is nearby. Here’s a link to the map…

      http://maps.google.com/?q=34.6332076,+-80.6211811&ie=UTF8&z=14

      There is also a place called Dusty Bend in Kershaw County, but GNIS shows it right in Camden. It’s probably a neighborhood.

      Reply
  13. Mike says:
    October 26, 2010 at 10:38 pm

    steelseller says:
    I remember visiting two ghost towns as a child, I am now in my 50s, that were located in Fairfield County- Strother and Shelton.

    Shelton now has people living where the town was, but the town is gone. The buildings were still there when I was around 12. I still have an old soda bottle that was made in Shelton. A plant capable of making bottles gives you some idea of the size of the town.

    Strother was located on the banks of the Broad River on the Fairfield side just after you cross the river bridge on Hwy 34. It was on the right side when coming from Newberry. All that was left when I was a child was the RR depot- gone now. My Dad, born in 1918, said there were other buildings there when he was a child.

    Reply
    1. Peter Clayton says:
      September 30, 2016 at 2:46 pm

      My grandfather Donald B. Clayton Sr. was raised on his parent’s farm about a mile south of Shelton, SC along with his sister Edith (Wright). Google is not aware of Shelton, but Mapquest places a pin correctly on the former collection of about four buildings that have been gone for many decades now. Edith Wright was the “postmistress” of Shelton; the train would slow down where Mapquest identifies “Clayton Depot Road”, extend a mechanical arm, and snag the mailbag that Edith would hang out once a day. “Shelton Ferry Road” on the west bank of the Broad River is marked, as is “Shelton Road” on the east bank. Gone but not forgotten.

      Reply
  14. Mike says:
    October 26, 2010 at 10:47 pm

    Also found this:

    Up for auction is this rare Shivar Beverages advertising mirror/thermometer.It is for Shivar Pale ale Ginger Ale.It states on the front of the bottle :Made with the celebrated Shivar Springs Mineral Water.This Spring was located in Fairfield Co.,Shelton,South Carolina.I found out this was in business from 1900-1950.The piece is 5.5″ wide x 8.75″ tall.It is contained in a metal frame.The condition is really good,with working thermometer and very little paint loss of graphics.It seems to be painted reverse on glass.T is a little paint loss in the letters and logo on bottom.But is not very distracting on the piece.It still looks great.any questions please ask.I will be glad to send pictures by request.S/H will be $6.00 priority,U.S.Will ship to other countries,shipping quotes can be given.
    The location is printed on the front of the bottle also.The entire bottle has written on it.CONTENTS 32 FLUID OZ. SHIVAR PALE DRY GINGER ALE PREPARED WITH THE CELEBRATED SHIVAR SPRING WATER SHIVAR SPRINGS BOTTLING CO. SHELTON,S.C.

    ——————————————————————————–

    Reply
    1. Tom says:
      October 27, 2010 at 4:32 am

      Cool! Thanks for the info on these two towns, Mike. I’ve explored that area, and I think I’ve been through Shelton, but I may need to check it out again.

      Reply
  15. Kittie Danger says:
    November 13, 2010 at 1:05 pm

    Travis, I’m sorry, but I just saw your question. Tom is correct w/his info on it. We may go back, but waiting for hunting season to be over, because one half of it was well marked on the right side of the dirt road going into what used to be the town as belonging to a hunt club. I wish I could find out the family who has a home down that road and get permission from them to go back, because their driveway is part of that old road and they have a gate that they lock and there is no way of going around it. If I can’t find the family, I guess we’ll be walking that long stretch of road in the dark, lol.

    Reply
  16. Jeff H says:
    November 23, 2010 at 9:11 pm

    Kittie, thats awesome that you went to pinckneyville. I had a friend go there awhile back and he was so creeped out there he will very rarely will talk about it. He also got locked in and had to spend the night there. I’m going into the Marines in March 2011 and really want to do some traveling before leaving, and Pinckneyville definetly has caught my interest just from listening to my friends story. I’ve been into old abandoned houses that are said to be “haunted” but I want to go and see the real thing. I’m in York/McConnels, SC so its roughly an hour from me. I’d really like to check it out before going into basic training in March, but I’d only want to go with someone who’s expierienced and been there before.

