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Fort Motte

SC PICTURE PROJECT 11 Comments

SC Picture Project / Calhoun County / Fort Motte

This farm land is mostly what is left of Fort Motte in Calhoun County. Now extinct, the town is part of present-day St. Matthews. There are a few abandoned buildings along the railroad tracks, including the former jail.

Fort Motte Farm

Barry Gooch of Port Royal, 2013 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The abandoned post office below once made up the heart of the town. The origins of Fort Motte go back to a military outpost during the Revolutionary War. A skirmish known as the Battle of Fort Motte took place near this forgotten community, lending the town its name.

Fort Motte

Leonard Vaughan of Lexington, 2010 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

A village was established here in the mid eighteenth century, and the town was officially incorporated in 1875. Fort Motte continued to thrive into the twentieth century. However, the arrival of the interstate replaced the town’s railroads, leading to the ultimate demise of Fort Motte. Little remains of the former town, but remnants of Fort Motte’s days as a thriving village can be seen in its vacant buildings.

Ft Motte

Leonard Vaughan of Lexington, 2010 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

More Pictures of Fort Motte


Fort Motte Post Office Facade

Brandi Faulk of Mount Croghan, 2019 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Fort Motte Post Office Stamp Detail

Brandi Faulk of Mount Croghan, 2019 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Fort Motte Post Office with Zip Code Visible

Brandi Faulk of Mount Croghan, 2019 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Plan Your Trip: Fort Motte

Where is Fort Motte located?
Address: Town Square Street, St. Matthews, SC 29135
GPS Coordinates: 33.739255,-80.691713
What else should I see?
Fort Motte Jail 0.1 mile
Fort Motte Battle Site 3.2 miles
St. Matthew's Parish Church 3.4 miles
Wateree Country Store 9.1 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina Bygone Landmarks
  • See other South Carolina Jails
  • See other South Carolina Post Offices
  • See other South Carolina Stores
    Fort Motte Map

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Daphne says

      May 21, 2022 at 7:36 AM

      Can anyone tell me the exact location of the wooden shed?

      Reply
    2. Stanley McDuffie says

      December 28, 2019 at 11:08 PM

      My grandparents live there, Henry and Annie McDuffie. Do you know them?

      Reply
    3. Sophia Harrison says

      February 24, 2019 at 12:02 PM

      I as born in Fort Motte in 1949, still have family there.

      Reply
    4. Matt Woolsey says

      September 5, 2018 at 10:39 AM

      My great-great grandfather once had a tavern there.

      Reply
      • B. William says

        April 26, 2021 at 5:53 PM

        Mr. McDuffie, we may be related. Can you confirm your great-grandmother was Susie Hair? In addition, can you confirm where your grandparents moved after leaving Forte Motte?

        Reply
    5. Laurin Thomas says

      June 24, 2016 at 12:27 PM

      I am a Christie. My great-grandfather was Joseph Christie. I don’t believe there are any Christies left in Fort Motte, but I would love to make connections to see our old family home and meet people who may have known my family, although we have been gone a long time. My great-aunt, Myrtle Christie Caliman Moore, I believe, was the last born there. We brought her to visit about a year before she died. She also collected Julia Peterkin books.

      Reply
      • Doug Hebert says

        May 4, 2022 at 8:20 PM

        I’m an experienced metal detectorist in Dalzell (Sumter County) and I wondered if anyone at Ft. Motte with historical property would be interested in having their grounds searched for possible relics? I have references if desired, have been detecting for over 25 years, am a retired USAF veteran. Please contact me at hebert.doug@gmail.com. Thank you!

        Reply
    6. Jackie Whitmore says

      June 13, 2015 at 8:29 AM

      Check out the 2015 The Fort Motte Community Festival Reunion

      Reply
    7. Beth Rickborn Hardage says

      March 17, 2015 at 6:16 PM

      My mother was born in Fort Motte. Her father worked for Southern Railway at the depot there.

      Reply
    8. Elizabeth C Robinson says

      January 11, 2015 at 2:09 AM

      I was raised a few miles out of the town of Fort Motte but spent a lot of time there. My best friend’s mother was Post Mistress there. The town still had one general store as well as the post office at that time (in the early 50s). Sorry that these little towns have to fade away to nothing. Lots of memories there.

      Reply
    9. Leonard Vaughan says

      June 6, 2012 at 9:12 PM

      The Ft. Motte Post Office was once located in a portion of this brick building.

      Reply

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    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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