South Carolina from A to Z

“C” is for Carroll, Richard (1860-1929). Clergyman. Born in Barnwell District, Carroll rose from being enslaved to be one of the most influential African Americans in South Carolina in the early twentieth century.

“B” is for Beasley, David Muldrow (b. 1957). Governor. Humanitarian

“A” is for Ansel, Martin Frederick (1850-1945). Governor. During his second term he oversaw the creation of the South Carolina Office of Public Health and the State Department of Insurance.

“W” is for White, Edward Brickell (1806-1882). Architect. In the twenty years prior to the Civil War, Edward Brickell White was South Carolina’s pre-eminent architect.

“T” is for Townes, Charles Hard (1915-2015). Physicist, Nobel laureate.

“S” is for Sandhills. The Sandhills are gently rolling hills that form the uppermost portion of the coastal plain in South Carolina.

“R” is for Richardson, James Burchell (1770-1836). Governor. Richardson became the first backcountry resident—indeed the first non-Charlestonian—to hold the office.

“P” is for Perry, Benjamin Franklin (1805-1886). Journalist, governor. One of antebellum South Carolina’s preeminent Unionist political leaders, Perry was born in what is now Oconee County.

“M” is for Mays, Benjamin Elijah (1894-1984). Civil rights activist, writer, college president. Born in what is now Greenwood County, Mays—from early childhood—had an insatiable desire for education.

“L” is for LeJau, Francis (ca. 1665-1717). Clergyman, educator.

“J” is for Johnson, William Woodward (1931-2017). Banker. Johnson rose to chairman of the executive committee of Bank of America and was a director of the corporation.

“H” is for Hartsville (Darlington County; 2020 population 7,562). Hartsville owes its existence to Captain Thomas Hart of Society Hill, who purchased much of the original town site in 1812.

“G” is for Gillman, Caroline Howard (1794-1888). In the mid-nineteenth century Caroline Howard Gillman was a well-loved and prolific writer.

“F” is for Fort Prince George. Fort Prince George was constructed in 1753 on the east bank of the Keowee River near the Cherokee village of the same name.

“E” is for Ellison, Lilllian (1923-2007). Professional wrestler. Known to the world as the “Fabulous Mooloah,” Ellison was born in Tookiedoo, South Carolina.

"D” is for DeSaussure, Henry William (1763-1839). Lawyer, jurist, statesman.

“C” is for Carolina Wren. State bird. The Carolina Wren became South Carolina’s official state bird on April 2, 1948.

“B” is for the Beacon Drive-In. In 1946 John B. White opened the Beacon Drive-In restaurant on the outskirts of Spartanburg.

"A” is for Andrews (Georgetown and Williamsburg Counties; 2020 population 2,574). In 1909 the communities of Harpers and Rosemary merged to create the town of Andrews.

You’ve probably heard of NFTs, non-fungible tokens that are usually in the form of digital art. But you may not know that our state is now home to a museum dedicated entirely to NFTs. Robert Matheson is an artist and director of the NFT Museum in Newberry, SC.

“W” is for White, Benjamin Franklin (1800-1879). Composer, author. In 1844 White published The Sacred Harp, a shaped note singing book.

Towne founded Penn School in 1862 that was the first facility providing African Americans with a secondary education. Eventually it served as a normal school, training Black teachers to serve throughout South Carolina.

“S” is for Sanders, Dorinda (Dori) Watsee (b. 1934) Farmer, novelist. Sanders was born in Filbert, in York County. Although she had moved to Maryland in the 1950s, she returned home every year during the growing season helping her family on their two hundred acre peach farm.

“R” is for Richardson, Eudora Ramsay (1891-1973). Feminist, author, lecturer.

“P” is for Penn Center. Located on St. Helena Island in Beaufort County, Penn Center, Inc., originated as the Penn Normal School. It was established by northern missionaries, an effort to educate formerly enslaved Africans and prepare them for life after slavery.