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South Carolina Western Railway

SC PICTURE PROJECT 2 Comments

SC Picture Project / Darlington County / South Carolina Western Railway

The South Carolina Western Railway was significant in bringing commerce to Darlington in the early twentieth century. It proposed to “build a railroad from McBee through Hartsville and Darlington to Florence” and brought travelers to the town as they made their way across the state.

SC Western Railway Station

Bill Segars of Hartsville, 2012 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

A special bond issue election was called for funding the railroad construction, and in May 1911 the South Carolina Western Railway and depot were completed. The depot was designed and built by African-American master carpenter Lawrence Reese.

South Carolina Western Railway

Bill Segars of Hartsville, 2012 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The railway merged with Carolina, Atlantic and Western Railway in 1914 and Seaboard Airline Railway in 1915. It operated successfully for the first half of the twentieth century and was sold in 1963. Today the building is privately owned and used as a business.

 South Carolina Western Railway

Bill Fitzpatrick of Taylors, 2012 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The South Carolina Western Railway is listed in the National Register:

(Seaboard Air Line Railroad Station) The South Carolina Western Railway Station is significant for its association with several railway companies that played major roles in Darlington’s economy in the first half of the twentieth century. The station was completed in 1911. Rectangular in plan, the brick building has projecting rectangular bays at the center of its north and south sides. The hipped roof features a bell-cast profile, red clay tile, and wide bracketed eaves. On the north and south slopes of the roof are intersecting gables, each containing a Palladian window and wood shingle siding. Piercing the roof at the ridgeline are two brick interior chimneys, which are paneled. Windows are double-hung, one-over-one, with sandstone sills and lintels. Doors of the asymmetrical north and south elevations are paneled and have operable transoms.

The South Carolina Western Railway was chartered in Darlington on August 26, 1910. The rail line from McBee to Darlington was open to service on May 15, 1911, and the passenger station was completed shortly thereafter. Lawrence Reese, a black master carpenter who had constructed many houses in Darlington, built the station.

Plan Your Trip: South Carolina Western Railway

Where is South Carolina Western Railway located?
Address: 109 Russell Street, Darlington, SC 29532
GPS Coordinates: 34.303687,-79.869021
What else should I see?
Darlington County Courthouse 0.2 mile
Old Darlington Public Square 0.3 mile
St. Matthew's Church 0.3 mile
Darlington Carnegie Library 0.3 mile
Show me more like this!
  • Darlington Historic Sites
  • See other South Carolina National Register
  • See other South Carolina Trains & Depots
    South Carolina Western Railway Map

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joyce O. Hamman says

      June 10, 2019 at 10:17 PM

      Just want to say how much I love the pictures of old buildings, especially churches, and the stories about them, even when they are falling down. I think about peoples’ hopes and dreams when they moved into a new home, no matter how small. Don’t like pictures of snakes and alligators!

      Reply
    2. Charles Carr says

      February 6, 2019 at 10:55 PM

      Do you have a map of the actual line itself? If so please publish it. Thank you.

      Reply

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    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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    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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