The county seat, Anderson, was heralded as the “City of Hospitality” for its gracious air and beautiful gardens. During the industrial revolution it was reborn as the “Electric City” for its pioneering use of hydroelectric power.

Today Anderson residents combine the strengths of a shared heritage with a positive vision as they plan for their future. This unique civic spirit has earned national recognition, as Anderson was named “All-America City” in 2000 by the National Civic League. The country’s smaller towns, spread around the rolling countryside, each bear a unique character and history. Together, they make Anderson County what it is: a beautiful haven for visitors and a source of pride for those who call it home.

ANDERSON COUNTY PROFILE
County Municipalities: Anderson, Belton, Honea Path, Iva, Pelzer, Pendleton, Starr, West Pelzer, and Williamston.

County Population: 172,988
County Seat: Anderson City
City Population: 25,514

Location: On Interstate 85, halfway between Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA

Climate: Mild, Four-Season
Mean Temperature: 62°
Average Rainfall: 47 inches
Days of Sunshine: 248 annually
Elevation: 764 feet
County Size: 777 square miles

For additional profile information and other community demographics, please visit the Anderson County Development Partnership at www.andersonpartnership.com.

A COMMUNITY OF SPIRIT, A SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY
When a community works together, it works. Anderson’s people – its most important resource – are good-spirited and down-to-earth. It is this spirit for which Anderson has been recognized as an All-America City for the year 2000. The National Civic League bestows this prestigious honor on communities that have found the most innovative solutions to problems through grassroots bridges between public, business, nonprofit organizations and citizens at large. Anderson’s solutions included a beautiful new main library, large YMCA complex, and a community health initiative, which offers free prescription medicines and health care to those unable to pay. Community dreams have been realized with the impressive new sports and entertainment complex, and KidVenture, a playground designed and built as a labor of love by children, parents and friends.

Anderson’s institutions are filled with an enthusiastic spirit and collective vision. Literally hundreds of clubs, organizations, volunteer groups and societies provide a community niche for all kinds of interests and initiatives. Anderson County is home to over 260 places of worship, covering a broad range of religious sects and denominations. Anderson and its inhabitants continue to grow and improve together in positive directions.

A HISTORY OF INNOVATION
In the mid-1700’s, General Robert Anderson, with General Andrew Pickens, explored the Cherokee land that was to become Anderson County. Settled by pioneering small farmers of Scots-Irish and English descent, the area’s agrarian economy did not include slaves. It was this spirit of innovation and self-reliance that prepared its residents for the manufacturing boom in the 19th century. When Anderson sparked the Industrial Revolution in the South with the first long-distance transmission of hydroelectric power, it was dubbed the “Electric City.” The county boasts the state’s oldest cotton mill in operation, Pendleton Factory (now La France Industries), built in 1838.

History buffs can begin their exploration at Hunter’s Store in the 1790 village of Pendleton – the seat of government for the old Pendleton District, from which Anderson was created in 1826. The entire town of Pendleton is on the National Register of Historic Places and comprises one of the largest historic districts in the nation. Many wealthy coastal families had summer homes in the area. Graves of Revolutionary was heroes, statesmen, and important citizens can be found in surrounding cemeteries.

Anderson’s downtown Historic District comprises a 16 block walking tour that includes the Anderson County Courthouse, the Sullivan Building, the P & N Railroad Depot, the Confederate Monument on the square, the Anderson County Museum, the Old Reformer (1764 Revolutionary War Cannon), and the Anderson Arts Center (once the Carnegie Library).

Historical Homes, Tours, Markers & Museums:
Anderson

• Anderson County Museum (864) 260-4737
• Anderson County Arts Center (864) 224-8811
• Self-Guided Tour of Historic Homes on the Boulevard in Anderson (Brochure in the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce Lobby)

Pendleton

• Ashtabula Plantation House (CA. 1825), Hwy 88, 19th Century Plantation Home (864) 646-7249
• Pendleton District Agricultural Museum, Woodburn Exit off Hwy 76/28 (864) 646-3782
• Keese Barn (CA. 1910), Pendleton, Historic African-American Meeting Place
• Pendleton District Commission, Tours, Exhibits, Genealogy (864) 646-3782
• St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (1822) Still with Its Original Furniture; resting place for Thomas Green Clemson, members of the Calhoun Family, and Confederate Generals
• Woodburn Plantation (CA.1832) Hwy 76/28 (864) 646-7249

Nearby

• Old Stone Church (CA.1802) Hwy 76/28. Andrew Pickens and Robert Anderson, Church Founders, are Buried in the Church Cemetery
• Pioneer Complex, SC State Botanical Garden, Clemson, Hwy 76/28. An authentic, relocated complex with historic gardens. (864) 656-3405
• Ruth Drake Museum, Belton, featuring items from Belton’s past. (864) 338-7541

Sights to Visit
Farmers Market
Anderson’s Farmers Market is alive and well in a redesigned pavilion located in downtown Anderson.

