Iva — Iva, South Carolina

The small town of Iva sits in Anderson County near the Abbeville County line. Unincorporated until 1904, it was settled in the late eighteenth century as Cook’s Station. The town, founded by Dr. Augustus Cook, was a shipping station for the Seaboard Railroad. When he discovered another community called Cook’s Station in South Carolina, Dr. Cook changed the town’s name to Iva in honor of his daughter, Iva Cook Bryson.

Iva thrived for a time with a textile mill and local businesses. Jackson Textile Mill, seen below, was built in 1905 by Thomas C. Jackson. The mill was a dependable source of income for Iva residents throughout much of the twentieth century, causing economic hardships when it closed in the early 1990s. Today, the mill buildings stand empty in the center of the small town.

Pictured below is the old Iva Drugstore, which was built in 1906. Unfortunately, time took its toll on the building and it was demolished in October 2009. Today residents of Iva enjoy nearby Lake Secession, and the town’s proximity to other bodies of water such as Lake Thurmond, Lake Russell, Lake Greenwood, and the Savannah River lend to its nickname, “The Gateway to the Freshwater Coast.”

Iva sponsors community events such as the Summer Nights annual concert series and Art Week each January. In April of 2015, Iva hosted the inaugural Spring and Garden Express, a flower and garden event for local green thumbs.

Historic Pictures of Jackson Mill in Iva

The following photos were graciously contributed to us from a private collector. The captions under each photo are what appeared on the back of each photograph to explain operations at Jackson Mills. These photos were thought to have been from the 1940s. One of the photographs had the name “Coxe High Grade Photography Greenville, SC” on the back.

More Pictures of Iva

Reflections on Iva

Contributor Michael R. Bannister shares, “In the early 1900s, Dr. Ernest Watson opened this drugstore and sold family remedies, Nunnally’s candy, fancy stationary, and school supplies.”

Add your own reflections here.

Iva Map

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