Society Hill, South Carolina

Society Hill is a town in Darlington County, South Carolina, United States. It is the oldest community in Darlington County.[5] The population was 563 at the 2010 census,[6] down from 700 in 2000. It is part of the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Society Hill, South Carolina
Town
Location of Society Hill, South Carolina
Coordinates: 34°30′50″N 79°51′4″W
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
County	Darlington
Area [1]
• Total	2.19 sq mi (5.68 km^2)
• Land	2.19 sq mi (5.68 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Elevation	167 ft (51 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	563
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	528
• Density	240.88/sq mi (92.98/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	29593
Area code(s)	843, 854
FIPS code	45-67435[3]
GNIS feature ID	1250950[4]

Society Hill was originally settled in the 18th century by a colony of Baptists, who named the community after their "St. David's Society".[7]

Geography

Society Hill is located in northern Darlington County at 34°30′50″N 79°51′4″W (34.513827, -79.851005),[8] on high ground rising to the west of the Pee Dee River. U.S. Routes 15 and 52 pass through the town. US 15 leads northeast 12 miles (19 km) to Bennettsville and 30 miles (48 km) to Laurinburg, North Carolina, and southwest 17 miles (27 km) to Hartsville. US 52 leads north 14 miles (23 km) to Cheraw and south 16 miles (26 km) to Darlington, the county seat. The two highways merge at the north end of town and pass through it as Main Street before diverging 0.8 miles (1.3 km) southwest of the town limits.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), all land.[6] The Pee Dee River, which separates Darlington County from Marlboro County, is 1.4 miles (2.3 km) to the northeast of the town via US 15.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1930	573		—
1940	687		19.9%
1950	645		−6.1%
1960	677		5.0%
1970	806		19.1%
1980	848		5.2%
1990	686		−19.1%
2000	700		2.0%
2010	563		−19.6%
Est. 2019	528	[2]	−6.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 700 people, 269 households, and 203 families residing in the town. The population density was 320.4 people per square mile (124.0/km²). There were 317 housing units at an average density of 145.1 per square mile (56.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 44.43% White, 54.00% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.86% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.

There were 269 households, out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.0% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,057, and the median income for a family was $37,875. Males had a median income of $25,662 versus $18,516 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,005. About 13.3% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.9% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Society Hill has a public library, a branch of the Darlington County Library System.[10]

Notable people

The town was the birthplace of Gashouse Gang member Pat Crawford and the Oklahoma jurist Henry Marshall Furman. The Welsh Neck-Long Bluff-Society Hill Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Japonica Hall was listed separately in 1989.[11]

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
5. "Society Hill". Retrieved October 19, 2013.
6. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Society Hill town, South Carolina". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
7. Moyer, Armond; Moyer, Winifred (1958). The origins of unusual place-names. Keystone Pub. Associates. p. 122.
8. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
10. "South Carolina libraries and archives". SCIWAY. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
11. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.