Farmers Hall
The Pendleton Farmers Society has met in this building continuously since 1828. It is the oldest farmers hall in continuous use in the nation. Downstairs Farmers Hall is now an indoor/outdoor restaurant on the Pendleton Square.

Hunter’s Store
This former general store now holds a store of knowledge as the home of the Pendleton District Commission and accessible source of genealogical information. It is also a tour center, exhibit area, and arts & crafts shop.

Liberty Hall Inn
This antebellum house, ca. 1840s, has been refurbished and is now open as a bed and breakfast, as well as a fine-dining restaurant.

Belton Depot
Belton turned its former railroad depot into the SC Tennis Hall of Fame and The Ruth Drake Museum with items from Belton’s history.

TRADITION CELEBRATED
High tea or “meat n’ three” – from British formal to country casual, Anderson’s southern heritage is always cooking up fresh. Flaky cobblers made with juicy running-off-the-elbows local berries or peaches, savory barbecue pits…Anderson celebrates timeless traditions as living enjoyment - sometimes with new ingredients, but always full of flavor.

With anxious parents at a little league game or the roaring crowds in nearby Clemson’s 81,000-seat ‘Death Valley’ stadium, sports are a beloved upstate tradition. Visitors flock to the upstate to cheer for the home team, tap their feet to the beat of marching bands – and to enjoy!

The open-air market, another great institution, is alive and well at the Jockey Lot, one of the South’s largest flea markets located on Highway 29 near Williamston. This facility offers 1,000 acres of vendors hawking an outrageous variety of collectibles and “stuff” which attracts approximately 50,000 shoppers and browsers each weekend.

Festivals honoring local customs and histories of the county’s smaller towns take place throughout the year.

The Anderson County Fairgrounds provide the setting for races, carnivals, concerts, benefits, shows, sales and the much-anticipated annual County Fair. Pickling contests, craft demonstrations, livestock shows, rides and fireworks bring young and old together and keep traditions alive.

Anderson is also host to Freedom Weekend Aloft, a hot-air balloon extravaganza, and the Summer Soiree, where the city’s many restaurants set up canopied booths lining Main Street to sell samples of their specialties.

Area Festivals & Events
Spring

• Spring Jubilee, Pendleton (864) 646-3782
• Anderson Summer Soiree (864) 224-8811
• Anderson Spring Fair (864) 226-6114
• Old Farm Days, Pendleton (864) 646-9512
• Great Southeast Balloon Fest, Anderson Sports Complex (864) 232-3700
• Annual Writers Workshop, Anderson www.foothillswritersguild.org

Summer

• Palmetto Junior Tennis Championships, Belton (864) 338-7751
• Spring Water Festival, Williamston Spring Park (864) 847-1818
• Main Street Car Show, Downtown Anderson (864) 225-8530

Fall

• Anderson County Fair (864) 226-6114
• AnMed Health Spooktacular (864) 261-1268
• Standpipe Festival, Belton (864) 847-7111
• Chili Cookoff, Downtown Anderson (864) 231-2200
• Iva Depot Day, Iva (864) 348-6712
• Honea Path Fall Festival, Honea Path (864) 369-2302

Winter

• Christmas Crafts Event, Pendleton (864) 646-3782
• Holidays in the Village, Pendleton (864) 646-3782
• Holiday Walk & Tree Lighting, Anderson (864) 225-8530

For other tourism events and community information, please visit the Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau at www.visitanderson.com.

RENEWAL OF TRADITIONS
Many of Anderson County’s buildings and landmarks have been retooled and given new incarnations, as living monuments that make for a townscape layered in time. One might find, as in Pendleton, an old movie theater turned into the town playhouse, or a historic farmers’ meeting hall serving up a patio lunch on the Square. In the old rail-stop known as Belton, the town depot is now the S.C. Tennis Hall of Fame and museum of local history. Anderson County is full of such places, tributes to both memory and imagination; we love to put old things to new use, to remember as we rejuvenate.

Anderson’s Downtown Revitalization project is a dynamic example of breathing new life into old landmarks; charming shops, restaurants, and galleries line the historic heart of town. Here the old and the new intermingle: from sticky down-home barbecue to lathered cappuccino, from sweet antique memorabilia to cutting-edge artwork, the tree-lined streets of downtown Anderson bring the best moments of its memories together with innovative flair.

