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A History of Sumter
Historyof
Sumter
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Sumter County is as rich in history as it is in tradition and character, the latter of which is rooted in its very name. Gen. Thomas Sumter, one of the legendary patriarchs of the Revolutionary War, was known for his ferocity and ingenuity while leading his campaigns, garnering the nickname “The Fighting Gamecock.” This city carries his name with pride, both in his character and accomplishments. Prior to the American Revolution, the English settled the Sumter area during the 1740s along the Wateree River. Two local churches, High Hills Baptist Church and Church of the Holy Cross, were established in the 1770s and remain landmarks to this day. Famous botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett, for which the poinsettia plant is named, was buried at Church of the Holy Salem Black River Cross. Presbyterian Church (1759) Gen. Sumter led numerous companies on successful campaigns in the Carolinas, fi ghting many battles crucial to the American cause. He even defeated the greatly feared and despised Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton, a fi erce leader of the British dragoons, at Blackstock’s Ford in 1780. Sumter was wounded in several places during that battle and retired to Stateburg, an area now located
in the U.S. 378 and S.C. 261 corridors of Sumter County.
Sumter continued to serve the young nation in a political facet after the war. He was elected to the General Assembly and later to the state Senate. Sumter eventually found himself serving the state of South Carolina in Congress and was crucial in the development of the state and nation. At 98 years old, Thomas Sumter was the last general of the American Revolution to pass away in 1832. He ardently fought for his state’s rights at a crucial time in U.S. history, an effort for which he is still cherished. Sumter’s tomb, located at Sumter Memorial Park near his home in Stateburg, is now a national landmark.
In 1845, the town of Sumterville was established as a plantation settlement just to the east of Stateburg. Ten years later, the name was shortened to Sumter.
During the Civil War, the region once again gained several claims to fame. Citadel Cadet George Edward “Tuck” Haynsworth, a born and buried Sumter native, was arguably the man who fi red the fi rst shot of the war at Fort Sumter in Charleston. Historical landmarks stand throughout Sumter and Sumter County, and a reenactment of Potter’s Raid, one of the fi nal engagements of the Civil War, takes place every year in the outer areas of the county.
In the interest of preserving and remembering our history, Sumter has several museums. The Sumter County Museum features several displays of artifacts, artwork and a historically accurate replica of a typical homestead, staffed by docents in period dress performing the daily duties with which the early settlers of South Carolina were tasked. The museum grounds also feature the Williams-Brice House and Gardens and the Heritage Research Center, where residents can delve into their ancestry and family lineage through public records and other documents.
Located downtown is the Sumter Military Museum. This museum has over 4,000 individual photos on display as well as uniforms, medals and other articles. Local historian Sammy Way manages the museum and gives guided tours to visitors. Also downtown is the Temple Sinai Jewish History Center, which opened in Spring 2018. The center features a brief introduction to Judaism, Jewish settlement in South Carolina, Jewish life in Sumter, the Holocaust, and Sumter’s ties to the Holocaust containing a special section devoted to local Holocaust survivor Abe Stern. The stories are told through photographs, documents, audio excerpts and objects, including a dagger that Stern removed from a deceased German soldier.
Salem Black River Presbyterian Church (1759)
Location: Highway 527, Mayesville
Established in 1759 on a tract of land given by Capt. David Anderson near present-day Mayesville, the imposing brick building was erected in 1856 from bricks made on the grounds of the church.
Over the years, this historic congregation has endured wars, depressions and natural disasters including the Charleston Earthquake of 1886 ,and 1989’s Hurricane Hugo, but it continues to stand in serene testimony to the perseverance of its original Scots-Irish founders. Services are held twice a month. In 2002, a groundbreaking ceremony marked the beginning of the fi rst new construction at Brick Church in more than 100 years.
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