Summerville, South Carolina
Encyclopedia
Summerville is a town in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 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. Four states use the official title of...

 of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

 situated mostly in Dorchester County with small portions in Berkeley
Berkeley County, South Carolina
Berkeley County is a county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 142,651. The 2005 Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 151,673. Its county seat is Moncks Corner....

, and Charleston
Charleston County, South Carolina
Charleston County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. According to a 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, its population was 330,368. Its county seat is Charleston. It is the third-most populous county in the state . Charleston County was created in 1901 by an act of the South...

 counties. It is part of the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville Metropolitan Statistical Area as designated for statistical purposes by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The U.S. Census Bureau population of the Town of Summerville was 43,392 as of the 2010 census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The 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...

, the town has a total area of 15.4 square miles (39.8 km²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A 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. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 27,752 people, 10,391 households, and 7,523 families residing in the town.
The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of Summerville is 1,806.7 inhabitants per square mile (697.6/km²). There are 11,087 housing units at an average density of 721.8 per square mile (278.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 77.19% White, 19.38% Black or African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, 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 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.97% of the population.

There were 10,391 households out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the town the population was spread out with 28.7% of the population is under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 84.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $43,635, while the median income for a family was $51,469. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the town was $20,103. About 6.1% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under the age of 18 and 12.2% of those 65 and older.

The city has an abundance of affordable houses and lower taxes than cities such as Mt. Pleasant and Charleston; and has thus experienced rapid population growth. In 2007, it was designated a principal city of the Charleston–North Charleston
North Charleston, South Carolina
North Charleston is the 3rd largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina with incorporated areas in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties. On June 12, 1972 the city of North Charleston incorporated and was the 9th largest city in South Carolina. According to the 2010 Census, North...

–Summerville Metropolitan Statistical Area Summerville is also included as part of the Charleston-North Charleston Urbanized area.

History

The first settlement in Summerville began following the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

; it was referred to as Pineland Village in 1785. Development in the area resulted from plantation owners who resided in the Charleston, SC area, and who came to Summerville to escape seasonal insects and swamp fever.

Summerville became an official town in 1847. In that year, the town passed a law against cutting down trees of particular sizes, the first of such laws in the United States, and a $25 fine was issued upon any who did so without permission. Today, the motto upon the city's official seal reads "Sacra Pinus Esto (The Pine is Sacred)."

In 1899, the International Congress of Physicians (or "Tuberculosis Congress") listed Summerville to be one of the two best areas in the world for treatment and recovery of lung and throat disorders. It received such notation due to its dry and sandy location, and the many pine trees in the area that release turpentine
Turpentine
Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene...

 derivatives into the air. This notation is credited with aiding the commercial and residential development of Summerville.

Tourism

Starting in 1941, the town of Summerville has hosted the annual Flowertown Festival. It is the largest arts and crafts festival in South Carolina. It is held the first weekend of April in the Summerville Azalea Park. In 1925, these flowers led Summerville’s Chamber of Commerce to adopt the slogan "Flower Town in the Pines."

External links

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