Barnwell County at a glance
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arnwell County, once called Winton County, was named after Revolutionary War figure John Barnwell. Like many small Southern areas, Barnwell County grew with the introduction of the railroad. At the time, the railroad linked Charleston to the old town of Hamburg on the Savannah River. Alongside the railroad, small towns, including Blackville and Williston, sprung up creating stops along the railroad. On Christmas Day, 1830, the locomotive “Best Friend” made the first trip along the 136-mile route, averaging 12 miles per hour. At the time it was the longest railroad in the world. By the 1840s, over 100,000 bales of cotton a year were being shipped along it to Charleston. By the 1990s, the railroad tracks had been removed from the area. A highway now runs along the same route. That’s a bit about our past. Read the rest of this magazine to find out about our present and future. Barnwell County Council Freddie Houston (District 1) David Kenner (District 2) Don Harper (District 3) Lowell Jowers (District 4) Ben Kinlaw (District 5) Harold Buckmon (District 6) Jerry Creech (District 7)
Welcome to Barnwell Co.
County Administrator: Pickens Williams Jr. (803) 541-1000 57 Wall Street Barnwell, S.C. 29812
*Council meets the second Tuesday of every month.
Barnwell resident Sondra Knight painted the above map of Barnwell County that includes some of the area’s most iconic buildings and sites.
The People-Sentinel • Information Please 2017 • 5