Carrsville

The Society Building, located in North Augusta‘s historic Carrsville community, was built in 1930 as the Young Men’s Union Society. Carrsville itself was formed that same year, following the displacement of the residents of Hamburg, a nearby town which had suffered two devastating floods the year before.

Hamburg was founded in 1821 as a trading post on the banks of the Savannah River. However, with the advent of rail transportation, the shipping village eventually became obsolete, leaving it deserted until after the Civil War. During Reconstruction, the abandoned town of Hamurg became a freedmen’s village, and it remained an African-American community well into the twentieth century. The now-extinct town was also the site of a tragedy known as the Hamburg Massacre in 1876. Following the floods, former inhabitants of Hamburg relocated to higher ground.

Both Red Cross Disaster Relief Assistant Director Charles W. Carr and local resident William Carpenter were instrumental in helping people re-establish their lives in the new community. The village likely took its name from one or both men. Today’s Boylan Street, which runs alongside the Society Building, was originally named Red Cross Street in honor of the assistance given to the community by the American Red Cross organization.

William Carpenter was a local black businessman who owned many of the lots donated to the displaced families following the flood. He also owned the lot on which the Young Man’s Union Society built their hall. The organization eventually bought the property, and over the years it has been used for various meetings and gatherings. The Society Building was acquired by Simmons Lodge Number 571 in 1988. Across the street stands another historic landmark with ties to Hamburg – First Providence Baptist Church (seen below).

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