 A HUB FOR ADVENTURE
Anderson’s horizon for exploration is promising in all directions. The majestic Blue Ridge Mountains are an easy day trip for hiking, rafting, biking or climbing. Charlotte and Atlanta are each about two hours away; South Carolina’s coastal towns and beaches, three to four hours. Lakes Hartwell, Lake Jocassee, Lake Keowee, Lake Russell, J. Strom Thurmond Lake – collectively known as South Carolina’s “freshwater coast” – comprise 3,000 miles of shoreline and provide year-round recreation: swimming, sailing, boating, canoeing, water-skiing, fishing, or just picnicking along the shore. Largemouth and hybrid bass, rainbow trout, bream, catfish, crappie and walleye all live in their waters. In Anderson’s backyard, birdwatchers can find yellow warbler, swamp sparrow, wood duck, and waterfowl in their habitat at Beaver Dam Wildlife Management Area.

Horse shows, livestock sales, and equestrian events are held at the T. Ed Garrison Arena, a $4.4 million, 100-acre complex just off Highway 76. Boasting both indoor and outdoor arenas, this facility is the largest of its kind in the Southeast. Rodeos are also hosted at the Anderson Civic Center. A number of riding farms and academies in the area provide further options for equestrians and horse fans. NASCAR fans can catch races at Anderson Speedway. And for golfers, the Upstate boasts 125 golf courses, 12 of them in Anderson County. A prized local attraction, the South Carolina State Botanical Garden, contains 270 acres of nature trails, flower gardens, organic sculptures, outdoor classrooms, and historical sites. Next door, explore the Fran Hansen Discovery Center, a showcase of Heritage Corridor treasures, and the Bob Campbell Geology Museum, featuring one of the Southeast’s largest collections of gems and minerals plus rotating natural history exhibits.

SAVOR OUR SMALL-TOWN FLAVOR
Each Anderson town has its distinct personality, but all share an up-close and personal small-town flavor. The county’s municipalities include:

Belton (population 4,461) – Long before Belton was chartered, it was an important stop on the wagon trail from the mountains to Hamburg, Georgia. The town was named Belton in honor of Judge Belton O’Neal who was instrumental in the construction of the Greenville-Columbia railroad and was its first president. The castle-like tower that rises above the town of Belton – the standpipe for water storage – has become a familiar landmark and its image is used as Belton’s logo in the town seal. Belton is now the home to the S.C. Tennis Hall of Fame and holds the annual Standpipe Festival.

Honea Path (population 3,504) – The smallest town in the U.S. to have a Carnegie Library, Honea Path crests the ridge between the Savannah and Saluda Rivers. The name of this town has been under dispute for centuries, spawning a number of legends. Some believe it is the result of misspelling “Honey Path”, while others believe that Cherokees named it after a great trail.

Iva (population 1,156) – Originally known as Cook’s Station, Iva was a shipping station for Seaboard Railroad, and was named after Dr. Augustus Cook. The town name was later changed to Iva, the daughter of Dr. Cook, after it was discovered there was another Cook’s Station in S.C. Iva’s town square, with its gazebo and well monument, has been renovated to reflect the town’s history.

Pelzer (population 97) – Pelzer was named for Francis Pelzer, who was one of the founders of the Pelzer Manufacturing Company that was built in 1881. The first electric generations ever made by General Electric Company were used in Pelzer.

Pendleton (population 2,966) – Pendleton was named for Judge Henry Pendleton, a Virginian who came to live in S.C., and made a name for himself as a jurist, a soldier and a legislator. Stately trees, old churches and cemeteries, antebellum homes, and quaint little shops characterize this charming historic town, still centered around the original village green. Pendleton is the host of the annual Spring Jubilee and Old Farm Days.

Starr (population 173) – Twiggs was the original name of this small town 10 miles south of Anderson until the Savannah Valley railroad was completed in 1884. That was when the name changed to Starr Station in honor of the first popular railway engineer by that name. For almost a century, the surrounding area was largely dominated by now disappearing cotton farms.

West Pelzer (population 989) – Separated from Pelzer only be railroad tracks, West Pelzer was chartered as Frankville in 1913, named after John Franks who made the original town survey, In 1918, the town name was changed to West Pelzer because of its location. Part of the town is still laid out as designed in the original street plan by John Franks.

Williamston (population 3,791) – Williamston was named for West Allen Williams, who discovered a natural mineral spring on his property. The town grew up around this “miracle” mineral spring, whose water was believed to have healing properties and made the town a popular health resort in the early 1800’s. The site where the mineral spring still exists is now Williamston Park, where the town celebrates the annual Spring Water Festival and the Williamston Christmas Park.

A HOME FOR THE ARTS
Attracted to the peaceful countryside, small-town life, and low cost of living, artists live and work throughout Anderson County. Traditional crafts such as quilting, pottery, basket weaving, and metalwork, are being preserved as well as updated in the hands of local artisans. Downtown galleries and museums feature regional and national exhibits, and the Anderson County Arts Center holds many special events for the community, including ongoing arts classes, auctions and traveling shows.