    Reply
    1. KittieDanger says:
      November 14, 2015 at 9:28 pm

      Jeff H. I have been there at least 3 times and it’s always something different. I usually go w/a friend (well armed due to coyotes) and walk down the 2.3 mile road that is like a pig path. Just email me if you’re interested in going if you’re back in town. It’s cool. Just for fun if for nothing else. I think my dentist office is more haunted than Pinckneyville is, for real. LOL

      Reply
  17. George says:
    December 22, 2010 at 6:36 am

    You might want to check out Lydia over near Hartsville.
    This was a town built on speculation of a railroad line that never showed up. I know that it once had a bank because the old bank vault is still standing in some brush off the road. There’s several other old buildings there left over from back then. Here’s a link to a site someone put up about the history http://www.lydiasc.net/lydia/lydiaheyday.htm

    Reply
    1. Bill says:
      September 21, 2017 at 5:02 pm

      Lydia definitely has a rail line through it.

      Reply
  18. tyler says:
    March 8, 2011 at 6:04 pm

    i saw that yall have been talking about pinckneyville on here and my family is the one who has the summer house down their, and kittie danger i believe that i am the one who went and unlocked the gate for you and your friend. i can prove it to, you followed me up the mile long road i was on the 4 wheeler in front of you when we got to the gate, you got out and offered to hold the light for me to unlock the lock on the yellow gate. and i can assure you that the town is not haunted because i have been up there countless times at night and never heard anything creepy.

    Reply
    1. Tom says:
      March 8, 2011 at 6:07 pm

      Thanks for the update, Tyler. So, if I wanted to visit the site for historical or photographic purposes, would you be the one to contact? I’m more into history and interesting places than haunts and ghosts.

      Reply
    2. Ellie says:
      August 10, 2012 at 11:13 am

      Tyler, Are you still living up there ? I would love to come and visit sometime if I could get the ok . Would like to ride around with you if you have the time. email me jrgtwocreek@aol.com

      Reply
    3. KittieDanger says:
      November 14, 2015 at 9:35 pm

      Hi Tyler, I’ve only heard creepy EVP’s once, the other times it was quiet. We did get some interestingly ghostly looking photos of phantom horses and riders though. I appreciate you letting us out and not making us spend the night. You are a true gentleman. Maybe you’d like to go w/us sometime and see if you pick up on anything weird….?

      Reply
  19. Suzy says:
    March 20, 2011 at 10:25 pm

    You might try Newry, SC, which is now a part of Seneca, SC, although the borough was once it’s own town. The homes are still occupied, and post office operational, but the general store, foreman’s office and textile mill are all abandoned.

    If you hang around the Post Office long enough to catch one of the older locals, you could probably fish some information about the history of the place and what’s going on there now.

    Reply
  20. Tom says:
    March 21, 2011 at 4:27 am

    Thanks, Suzy. I have visited Newry a couple of times and it’s a fascinating place. I’ve even paddled to it from the Little River, and was able to explore the abandoned mill.

    I may try to go back and talk to one of the locals, as you suggest, though.

    Reply
    1. Kammie says:
      May 7, 2017 at 6:56 pm

      I believe there was a fire at the Newry mill not too long ago.

      Reply
      1. Bill says:
        September 21, 2017 at 5:03 pm

        Correct. It was struck by lightning.

        Reply
  21. tyler says:
    April 6, 2011 at 5:40 pm

    sorry tom, but we dont give permission for anyone to visit the town unless we know them.

    Reply
    1. Tom says:
      April 6, 2011 at 5:51 pm

      I certainly understand that. I’m just glad you guys are giving it some protection.

      Reply
    2. Horace Reese says:
      June 24, 2013 at 6:09 am

      Are there any remaining structures at Pickneyville ?

      Reply
  22. travis says:
    April 6, 2011 at 6:25 pm

    hey tyler, i just went to pinckneyville about a week or 2 ago and it looked like the CIA or some government agency has moved in down there, we were escorted out of there by either us troops or government agents.

    Reply
  23. Steve says:
    May 4, 2011 at 7:10 am

    Are there any abandon towns in York County, SC.

    I seen to recall of a place named Hope?

    I saw a posting on internet some time ago, but can’t find it again.

    Thanks

    Reply
  24. Mark says:
    May 22, 2011 at 5:39 pm

    I was under the impression the Union County Historical Society still owns Pickneyville. So shouldn’t it be from them permission must be granted to visit the site?

    Reply
  25. Ken cothran says:
    May 31, 2011 at 11:34 am

    I’ve been wanting to get back to Glenn Springs, on the SE side of Croft St Park in Spartanburg County. I lived on the N side in Huntington Woods in HS, and went through GS occasionally. It’s an old resort location. I recall a number of abandoned or semi-abandoned but impressive buildings (I think). But I never got to nose around down there, and certainly didn’t have a camera at the time.

