• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SC Picture Project

The purpose of the South Carolina Picture Project is to celebrate the beauty of the Palmetto State while preserving some of its vanishing landscapes.

  • FIND A LANDMARK
    • BY CITY
    • BY COUNTY
    • BY CATEGORY
    • BYGONE LANDMARKS
  • ADD IMAGES
  • VOLUNTEER
  • SPONSORS
  • DONATE

Thornwell Elementary School

SC PICTURE PROJECT 4 Comments

SC Picture Project / Darlington County / Thornwell Elementary School

This school building in historic Hartsville was built in 1926 to replace the former Hartsville Grammar School that burned on this site the year before. The second school, designed by Florence architects William J. Wilkins and Frank Vincent Hopkins, was named Thornwell Elementary School for Dr. J.H. Thornwell, the acting school superintendent who served the Hartsville School District in that capacity from 1919 through 1944. Prior to the desegregation of Darlington County schools in 1970, black students in Hartsville attended Butler School.

Hartsville Grammar School

Bill Segars of Hartsville, 2010 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The school sits adjacent to another former public school building, the Hartsville Public School. That school served local white high school students from 1909 until 1925 when a new Hartsville High School was built on West Carolina Avenue. Thornwell Elementary School operated until 2007 when the Thornwell School of the Arts, a magnet elementary school, was established in the second Hartsville High School building. In 2010 the Darlington County School Board elected to donate this former school building to the Darlington County Community Action Agency for future use as a Head Start center. The organization also owns the adjacent Hartsville Public School as well as the Butler School.

Thornwell School Hartsville

Bill Segars of Hartsville, 2010 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Thornwell Elementary School is listed in the National Register as part of the East Home Avenue District:

The East Home Avenue Historic District is significant for its association with the residential development of Hartsville from ca. 1850 to ca. 1938; as a reflection of the diverse architectural styles and influences of that period; and for its association with the leading figures of the town’s history. Home Avenue has historically been the major residential street in Hartsville since it was laid out and landscaped in 1890. This district specifically illustrates the residential and commercial/industrial growth of Hartsville for the period ca. 1890 to ca. 1938. The district is a collection of 60 primarily residential properties, 54 of which contribute to the historic character of the district and 6 which are non-contributing. Architectural styles and influences include Colonial Revival, Classical Revival, Craftsman, and Bungalow.

Plan Your Trip: Thornwell Elementary School

Where is Thornwell Elementary School located?
Address: 604 East Home Avenue, Hartsville, SC 29550
GPS Coordinates: 34.380838,-80.064290
What else should I see?
Hartsville Public School 0.1 mile
Coker University 0.8 mile
Wesley United Methodist Church 0.9 mile
J.B. Gilbert House 0.9 mile
Show me more like this!
  • Hartsville Historic Sites
  • See other South Carolina National Register
  • See other South Carolina Schools
    Thornwell Elementary School Map

    Please Help Us Stay Online

    We’d like thank everyone who generously supports the South Carolina Picture Project. You provide us with the inspiration and financial support we need to keep doing what we do. Every reader’s contribution, larger or small, is valuable. If you have enjoyed this website or found it helpful, please pitch in. Each donation helps – and it only takes a minute. Thank you!

    Support the SC Picture Project!

    $ 50.00
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $50.00

    You may also like

    You may also like

    Hartsville Public SchoolHartsville Public School Gilbert House HartsvilleJ.B. Gilbert House First Baptist HartsvilleFirst Baptist Church of Hartsville Kalmia GardensKalmia Gardens Pride ParkPride Park

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Monroe Thomas says

      January 17, 2022 at 7:44 PM

      I, my brother, and four other blacks were the first blacks to attend that school. Thornhill Elementary School.

      Reply
    2. Nevaeh jovn says

      October 6, 2017 at 10:25 PM

      How much would it cost to buy this building? Because I want to set up a family fun park there if you don’t mind?

      Reply
      • SCIWAY says

        October 6, 2017 at 11:42 PM

        We are not sure if the building is for sale. We are not directly affiliated with this school, you would need to contact the school board to inquire further. Hope this helps.

        Reply
      • Christina McLeod says

        November 5, 2018 at 9:08 AM

        I wouldn’t build a family fun park there. Not near a paper mill! Sonoco is at the bottom of the old Thornwell School.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    FIND A LANDMARK

    Why This Site Matters

    Help Keep This Site Online

    We depend on the support of today’s readers to document South Carolina’s landmarks for future readers. Please help us continue this important work by making a donation below.

    $ 50.00
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $50.00

    Recent Posts

    • H.L. Hunley
    • Strand Theater
    • Camden Depot
    • Charleston City Marina
    • Secession Hill

    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.

    Footer

    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.

    CONTACT US

    We’d love to hear from you! Send us a quick email at share@scpictureproject.org.

    If you are looking for permission to use a photo, please reach out directly to the photographer listed in the image’s credit.

    JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

    The South Carolina Picture Project has two Facebook groups. One is dedicated to SC Historic Landmarks and Iconic Landscapes, and the other is dedicated to SC Nature and Wildlife.

    South Carolina Picture Project © 2022 · All Rights Reserved