This quaint building is known as the Wateree Country Store and stands along McCords Ferry Road, which itself is named for an historic Revolutionary War site along the Congaree River in Camden. Wateree – located near Eastover in Richland County – takes its name from the Wateree Indians who once lived in this area. Wateree is also the name of a river near Camden and may mean “to float on water.” Lake Wateree in Kershaw County takes its name from this tribe as well.
The store is unique in that it was established in 1856 and operated until the mid-1990s, meaning it served Wateree for well over a century! Its owners lived in a house behind it (1).
According to the SC Department of Transportation, which sponsored a guide to country stores in South Carolina (2), the Wateree Country Store is a model of a “one-part” general store and has the following architectural features:
- Oriented at road âTâ
- Pier construction with metal sheets covering
- Seamed metal roof with chuimney flue
- Sponsored store name sign (in this case, by Coca Cola)
- Longer than it is wide
- Front-facing gable
- Symmetrical three-bay front
- Controlled entry â minimal doors
- Central double-paneled doors
- Barred windows flanking front entry
- Nearly windowless side elevations maximize interior retail space, and provide open canvas for painted and/or applied advertising signage
- Sidewalls and front used as open canvas for signage
We are actively seeking additional information to add to this entry. If you can help, please add information below. Thank you!
1. Christine Shearer Whalen of Piedmont, SC
2. Rural Commerce in Context: South Carolina’s Country Stores, 1850-1950, New South Associates, 2012
Wateree Country Store: Help Us Learn More
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