    Reply
  26. Keith Dover says:
    June 6, 2011 at 2:26 pm

    Tom, there was a post office in extreme western Greenville County one time called Mayfield. It was somewhere along the Pumpkintown Highway.

    I also recently learned doing my genealogy research that my GG Grandfather and his family lived in the “Caesar’s Head district, the Oil Camp Post Office” in 1860.

    Reply
  27. gary wilson says:
    September 13, 2011 at 4:49 pm

    Just browsing the internet trying to find any info about shelton, sc came across this site ghost towns of sc. I grew up in shelton my mother still lives there. Some one named Mike posted he has a Shivar Beverages ad mirror/themometer for acution I am interested if you still have them. If so please send me an e-mail @ gbwilson2000 at aol.com. Hope to hear from you

    Reply
  28. recon says:
    October 7, 2011 at 10:17 pm

    Yes union county does still own the land where the buildings sat at pinckneyville. But my question to the summer house guy is how u can gate up a public road?

    Reply
    1. Tom says:
      October 8, 2011 at 6:23 am

      Recon – I think I know how that happened. The county has blocked the road to prevent vandalism and further damage to the site. However, there are several landowners along the access road to Pinckneyville, and they also have keys to that gate and could allow someone access.

      When we visited a couple of weeks ago the Union Historical Society provided us a key to the gate. When we got there it was already unlock, and we passed a pickup truck pulled down one of the side dirt roads.

      If you would like to visit, just call the Union County Museum, and they can arrange a time.

      Reply
    2. KittieDanger says:
      November 14, 2015 at 9:31 pm

      True, they have a private driveway further down the road, they could gate that if necessary, but why gate a STATE road in which we pay taxes on and then you “must gain approval” from Union county in which to visit? Uh-Uh. I don’t like that in the least.

      Reply
  29. mduser says:
    October 21, 2011 at 12:25 pm

    i am a relic hunter,and would like to know if metal detecting is allowed at pickneyville? thanks

    Reply
    1. Tom says:
      October 21, 2011 at 1:50 pm

      I’m pretty sure that it is not allowed. You could check with the Union County Historical Society.

      Reply
  30. Kaiti says:
    October 22, 2011 at 5:19 pm

    Another neat place to visit used to be Newry SC..I used to live just outside of that small town As A kid and me and my friends used to play in the old cotton mill..It still had Cotton Gins in it. People used to use the Gins for the cotton they grew themselves after the mill was shut down. I haven’t been there In Many years and from what i’ve heard its been vandalized and only lord knows what else..Another thing I found odd though was when i was growing up in the town next to Newry I never met anyone from there..And not many people even know of the town. I was told there was a book written on the towns history by An older woman who died of a brain tumor.

    Reply
  31. EJ says:
    October 29, 2011 at 9:02 am

    ok im trying to find out why travis has not added to this after his last post im moving to union s.c. and i would like to know more about this “pinckneyville ” and what is really going on there any info will help thanks

    Reply
    1. Travis says:
      April 6, 2013 at 5:23 pm

      EJ, I was down at Pinckneyville a few months ago with some friends, we went down there at night, so we didn’t get to see a whole lot but from what I could see it hasn’t changed much around the town, but we walked into the woods a peace behind the monument and we could see a 3 army vehicles and some other cars parked just behind the monument. we left soon after, but it looks like the CIA or some other government agency is doing something down in there.

      Reply
  32. Edward says:
    May 17, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    I lived near Union for about half my life, and have been to Pinkneyville many times. The remains are scarce, and what is there has been littered and defaced to obscurity, I first visited Pinkneyville as a child sometime in the mid 1970`s. Pinkneynille is located where the Pacolet and Broad Rivers meet, if remains of old settlements interest you I would recommend a few miles North up the Pacolet River Grindal Shoals. This site is much less know of and just a little harder to access but it once boasted a saw mill, Gris mill, as well as several homes. Grindal Shoals was also a popular stop for a small group of Confederate solders who camped there on more than one occasion

    Reply
    1. Tom says:
      May 17, 2012 at 2:11 pm

      Thanks for the info, Edward. We were able to arrange a visit to Pinckneyville with the Union County Historical Society, and we found pretty much what you described. I was disappointed that I couldn’t find the grave of a namesake – another Thomas Taylor.

      I first heard about Grindal Shoals in one of John Lane’s books. Based on your description, I think I need to check that one out. Thanks for the tip!

