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Yeah.. I just dont know what keeps it going other than SC State, Claflin, Tech College, Hospital and a few plants? Meanwhile the southside of Lexington County seems to be booming with new industries, warehouses and the State Farmers Market along with Amazon and other industries... That 12th Street corridor between I-77 and I-26 seems prime for new industrial growth...I know we can always talk of "what ifs" but if Orangeburg was just a little closer to Columbia.. possibly where Swansea or Gaston is located.. it would be an entirely different ball game.
Southern Lexington County isn’t doing very well either. I grew up in Swansea from age 8 to 15. When I drive through and around the town now, I see some new stuff, but not much at all, and the little downtown looks more rundown than ever and has some caved-in buildings literally. It is sad.
And I read a census report in one of the newspapers, P&C I think, that Swansea’s population was down in the 700’s in 2020, despite annexing a mile out in each direction thinking that move have them close to 1,000.
If Orangeburg were there, I don’t know how much it would help. Swansea is getting a Dollar General last I heard. Whoopee. The shameful thing about that development was tearing down two beautiful old houses where 321 and 6 intersect to build the DG.
I don’t know what the answer is for Swansea, North or Orangeburg. The only thing I would recommend would be for the people to recognize their assets, cling to them, and try to build on them.
Yeah, the downtown streetscaping is attractive but there's not enough capital flowing through town to fill up the empty storefronts along Russell Street. The biggest and most anticipated development in town now is the opening of the new county library and conference center on the edge of downtown, and the future redevelopment of "railroad corner" will be good as well. And there's a new industrial park with high-volume utilities capabilities being developed just south of town also. East of town in Santee and at the U.S. 301/I-26 interchange, two more industrial parks are being developed. Most new commercial development occurs along U.S. 601 near I-26 or on North Road where the mall (which is on its last legs unfortunately) and big boxes are located (Wal-Mart, Lowes, Office Depot).
The era of increased globalized trade and increased industry consolidation has really hurt towns like Orangeburg that were once much more economically stable with several manufacturing plants providing a good living for county residents. Hopefully these industrial parks put a sizable dent in area unemployment. With development creeping northward from Charleston, the parks east of town stand a decent chance at success.
Southern Lexington County isn’t doing very well either. I grew up in Swansea from age 8 to 15. When I drive through and around the town now, I see some new stuff, but not much at all, and the little downtown looks more rundown than ever and has some caved-in buildings literally. It is sad.
And I read a census report in one of the newspapers, P&C I think, that Swansea’s population was down in the 700’s in 2020, despite annexing a mile out in each direction thinking that move have them close to 1,000.
If Orangeburg were there, I don’t know how much it would help. Swansea is getting a Dollar General last I heard. Whoopee. The shameful thing about that development was tearing down two beautiful old houses where 321 and 6 intersect to build the DG.
I don’t know what the answer is for Swansea, North or Orangeburg. The only thing I would recommend would be for the people to recognize their assets, cling to them, and try to build on them.
Wow... that is sad to hear.. Admittedly I have not been to downtown Swansea in a few years but for Googlemaps.. Things seem to be a little better the closer you get to Columbia and over by I26. That entire section of Lexington County leading into Orangeburg and eventually Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, and Calhoun Counties is very economically challenged so there are likely no easy answers to change their trajectory until there is more spill over (likely from Charleston) via Dorchester and Colleton Counties for Orangeburg and maybe from Aiken County for Barnwell? But there is still alot of land left to be developed in those "spill over" Counties for it to reach them .. so it may be a while.
Wow... that is sad to hear.. Admittedly I have not been to downtown Swansea in a few years but for Googlemaps.. Things seem to be a little better the closer you get to Columbia and over by I26. That entire section of Lexington County leading into Orangeburg and eventually Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, and Calhoun Counties is very economically challenged so there are likely no easy answers to change their trajectory until there is more spill over (likely from Charleston) via Dorchester and Colleton Counties for Orangeburg and maybe from Aiken County for Barnwell? But there is still alot of land left to be developed in those "spill over" Counties for it to reach them .. so it may be a while.
Colleton County would have to be getting spillover itself in order for a neighboring county to get any from Colleton. At the rate things are going, it's more likely that Colleton would benefit from Orangeburg County spillover creeping its way from Dorchester County than anything.
Barnwell and Allendale (along with Aiken) counties just came into some federal settlement funds over issues of unlawful plutonium storage at SRS, which will hopefully be put to good use, primarily for infrastructure, education, and economic development.
I’ll say this. Several of my ancestors on my mom’s side were born in or lived in Orangeburg by the mid-1700’s, the earliest one on my family tree - after a quick review of it - being born there in 1736 and raised there.
Nothing would make me happier as far as the economic health of South Carolina’s cities and town go than to see prosperity from Charleston, where my earliest colonial maternal ancestors settled, to Orangeburg and all points between, and all over the state for that matter.
A problem for me, though, is for places to be relying on future spillover from other places through the development pattern that has caused so much traffic gridlock and unsightly sprawl. Towns and cities need to look inward. The people need to organize and work together to build on their communities’ physical assets and community identities.
Orangeburg is old. I don’t much about it, though, in terms of historical significance. Is there a tourism division there? At least Branchville cashes in the best it can on its railroad museum and restaurant.
Baby steps. Basic quality education/training. Etc.
