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Winnsboro, South Carolina

Town in South Carolina, United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Winnsboro, South Carolinamap
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Winnsboro is a town in Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,550 at the 2010 census.[6] The population was 3,215 at the 2020 census,[7] a population decrease of approximately 9.5% for the same 10 year period. It is the county seat of Fairfield County.[8] Winnsboro is part of the Columbia, South Carolina metropolitan Area as well as a suburb of Columbia.

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History

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Based on archeological evidence, this area of the Piedmont was occupied by various cultures of indigenous peoples from as early as the Archaic period, about 1500 BC. Blair Mound is a nearby archeological site and earthwork likely occupied 1300-1400 AD, as part of the late Mississippian culture in the region.[9]

Several years before the Revolutionary War, Richard Winn from Virginia moved to what is now Fairfield County in the upland or Piedmont area of South Carolina. His lands included the present site of Winnsboro. As early as 1777, the settlement was known as "Winnsborough" since he was the major landowner. His brothers John and Minor Winn joined him there, adding to family founders.

The village was laid out and chartered in 1785 upon petition of Richard and John Winn, and John Vanderhorst. The brothers Richard, John and Minor Winn all served in the Revolutionary War. Richard became a general, and was said to have fought in more battles than any Whig in South Carolina. John gained the rank of colonel. See Fairfield County, South Carolina, for more.

The area was developed for the cultivation of short-staple cotton after Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in 1793, which made processing of this type of cotton profitable. Previously it was considered too labor-intensive. Short-staple cotton was widely cultivated on plantations in upland areas throughout the Deep South, through an interior area that became known as the Black Belt. The increased demand for slave labor resulted in the forced migration of more than one million African-American slaves into the area through sales in the domestic slave market. By the time of the Civil War, the county's population was majority black and majority slave.

Textile mills were constructed in the area beginning in the late 19th century, and originally only whites were allowed to work in the mills. "Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues", an industrial folk song of the 1930s with lyrics typical of the blues, refers to working in a cotton mill in this city. The song arose after the textile mill had been converted to a tire manufacturing plant,[10] reflecting the widespread expansion of the auto industry. The song has been sung by Lead Belly, Pete Seeger, and other artists. It was the basis of one of the ballads by modernist composer/pianist Frederic Rzewski in his Four North American Ballads for solo piano, completed in 1979.[10]

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Geography

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US 321 Business passes through Winnsboro. The unincorporated community of Winnsboro Mills borders the south side of Winnsboro.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Winnsboro has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.4 km2), all land.[6]

Climate

More information Climate data for Winnsboro, South Carolina (1991–2020), Month ...
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Demographics

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More information Census, Pop. ...
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The Fairfield County Courthouse in 1940
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Tocaland is one of twenty-one sites in Winnsboro listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

2020 census

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As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,215 people, 1,329 households, and 878 families residing in the town.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census,[14] there were 3,550 people, 1,497 households, and 931 families residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 60.3% African American, 36.1% White, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population.

Crime

Based on data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Winnsboro is ranked 87% higher than the national average for violent crime, 26% higher than the national average for property crime, and 36% higher than the national average for total crime.[15] The rate of crime in Winnsboro is 39.24 per 1,000 residents. The chance of being a victim of crime in Winnsboro may be as high as 1 in 17 in the central neighborhoods, or as low as 1 in 40 in the west part of the city. A crime occurs every 20 hours and 53 minutes (on average) in Winnsboro.[16]

Arts and culture

Main article: National Register of Historic Places listings in Fairfield County, South Carolina

The Winnsboro Town Clock built in 1837 is the oldest continuously running clock in the United States.[17]

Winnsboro has a public library, a branch of the Fairfield County Library.[18]

Government

The mayor of Winnsboro is Demetrius Chatman.[19]

Education

Fairfield Institute, a school for African Americans run by a missionary from New Jersey was in Winnsboro from 1869 to 1888 when it closed and merged with Brainerd Institute in Chester, South Carolina. Joseph Winthrop Holley and Kelly Miller attended the school.[20]

Winnsboro is served by the Fairfield County Public School system.

Infrastructure

Law Enforcement

The Winnsboro Department of Public Safety has faced staffing issues related to retention in 2024. The department typically budgets for 18 officers, while currently only employing five certified officers and one fire dispatcher that year. To address the staffing shortages, particularly during the night shift, the town entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office.[21]

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Notable people

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References

External links

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