      Reply
  33. rachel says:
    October 3, 2012 at 3:28 pm

    I vaguely remember seeing something in a book my grandpa had, about abandoned towns from the revolutionary war era or before. There were several, I think in SC & GA, fairly close to the coast or inlets. Does anyone know what they were called? My interest is picqued! It’s driving me nuts.

    Reply
  34. Rachel says:
    November 27, 2012 at 3:04 pm

    One place that I can tell you in SC that is definitely a ghost town is Chappells, SC. I learned about it from a photographers website and decided to visit it a few months back. It truly is a ghost town. There are the remnants of what used to be a town. The buildings are all abandoned on what is left of Main St. As a matter offact, if you aren’t careful you’ll drive right by it. U really have to look for it. IN the woods are old falling down houses. Crows lived in one or two buildings. I managed to get some pics of a couple of them. It’s in Newberry county. First true ghost town I’ve found.

    http://haunted505.blogspot.com

    Reply
    1. Tom says:
      November 27, 2012 at 3:14 pm

      Great resource! I hadn’t come across that blog, but I will spend some time reading it.

      As for Chappells, I agree that it is a true ghost town. I did get a chance to visit and take some photographs. I’ve posted those on this blog somewhere.

      Reply
      1. Jean Hazel Kincaid says:
        April 17, 2013 at 1:50 pm

        Do you have any pictures of the school in Chappells, S.C. I understand it has been torn down. I would really like to have a picture of that school. I attended the 5th and 6th grades there.

        Reply
        1. Tom says:
          April 17, 2013 at 1:57 pm

          Unfortunately, I don’t have any shots of the school that was just north of the crossroads. However, I do have a photo that was shared with me by Barbara Kincaid. I don’t know if this is the same school, but here’s the photo – http://www.flickr.com/photos/randomconnections/8491169100/

          Reply
    2. Brandon says:
      June 11, 2014 at 1:55 pm

      My family grew up in Chappells it would be nice to try to get historic info on the people who live there.

      Reply
  35. Val says:
    February 8, 2014 at 9:26 pm

    There is an abandoned town in or near Allendale, SC. There is a main street that looks like it is straight out of a movie set. All the buildings are abandoned and there is a fence that has been erected on both sides of the street in front of all the buildings. Every single motel, restaurant and gas station leading into town is also closed. It seems like it was abandoned in the recent past. Does anyone know what happened here? It looks as if everything closed up at the exact same time.

    Reply
    1. jonathan says:
      April 30, 2014 at 10:50 am

      Val, can you give me any info on how to get to this town near allendale,sc?

      Reply
  36. tim says:
    June 10, 2014 at 1:09 am

    Vaucluse, SC
    Eureka, SC
    Montmorenci, SC
    Willimgton, SC
    Millet, SC
    Steadman, SC
    Ivan, SC
    Enoree, SC

    Reply
    1. Karen Geddings says:
      June 29, 2015 at 2:37 am

      The town of Manchester in Sumter County. It isn’t there any more it had a bad reputation for having drinking and gambling.

      Reply
  37. tim says:
    June 10, 2014 at 1:11 am

    Hell that sounds like Allendale itself

    Reply
  38. vicki says:
    September 16, 2014 at 12:45 am

    You may want to visit Mountville, SC. It’s near Lake Greenwood, between Clinton and Greenwood. Was once a farming community — now has only a part-time post office with a dog sleeping outside the door.

    Reply
  39. Curt Walters says:
    March 6, 2016 at 2:11 pm

    Grover, SC is alive and well.

    Reply
  40. Barbara says:
    May 14, 2016 at 4:42 am

    I have heard of a town in Spartanburg county called Boiling Springs. Has anyone heard of it? If so, how to go about visiting the place. Thanks

    Reply
    1. Tom says:
      May 16, 2016 at 11:14 am

      Boiling Springs is very much an active town, and not a ghost town. Here’s a link on Google Maps.

      Reply
  41. Barbara says:
    May 14, 2016 at 4:49 am

    In Fairfield County on the Broad River. Just across from the town of PEAK, SC was a town called Alston. Does anyone have any historical information on this town?

    Reply
  42. Albert Gates says:
    May 25, 2016 at 8:26 pm

    Looking for a town close to Greenwood called saluca ….

