Everything about Graniteville South Carolina totally explained
Graniteville is an
unincorporated community in
Aiken County,
South Carolina,
United States. It lies along
U.S. Route 1, five miles (8 km) west of
Aiken. The town straddles Horse Creek which originates in the nearby town of
Vaucluse.
History
Graniteville dates to
1845 when
William Gregg built
the South's first large scale
cotton mill in what became known as Graniteville. His paternalistic
mill town included 90 homes, several
boarding houses, six stores, two churches, and a school for the mill workers and their families. The community got its name because most of those original buildings were constructed of blue
granite. Mr. Gregg required the children of mill workers to attend the public school he instituted and violators were fined. As such, Graniteville holds the distinction of having the first compulsory education system in the South.
Economy
Until 1996, Graniteville was the home office and central location of a collection of
textile plants in South Carolina and Georgia known as
The Graniteville Company. In 1996, the company was bought out by
Avondale Mills, a company which was one of the largest
denim manufacturers in the
United States. Avondale closed or sold off all of its plants in the area in 2006, unable to recover financially from the train accident in 2005. Graniteville is also home to a
Bridgestone/
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company plant.
A continuing legacy of
The Graniteville Company is the Gregg-Graniteville Foundation which was established by the company in 1941 in honor of Mr. Gregg. To continue his genuine concern for people, the Foundation awards annual college scholarships and other charitable contributions. A centerpiece of the Graniteville community is the Gregg Park Civic Center, a modern recreational complex whose full array of services are offered to community residents at a very nominal charge. The Foundation funds the complex which includes a walking track, softball and baseball fields, tennis courts, swimming area, picnic area. The gym includes a basketball court, weight room, exercise room, racquetball courts, locker rooms and showers.
Demographics
According to the most recent numbers, the community has a population of 7,009. Up from around 1000 in 1990. The area is 34.72 sq.mi. of which 0.6% is water. Hispanic/Latino: 2.1%
White*: 69%
Black*: 26.8%
Native American*: 1%
Asian*: 0.3%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander*: 0%
Other*: 0.1%
Multiracial*: 1%
- Does not include individuals
in this racial group
who identify as Hispanic/Latino(External Link
): Please Note, these demographics are ONLY for the zip code, and may or may not be indictive of the community's actual demographics
In The News
On
January 6,
2005, a Norfolk Southern Railway
freight train struck a parked train on the spur leading to Avondale's Stevens Steam Plant. One of two train cars that were carrying liquid
chlorine ruptured, releasing a poisonous chlorine cloud. Nine people were killed, more than 250 injured, and more than five thousand were displaced from their homes for more than a week. On May 20, 2006 the town dedicated a memorial to those who perished. The memorial is located in a small park at the intersection of Canal St and Aiken Rd.
Incorporation
There have been talks about incorporating the villages of
Graniteville,
Vaucluse, and,
Warrenville, recently, the towns approved a referendum to vote on whether or not to incorporate.
(External Link) If approved, the municipality would be around 20 sq. miles
(External Link)Further Information
Get more info on 'Graniteville South Carolina'.
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