Tamassee, South Carolina
Encyclopedia
Tamassee is an unincorporated community
located in northwestern Oconee County, South Carolina
, United States
.
The valley, in fact, is surrounded by a portion of the southern Blue Ridge Mountains called the “Chattooga Escarpment” in reference to a Federally Designated Wild and Scenic River, the Chattooga, which flows just beyond these mountain ridges.
Tamassee is bordered on the West and North by the Pickens Ranger District of the Sumter National Forest
. This area of national forest is characterized by a portion of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, rivers, waterfalls and hiking trails. The area is noted for its extremely rich biological diversity; which is said to owe to unique soil characteristics and elevated annual precipitation levels.
to serve the underprivileged children of Appalachia
. Historic buildings can be observed on the DAR School campus. The school survives and thrives to this day, consistently graduating classes of children between the ages of 13 and 18.
Today, the Tamassee area maintains a rural and agricultural foundation, and provides a pleasant setting for day hikes, country drives and historical investigation.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
located in northwestern Oconee County, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Overview
The Tamassee area is located in and very near the Blue Ridge Mountains. A large part of the community occupies the scenic Cheohee Valley, “a beautiful rolling meadow framed by mountains and a wide triangle of sky.”The valley, in fact, is surrounded by a portion of the southern Blue Ridge Mountains called the “Chattooga Escarpment” in reference to a Federally Designated Wild and Scenic River, the Chattooga, which flows just beyond these mountain ridges.
Tamassee is bordered on the West and North by the Pickens Ranger District of the Sumter National Forest
Sumter National Forest
The Sumter National Forest is one of two forests in South Carolina that are managed together by the United States Forest Service, the other being the Francis Marion National Forest. The Sumter National Forest consists of which are divided into several non-contiguous sections in western South...
. This area of national forest is characterized by a portion of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, rivers, waterfalls and hiking trails. The area is noted for its extremely rich biological diversity; which is said to owe to unique soil characteristics and elevated annual precipitation levels.
The Tamassee DAR School
Tamassee is home to the Tamassee DAR School; a school founded in 1919 by the Daughters of the American RevolutionDaughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
to serve the underprivileged children of Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
. Historic buildings can be observed on the DAR School campus. The school survives and thrives to this day, consistently graduating classes of children between the ages of 13 and 18.
History: Cherokee Origins
The name "Tamassee" means "Place of the Sunlight of God", according to an interpretation of the Cherokee word which gave the area its original title. Tamassee was the name given by the Cherokee to originally describe a Cherokee village in the area, which legend tells, was home to a magical and powerful Cherokee prophet. The Cherokee town of Tamassee was likely destroyed or abandoned after 1775 when Andrew Pickens fought in the famed "ring fight", which drove the Cherokee from the otherwise peaceful village. There is currently a South Carolina state historical marker denoting the Cherokee Village of “Tamassee Town” in the Cheohee Valley of Tamassee.Today, the Tamassee area maintains a rural and agricultural foundation, and provides a pleasant setting for day hikes, country drives and historical investigation.