Fairfield County is a
countyA county is a land area of local government within a country. A county may have cities and towns within its area. Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count .Counts are called earls in post-Celtic Britain, Ireland and France—the term is from Old...
located in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
South CarolinaSouth Carolina is a U.S. state that borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence from the British Crown during the American Revolution. The colony was...
. In 2000, its population was 23,454. The 2005 census estimate placed the population at 24,047. Its
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
is
WinnsboroWinnsboro is a town in Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,599 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Fairfield County. Winnsboro is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.
Fairfield County is part of the
Columbia, South CarolinaColumbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 116,278 according to the 2000 census . Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into Lexington County. The city is the center of a metro area of 728,063...
,
Metropolitan Statistical AreaThe Columbia Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of six counties in central South Carolina, anchored by the city of Columbia. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 647,158...
.
It is alleged that the county name originated from a statement made by General Cornwallis when he declared "How Fair These Fields" during the British occupation of the area in 1780-81.
Fairfield County is a
countyA county is a land area of local government within a country. A county may have cities and towns within its area. Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count .Counts are called earls in post-Celtic Britain, Ireland and France—the term is from Old...
located in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
South CarolinaSouth Carolina is a U.S. state that borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence from the British Crown during the American Revolution. The colony was...
. In 2000, its population was 23,454. The 2005 census estimate placed the population at 24,047. Its
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
is
WinnsboroWinnsboro is a town in Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,599 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Fairfield County. Winnsboro is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.
Fairfield County is part of the
Columbia, South CarolinaColumbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 116,278 according to the 2000 census . Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into Lexington County. The city is the center of a metro area of 728,063...
,
Metropolitan Statistical AreaThe Columbia Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of six counties in central South Carolina, anchored by the city of Columbia. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 647,158...
.
History
It is alleged that the county name originated from a statement made by General Cornwallis when he declared "How Fair These Fields" during the British occupation of the area in 1780-81. The house Cornwallis
http://www.fairfieldchamber.org/cornwallis.html stayed in during the occupation is still standing and has been continuously used as a residence since that time.
Several years before the Revolution, Richard Winn from Virginia moved to what is now called Fairfield County. His lands covered the present site of Winnsboro, and as early as 1777 the settlement was known as "Winnsborough".
The village was laid out and chartered in 1785 upon petition of Richard Winn, John Winn and John Vanderhorst. John, Richard, and Minor Winn all served in the Revolutionary War. Richard was a General and he is said to have fought in more battles than any Whig in South Carolina. John was a Colonel.
In December 1832 Winnsboro was incorporated as a town to be governed by an intendant and wardens.
The most prominent architectural feature of Fairfield County is the Town Clock in Winnsboro. South Carolina's General Assembly authorized Winnsboro's town fathers to build a market house that "shall not be of greater width than " to allow of wagon travel on either side. The narrow building was modeled after Independence Hall in Philadelphia and built on the site of a duck pond. A clock was added in 1837, and the building has since been known as the Town Clock. Residents boast the clock is the longest continuously running clock in the United States.
The County Courthouse
http://www.fairfieldchamber.org/courthouse.html, across from the Town Clock, has watched Winnsboro's daily activities since 1823. Designed by South Carolina architect Robert Mills, the courthouse houses records dating as far back as the middle 1700s.
Fairfield County has numerous churches, some of which have existed for over 200 years. Perhaps the most famous church, built in 1788, is the
Old Brick ChurchOld Brick Church, which is also known as Ebenezer Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church or First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church is a church built in 1788 about north of Jenkinsville on SC 213 in Fairfield County, South Carolina. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places on...
http://www.fairfieldchamber.org/brickchurch.html, where the
Associate Reformed PresbyterianThe Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church is a small denomination, formed from the merger of the Associate and most of the Reformed Presbyterian churches in Philadelphia in 1782...
Synod of the Carolinas was organized in 1803. A note penciled on the wall of the Old Brick Church is testimony to a Union soldier's regret at the church's floor boards being taken up to build a crossing over the nearby river for General Sherman's troops.
The early settlers in the mid-1700s brought cotton to the County, and it remained the main crop until depletion of the soil and boll weevil called the industry to a halt in the 1920s. Granite deposits in the County led to the early development of quarrying. Winnsboro blue granite, "The Silk of the Trade," is used worldwide in buildings and monuments.
The excellent hunting and fishing that the Indians enjoyed still exist today. Fairfield County, with an abundance of deer and wild turkeys, is a focal point for sportsmen.
The county is also home to the South Carolina Railroad Museum.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the county has a total area of 710 square miles (1,839 km²), of which, 687 square miles (1,778 km²) of it is land and 23 square miles (60 km²) of it (3.29%) is water.
Adjacent Counties
- Chester County, South Carolina
Chester County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 34,068; in 2005 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that its population had dropped to 33,228. Its county seat is Chester.-Geography:According to the U.S...
- north
- Lancaster County, South Carolina
Lancaster County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 61,351; the population was estimated to have reached 75,000 by 2008. Its county seat is Lancaster.-Geography:According to the U.S...
- northeast
- Kershaw County, South Carolina
Kershaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 52,647. The 2005 census estimate placed the population at 56,486. Its county seat is Camden....
- east
- Richland County, South Carolina
Richland County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The 2000 U.S. census recorded its population to be 320,677. In 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that its population had reached 364,001. It is the second most populous county in South Carolina, behind only Greenville...
- south
- Newberry County, South Carolina
Newberry County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 36,108. The 2005 Census estimate placed the population at 37,250. Its county seat is Newberry. The name is of unknown origin.-Geography:According to the U.S...
- west
- Union County, South Carolina
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 29,881. Its county seat is Union. It is included in the Union, South Carolina, Micropolitan Statistical Area....
- northwest
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 23,454 people, 8,774 households, and 6,387 families residing in the county. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 34 people per square mile (13/km²). There were 10,383 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 39.58%
WhiteRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 59.09%
BlackRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
African AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.15%
Native AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.19%
AsianRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.44% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.55% from two or more races. 1.07% of the population were
HispanicRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
LatinoRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 8,774 households out of which 32.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.90% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 20.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.20% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the county, the population was spread out with 26.10% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 13.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,376, and the median income for a family was $35,943. Males had a median income of $29,033 versus $21,197 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the county was $14,911. About 17.20% of families and 19.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.70% of those under age 18 and 24.10% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- Jenkinsville
Jenkinsville is a newly incorporated town in western Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States, between the Broad and the Little Rivers. It is located east of Monticello Reservoir and is near the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station. Also in the area is the Kincaid-Anderson House and...
- Ridgeway
Ridgeway is a town in Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 328 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Ridgeway is located at ....
- Winnsboro
Winnsboro is a town in Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,599 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Fairfield County. Winnsboro is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area....
Unincorporated Communities
- Mitford
Mitford is an unincorporated community in Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States. Its altitude is 568 feet .-References:...
- Winnsboro Mills
Winnsboro Mills is a census-designated place in Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,263 at the 2000 census...