    Reply
    1. Tom says:
      May 25, 2016 at 8:31 pm

      That’s a new one for me. At first I thought you meant “Saluda”. However, GNIS does have a “Saluca” listed. Here’s a map link – https://www.google.com/maps/place/Saluca,+South+Carolina+29649/@34.23429,-82.0792951,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x88f807eb5a9aba0f:0x59057774ce93becc!8m2!3d34.2342917!4d-82.0617855

      Reply
  43. Summer J. Hall says:
    June 11, 2016 at 1:25 pm

    Hi, all. I’m from Wheeling, West-by-God-Virginia, traveling to visit Surfside Beach, SC. As my husband and I are driving through this gorgeous state, we can’t help but wonder why there are SO MANY abandoned houses and businesses along the busy roadways. So many run-down homes, that appear to just need some basic landscaping and minor repairs. Otherwise, they appear to be sturdy, one-story homes, grown over by nature. Beautiful brick homes- lots of them! Gas stations and convenience stores, long gone, also grown over.
    As I type this, we are heading to the beach, but we couldn’t drive another mile without trying to find some information, or someone to ask online. So, does anyone have any explanations or reasons for all the empty forgotten places?
    For some inexplicable reason, this is tugging at my heartstrings…I’ve never been to SC in my entire life, but it feels “homey”. I love this place…
    Any info at all would be greatly appreciated! Please satisfy my curiosity! Thanks in advance to anyone taking the time to reply.
    Brightest blessings, all.

    Reply
    1. Tom says:
      June 11, 2016 at 5:31 pm

      Summer, check out my series from last fall on the “Tobaaco Highway.” That might explain some of the abandoned buildings headed that way. You should be able to search for it.

      Reply
  44. Troy Spencer says:
    August 27, 2017 at 3:07 am

    I know for a FACT that there are dozens, if not hundreds of ghost who occupy the address 415 Trestle Rd. In Greenwood , S.C. Because I stayed there for two months remodeling the doublewide on that property. Not sure if it was something to do with old train trestle or what, but I saw and heard MANY ghosts while there. Matter of fact, I did not complete the job and my wife and I got out of there fearing for our lives.

    Reply
  45. COAX says:
    October 28, 2017 at 10:37 am

    This is a valuable source of information a decade after its publication! I am always surprised by the incredible value of your blog.

    Reply
  46. Greg says:
    November 20, 2017 at 4:18 pm

    Fairfield County is great area to ride around and see historic places, but as such is either undiscovered or largely ignored.
    Many fine old homes have been destroyed or allowed to rot. Here are a few places that are still with us.

    Turn onto Shelton Rd. off highway 215 you will see a stately two story stucco home on the corner facing the highway. This is the Faucette House. It was looted by yankees during Shermans daring attack on mostly women, children and the elderly in Feb. 1865. Before slithering off, those brave warriors attempted to fire this home. There is a burned place even now on the stairway in the house. A slave extinguished the fire. To see what little is left of Sheldon, continue to the end of Sheldon
    Road at the railroad and you will have arrived.
    There are other such instances of this type in the area, one of which is a home still standing in Blair. It is a beautiful place that has been very nicely restored. It also has a burned place on the floor left by the arsonists that has an interesting story behind it.
    Further down 215 you will pass the Feasterville academy and boarding house. Across the road is the old Liberty Universalist Church which is no longer in use, but is still well maintained and worth a look.
    Still heading south you will see the Monticello Methodist Church where yankees encamped but spared the church. Just down the road is the magnificent Davis Plantation. It is occupied but last time I was by there, it was for sale for just a few million. It to was left standing by the yankees. I have never heard why. Federal troops did destroy many a lot of homes and buildings but not all.
    Moving on toward the South, you can see the giant derrick at the abandoned VC Sumner nuclear site across lake Montecello.
    I don’t think there are any roads, paved or dirt that I haven’t been over in the area.
    After over 50 years of exploring Fairfield, Chester and York counties; I am still fascinated with them.
    If I wanted to learn more, I would go the the Fairfield History museum in Winnsboro. Cornwallis occupied Winnsboro for a time during the revolution. There you can find maps and publications loaded with information exhibits and a very helpful staff. Talk to Pelam Lyles if she is there. Probably one thing that would be most helpful is to purchase a copy of “A Fairfield Sketchbook”. Not cheap but a fine reference. Sadly, some places referred to in the book have faded away since its publication.
    Fairfield has a long history and many tales to tell of war, settlements long gone or ghost towns if you prefer; slavery, “reconstruction” ghosts, witches and long abandoned cemeteries with sunken graves, deep in the woods.

