The public is cordially invited to the Old Edgefield District Genealogical Society meeting on Sunday, March 10th, at 3:00 p. m., in the Edgefield County Council Chambers, 225 Jeter Street, Edgefield, SC. The guest speaker will be Dr. Keith Stephenson, who is director of the Savannah River Archaeology Program (SRARP) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). He will be speaking on “The Charleston to Hamburg Railway – Then and Now,” with particular focus on the train line from Aiken to Warrenville that was lost for 165 years.
In the mid -1820s Charleston, SC’s economy was waning and the goods from the interior were coming down the Savannah River to the port of Savannah. A group of far thinking business men, in Charleston, planned to build a railroad to Hamburg, SC on the Savannah River across from Augusta, GA. This location would allow the train to attract trade goods to the Charleston market and not make the long journey to Savannah. On December 19, 1827 the SC General Assembly chartered the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company. Work began on the rail line on January 30, 1830. By October 1, 1833 the rail line reached Hamburg and regular service was begun between Charleston and Hamburg. At this time the rail road was the longest in the world. It was the first to offer regular service for passengers and freight over this distance. The train line from Aiken to Warrenville was lost for 165 years. In 2017, remnants of the rail line were rediscovered in the Hitchcock Woods during a cultural survey commissioned by the Hitchcock woods foundation. During a subsequent archaeology performed by the SC Department of Natural Resources, it was determined that that the original incline plane was a large part of the remaining rail line. It had apparently slide off the hillside and ended up buried in what is locally known as the Sand River. These remains are a historic record of the very beginnings of rail transport. There are no known artifacts like this anywhere in the world. Dr. Stephenson is director of the Savannah River Archaeology Program (SRARP) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The SRARP is a division of the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology a state agency with the University of South Carolina. The SRARP is a primary contractor with the Department of Energy and is tasked with the management of all prehistoric and historic archaeological properties on the SRS. His research interest in the historical archaeology of the SRS focusing on the social structure of the rural, agricultural communities from the early 1800s until the 1950s. These communities were economically reliant on the urban centers of Ellenton and Aiken ― towns whose history is completely embedded in the development of the early railway systems of South Carolina. After the meeting, light refreshments will be served. The Edgefield County Council Chambers are located at 225 Jeter Street. If you come down Main Street and are facing the Courthouse at the light, please go straight. The Chambers are on the left just past the Courthouse. If you are coming down Buncombe Street, turn right at the light. If you are traveling from Sweetwater Road/Penn Street, turn left at the light. We look forward to seeing you on March 10th!
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Old Edgefield District Genealogy Society
PO Box 546 Edgefield, SC 29824-0546 803-336-9292 OEDGS85@gmail.com |
Tompkins Memorial Library
is located at 104 Courthouse Square in Edgefield, SC LIBRARY OPEN: Monday through Friday 10:00 A.M to 4:00 P.M. Saturdays from 9:30 A,M. to 1:30 P.M. excluding holidays |
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