What made Orangeburg a "place" to begin with? The City proper clearly built up before the arrival of the interstate. Its not on a river so it likely had to be the railroads and I guess SC State and Claflin? It seems pretty well developed though one may say its now in decline now despite the gains in the city center. It just doesnt seem apparent to me how it grew and built itself out say prior to 1970s as I dont see any old warehouses or manufacturing centers in town or railway stations etc that would lend itself to saying it was a major rail hub like you see in places like Sumter and Florence.
What made Orangeburg a "place" to begin with? The City proper clearly built up before the arrival of the interstate. Its not on a river so it likely had to be the railroads and I guess SC State and Claflin? It seems pretty well developed though one may say its now in decline now despite the gains in the city center. It just doesnt seem apparent to me how it grew and built itself out say prior to 1970s as I dont see any old warehouses or manufacturing centers in town or railway stations etc that would lend itself to saying it was a major rail hub like you see in places like Sumter and Florence.
The Edisto River runs through Orangeburg, not sure how navigable it is to the coast but that could be the reason for its initial settlement. Prior to I-95 being built HWY 301 was a major route from North to South along the east Coast. Most of the older commercial development in Orangeburg (hotels/restaurants) are along 301. I’ve always heard that area is the midpoint between South Florida and New York/New England so maybe that had something to do with its rise. I’m sure the Colleges played a role as well and SC States diminishing enrollment is kind of a microcosm of the City/County it resides in.
“European settlement in this area started in 1704 when George Sterling set up a post here for fur trade with Native Americans. To encourage settlement, the General Assembly of the Province of South Carolina in 1730 organized the area as a township, naming it Orangeburg for William IV, Prince of Orange, the son-in-law of King George II of Great Britain. In 1735, a colony of 200 Swiss, German and Dutch immigrants formed a community near the banks of the North Edisto River. The site was attractive because of the fertile soil and the abundance of wildlife. The river provided the all-important transportation waterway to the port of Charleston on the Atlantic coast for the area's agriculture and lumber products, and for shipping goods upriver. The town soon became a well-established and successful colony, composed chiefly of small yeomen farmers.”
The railroad came later. Historians aren’t sure of the water route used to get from Charleston to the Edisto River.
Orangeburg probably still has some work to do to get everyone on the same page without regard to race. For instance, my aunt lives there, in the city, in one of the nicer neighborhoods. Recently she said on Facebook, in one of many conversations on there about everyone getting along and just being one race, the human race, that most of her neighbors are Black.
The wife of my cousin (her nephew) chimed in and said something sincerely to the effect that she hoped my aunt would think nothing of inviting her Black neighbors over for coffee or talking with them across the garden fence just as she would white neighbors. I’m not sure my aunt is there yet. Maybe she is. She’s 78.
My point is that cities Orangeburg’s size need everyone to think of themselves as all working and pulling for the same team. Otherwise there will continue to be divisions that pull the whole place down. That story has gone on for too long.
A problem for me, though, is for places to be relying on future spillover from other places through the development pattern that has caused so much traffic gridlock and unsightly sprawl. Towns and cities need to look inward. The people need to organize and work together to build on their communities’ physical assets and community identities.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlestondata
Here’s how the city got its start.
Wikipedia:
“European settlement in this area started in 1704 when George Sterling set up a post here for fur trade with Native Americans. To encourage settlement, the General Assembly of the Province of South Carolina in 1730 organized the area as a township, naming it Orangeburg for William IV, Prince of Orange, the son-in-law of King George II of Great Britain. In 1735, a colony of 200 Swiss, German and Dutch immigrants formed a community near the banks of the North Edisto River. The site was attractive because of the fertile soil and the abundance of wildlife. The river provided the all-important transportation waterway to the port of Charleston on the Atlantic coast for the area's agriculture and lumber products, and for shipping goods upriver. The town soon became a well-established and successful colony, composed chiefly of small yeomen farmers.”
Orangeburg literally got its start relying on its economic ties to Charleston, and that's what will sustain it into the foreseeable future.
There are literally tons of nice-looking towns all across the South that have "looked inward" without much to show for it in terms of increased economic development. We live in the 21st century which is clearly the era of metropolitan regions and if that connection is lacking (or there is no research university in town that can attract capital), you can be the Prettiest Town in Dixie and still languish. Edisto Memorial Gardens, the Grand American Coon Hunt, and SC State's homecoming can only do so much.
The Edisto River runs through Orangeburg, not sure how navigable it is to the coast but that could be the reason for its initial settlement. Prior to I-95 being built HWY 301 was a major route from North to South along the east Coast. Most of the older commercial development in Orangeburg (hotels/restaurants) are along 301. I’ve always heard that area is the midpoint between South Florida and New York/New England so maybe that had something to do with its rise. I’m sure the Colleges played a role as well and SC States diminishing enrollment is kind of a microcosm of the City/County it resides in.
Yeah I can see from aerial maps how it spring up on the banks of the Edisto 200yrs ago it may have been a different type of river and I could see barge or raft traffic using it though it was certainly a loooong trip to the Atlantic . So many towns spring up with dreams of commerce and prosperity ...some make it some fall behind and decline because of poor leaders and or changing economic shifts and demographics ....I agree with Mutuny77 that there is only so much you can do looking inward though it's an important first step. ...the world is a constantly changing place where it's often hard if not impossible to keep up
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