    Reply
  47. James says:
    September 24, 2021 at 7:13 am

    Fort Motte, SC

    Reply
  48. Greg Hamm says:
    September 24, 2021 at 11:44 am

    My wifes mom was from Fairfield County. Her mom was a Widener and her family lived on Dave Jenkins Rd., next door to the now abandoned Jenkins Store.
    We have been fortunate enough to have been able to have visited some the old houses in the area. Over the years that we have become familiar with the area, many very old homes have gone from being lived in to no trace to be seen and many others on the slow and pitiful march to oblivion. Anyone interested in Shermans march and old
    homes should indeed visit the Fairfield museum and purchase the Sketchbook. There are a number of books about Fairfield history available as well.
    When you tour the county, take your lunch. The only place to find food is a little store on 215 near lake Monticello. They do have some good hot dogs.
    My wifes grandfather was a walking history book himself. He told me about about the burned spot in the Fawcett house (it is surprisingly small) and other depredations of Shermans criminal mob at the time.
    There is the grave of Governor Means who was killed at first Manassas.
    There is a story about that burial site concerning its location.
    There are numerous abandoned cemeteries in the county. The Means Cemetery being one. The Widener contains the bodies of two wounded Confederate soldiers that died at the old Widener home place. Another interesting place is The Old (or Little) Brick Church.
    I believe it is the first ARP church in America. I have to admit that the cemetery has sort of a haunted feeling to it. It is said that a woman buried there still walks the area looking for her lost lover. Of course this seems to be a common theme among ghost stories. However, being married for over fifty years, I think this kind of determination in a woman, would not surprise most married men.
    Being isolated for so many years, Fairfield natives are fairly private folks. But if one is open and friendly to them, they are happy to chat awhile. You can learn much history (and legends) of the region from them. Especially the few remaining older folks. I wish I would have spent more time with my wifes grandfather.

    Reply
  49. Selina says:
    April 30, 2022 at 10:19 am

    I can’t believe there’s not more information or investigation about the Poinsette Westin Hotel downtown Greenville, SC.
    I stayed their twice. The first time with my best friend and it was normal. The second time was with my husband in January 2022. A somewhat borderline chunky man, not too tall, wearing a black suit leaned over my husband like he was feeling him breathe. Out of fear, I closed my eyes. My body didn’t seem to have the ability to move. I opened my eyes and the man was standing at the foot of the bed only looking at my husband. He never seemed to notice me. This experience has permanently made me never wanting to stay at that hotel again. When I told my husband, he looked on the internet and similar sightings are listed about that hotel. I was in disbelief that my vision could match others when I knew nothing about the hotel. I really wish someone would do some in depth investigation on that hotel. Who is that man? Is it something evil or are ghost real!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Categories

  • EdTech (200)
  • Entertainment (202)
  • Family (121)
  • Gear (115)
  • General Technology (99)
  • Geocaching and Maps (208)
  • History and Genealogy (266)
  • Internet (144)
  • Local (451)
  • Miscellaneous (550)
  • Music (196)
  • Paddling (248)
  • Photography (779)
  • Podcast (6)
  • Rambling (227)
  • Rants (161)
  • Recipes (34)
  • Religion (48)
  • Restaurants (165)
  • Science (48)
  • Things Overheard (29)
  • Travel (411)
  • Uncategorized (129)
  • Washington Sabbatical (113)
  • Weirdness (60)

Recent Posts

  • In Search of the Road Builder
  • The Phoenix Riots and Dr. Benjamin Mays – An MLK Day Ramble
  • An Obsession with Steak Knives
  • An Epiphany on Patriotism
  • Kayaking Bates Old River and Running Creek

Recent Comments

  • Walter Kokoszka on Mysterious Mayucha and The Wolf Pit
  • Elizabeth on The Temple of Health: Ground-Truthing in Antreville
  • The Bay Area Basketball Fan’s Guide to March Madness on FU All the Time!
  • Why You Should Root For This March Madness Underdog on FU All the Time!
  • Gregory Davis on Ghost Towns of the Pee Dee – Part 2, Centenary

Tags

blogging cemetery Christmas Columbia Edisto River edtech Entertainment family Flickr Florida Furman Furman University gear Georgia geotagging Ghost Town Ghost Towns Google Earth Google Maps GPS Greenville Greenville Chorale history Instructional Technology kayaking Lake Jocassee LCU Lowcountry Unfiltered maps Music North Carolina Paddling Photography rambling restaurant Restaurants review singing social networking South Carolina time-lapse Travel video Washington Washington State
March 2023
S M T W T F S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Jan    

Copyright © 2023 Random Connections.

Theme: Oceanly by ScriptsTown