A thriving theater scene includes the Electric City Playhouse, the Anderson Community Theatre, the Anderson College Theater, Project Challenge Playhouse and Pendleton Playhouse. A community favorite is the Senior Follies, a cast of adults who put on an annual vaudeville show sponsored by Anderson College.

With the varied activities of the Anderson Symphony Orchestra Association, the Greater Anderson Music Arts Consortium (GAMAC), area musicians and groups such as the Barbershop Quartet, there is always music in the air.

Art Connections
Anderson County Arts Center (864) 224-8811
Anderson Symphony Orchestra Association (864) 224-6508
Brooks Center for the Performing Arts, Clemson University (864) 656-7787
Callie Stringer Rainey Fine Arts Center, Anderson College (864) 231-2080
Electric City Playhouse (864) 224-4248
Foothills Chorale (864) 287-2236
Foothills Harmony Chorus of Sweet Adelines International (864) 261-6335
Foothills Songwriters www.foothillssongwriters.org
Foothills Writers Guild www.foothillswritersguild.org
Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium (864) 231-6147
Pendleton Playhouse (864) 646-8100
Project Challenge Playhouse (864) 260-5086
Senior Follies (864) 231-2125
Swing Band & The Dixielanders (864) 224-5508

Art Galleries & Studios
Carlene Shuler Brown (864) 225-3922
Mary Cox Gallery (864) 338-6923
O’Henry’s (864) 261-9020
Pottery, Too (864) 964-0207
Rob Gentry Pottery (864) 646-9622
Stine Gallery (864) 225-7639
 

A HOME FOR LIFE
With its small-town charm and urban opportunities, Anderson is the perfect home for a balanced life – inside and out. Its wide variety of eateries, shops and cultural opportunities make day-to-day living a pleasure. Gardeners and golfers can enjoy all of Anderson County’s four mild seasons. And the low cost of living makes it easy to live with amenity.

The proximity of several excellent colleges and universities provides opportunities for learners of all ages. Anderson College, a liberal arts college founded in 1911, has its historic campus within the city limits. For more varied curricula, Tri-County Technical College, just up the road on Highway 76, features continuing education and associate degree programs. Nearby Clemson University, with its extension services, community outreach, and myriad cultural and sports events, provides a great resource for the community at large.

Here at Home…
Colleges

• Anderson College
• Clemson University
• Erskine College
• Erskine Seminary
• Forrest Junior College
• Southern Wesleyan University
• Tri-County Technical College

Libraries
Anderson County
Main Library (300,000 vol.)
9 local branches

Clemson University Libraries
Art & Architecture (45,000 vol.)
Cooper Library (1.6 million vol.)

Tri-County Technical College (35,000 vol.)

Medical Facilities
Anderson Area Medical Center:
587-bed hospital with Level II Trauma Center. A separate Health Campus features Urgent Care, Rehabilitative Services and Advanced Imaging and Diagnostic Centers in the user-friendly D. K. Oglesby Building.

 Sports Facilities

• Anderson Sports Complex
• Coleman Recreational Center
• YMCA Complex

Organizations/Opportunities
Anderson has clubs for many personal interests including:

• Ballet
• Barbershop Quartet
• Bridge
• Birdwatching
• Cycling
• Folk Dancing
• Gardening
• Genealogy
• Hiking/Backpacking
• Horseback Riding
• Quilting
• Running
• Sailing
• Square Dancing
• Stamp Collecting
• Writing
   

For a Listing of Volunteer & Service Organizations Contact:
Anderson Services Association
P.O. Box 4373
Anderson, SC 29622
 

How To Connect…
Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce
(864) 226-3454 www.andersonscchamber.com

Anderson Area Medical Center
800 North Fant Street, Anderson, SC 29621
(864) 261-1000 www.anmed.com

Anderson Convention & Visitor’s Bureau
(864) 716-6397 www.visitanderson.com

Anderson County Development Partnership
(864) 260-4386 www.andersonpartnership.com

Anderson County Library
(864) 260-4500 www.andersonlibrary.org

Anderson County Museum
(864) 260-4737 www.andersoncountysc.org/museum.htm

Anderson County Parks & Recreation
(864) 260-4150 www.parks-recreation.electric-city.net

Anderson Independent-Mail
(864) 224-4321 www.andersonsc.com

Discover Upcountry Carolina Association
(864) 233-2690 www.upcountry-sc.org

Pendleton District Commission
(864) 646-3782 www.pendleton-district.org

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
(864) 654-6346 Fishing & Game

South Carolina Heritage Corridor Mountain Lakes Region
(803) 734-1743 www.sc-heritagecorridor.org

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