Blacksburg, South Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Blacksburg
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Shelby Street in Uptown Blacksburg
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| Nickname(s):
Iron City
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| Motto(s):
Beginning the New Beginning
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 Blacksburg, South Carolina
Location in South Carolina
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| Country | United States |
| State | South Carolina |
| County | Cherokee |
| Incorporated | 1888 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Administrator-Council Government |
| Area | |
| • Town | 1.87 sq mi (4.85 km2) |
| • Land | 1.87 sq mi (4.85 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 761 ft (232 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Town | 1,848 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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1,880 |
| • Density | 1,004.81/sq mi (387.92/km2) |
| • Metro | 9,655 |
| Time zone | UTC5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
29702
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| Area codes | 864, 803 |
| FIPS code | 45-06400 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1246907 |
Blacksburg is a small town in Cherokee County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,848 at the 2010 census. The communities of Cherokee Falls, Kings Creek, Cashion Crossroads, Buffalo, and Mount Paran are located near the town.
Blacksburg is in Upstate South Carolina on the Interstate 85 corridor about 45 mi (72 km) southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina. It is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Combined Statistical Area (CSA) which has a population of 1,478,648 according to 2018 estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Contents
History
Located near the northern border of the state, the present-day site of Blacksburg was first settled by a man named Stark. Mr. Stark, who had lived in Charleston, South Carolina prior to moving to the area, had gotten several people to come along with him on an agriculture venture, but this venture would fail. Those who stayed behind named the area "Stark's Folly".
In the late 19th century the Black family, headed by John G. Black, a Confederate veteran, was living in the area and persuaded the C.C. & C. Railroad Company to lay track through the town and build a depot. The town soon became known as "Black's Station" in honor of John G. Black and was renamed "Blacksburg" in 1888.
Major John F. Jones of Massachusetts came to live in Blacksburg when hired as superintendent of the C. C. & C. Railroad. He donated his own money to build a school, hotel (the Cherokee Inn), and several other buildings in Blacksburg. He lived in Blacksburg until 1922, when he was appointed the South Carolina Internal Revenue Collector by the President of the United States.
In the 1890s large amounts of iron ore were found in the area, and many people hoping to make a fortune from mining it flocked to the town. Blacksburg became a boom town, and hotels and saloons were built for the new visitors. The town went by the name "Iron City" for a short time. Because of the "iron rush" the town became quite wealthy. It installed the first electric street lights in Upstate South Carolina and perhaps in the entire state. The city was incorporated in 1888 as "Blacksburg" but still holds the nickname of "Iron City".
The Kings Mountain State Park Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
Geography
Blacksburg is located in northeastern Cherokee County at 35°7′14″N 81°30′59″W / 35.12056°N 81.51639°W (35.120676, -81.516291). It is 4 miles (6 km) south of the North Carolina border.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.87 square miles (4.85 km2), all of it land.
Whitaker Mountain is partially in the northern corner of the town, with a summit elevation outside the town limits of around 1,169 ft (356 m).
Major transportation routes
Interstate 85 runs northwest of the town, with access from Exits 100 and 102. There is a South Carolina Welcome Center at milemarker 103.
US 29 is a two-lane highway that runs through the downtown area and serves as the main street (Cherokee Street). It leads southwest 8 miles (13 km) to downtown Gaffney and northeast 6 miles (10 km) to Grover, North Carolina.
South Carolina Highway 5 is a four-lane road that passes east of the town center. SC 5 North ends at the south end of the bridge over I-85 at exit 102, 2 miles (3 km) north of the center of town. SC 5 South leads southeast 19 miles (31 km) to York and 34 miles (55 km) to Rock Hill.
South Carolina Highway 198 is a four-lane road that begins at the north end of the bridge over I-85 at exit 102 and leads north 14 miles (23 km) to Shelby, North Carolina.
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Other information
- The Ed Brown Championship Rodeo attracts an estimated 22,000 people to the town on the first Friday and Saturday of August each year. In the past, the town had "Rodeo Days" Festival with several events including, a parade, car show, and street dance. The rodeo, started in 1968, features bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, ladies barrel racing, bull riding and other events.
- The Blacksburg High School Marching Band has won the Class A state championship four times in the 21st century: 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.
- The Blacksburg High School football team won the state football championship in 1976
- Historic Downtown Blacksburg is home to the Upstate's first Contemporary Dance and Theatre training school, Carolina Modern Arts Collective (CMAC).
Nearby attractions
- Kings Mountain National Military Park and State Park, commemorating a battle of the Revolutionary War, are located about 8 miles (13 km) northeast of the town.
- The famous Peachoid, a 1,000,000 US gal (3,800,000 L; 830,000 imp gal) water tank shaped like a peach, is located 10 miles (16 km) west of the town, in Gaffney.
Annual events
- Iron City Ministries, a non-profit organization which helps people in Cherokee County with needs such as food and clothing, holds an annual fund raising event.
- The Iron City Festival was held for the first time in 2006. The festival commemorates the founding of the town and is sponsored by the Blacksburg Business Association, Inc. Iron City Festival is held the third weekend in April.
- The anniversary of the Battle of Kings Mountain is held annually on October 7-8th at the Kings Mountain National Military Park and honors those who fell at the Battle of Kings Mountain during the Revolutionary War.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 145 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,245 | 758.6% | |
| 1900 | 1,285 | 3.2% | |
| 1910 | 1,110 | −13.6% | |
| 1920 | 1,512 | 36.2% | |
| 1930 | 1,747 | 15.5% | |
| 1940 | 1,917 | 9.7% | |
| 1950 | 2,056 | 7.3% | |
| 1960 | 2,174 | 5.7% | |
| 1970 | 1,977 | −9.1% | |
| 1980 | 1,873 | −5.3% | |
| 1990 | 1,907 | 1.8% | |
| 2000 | 1,880 | −1.4% | |
| 2010 | 1,848 | −1.7% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 1,880 | 1.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,282 | 67.87% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 433 | 22.92% |
| Native American | 7 | 0.37% |
| Asian | 13 | 0.69% |
| Other/Mixed | 103 | 5.45% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 51 | 2.7% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,889 people, 785 households, and 329 families residing in the town.
Major transportation routes
- Interstate 85 runs northwest of the town, with access from Exits 100 and 102. There is a South Carolina Welcome Center at milemarker 103.
- US 29 is a two-lane highway that runs through the downtown area and serves as the main street (Cherokee Street). It leads southwest 8 miles (13 km) to downtown Gaffney and northeast 6 miles (10 km) to Grover, North Carolina.
- South Carolina Highway 5 is a four-lane road that passes east of the town center. SC 5 North ends at the south end of the bridge over I-85 at exit 102, 2 miles (3 km) north of the center of town. SC 5 South leads southeast 19 miles (31 km) to York and 34 miles (55 km) to Rock Hill.
- South Carolina Highway 198 is a four-lane road that begins at the north end of the bridge over I-85 at exit 102 and leads north 14 miles (23 km) to Shelby, North Carolina.
Education
Public education in Blacksburg is administered by Cherokee County School District. The district operates Blacksburg Primary School, Blacksburg Elementary School, Blacksburg Middle School, and Blacksburg High School.
Blacksburg has a public library, a branch of the Cherokee County Library System.
Notable people
- Jason Gilfillan, professional baseball player, graduated from Blacksburg High School in 1994
- James Rhyne Killian, 10th president of MIT, from 1948 until 1959
- Mikki Moore, professional basketball player, graduated from Blacksburg High School in 1993
- Judy Rose, director of athletics at UNC Charlotte
See also
In Spanish: Blacksburg (Carolina del Sur) para niños
