Fairfield County, South Carolina Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Fairfield County
U.S. county
Fairfield County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of South Carolina
South Carolina's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
Founded	1785
Seat	Winnsboro
Largest town	Winnsboro
Area
• Total	710 sq mi (1,800 km²)
• Land	686 sq mi (1,780 km²)
• Water	24 sq mi (60 km²) 3.3%%
Population (2020)
• Total	22,318
• Density	31.43/sq mi (12.14/km²)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	5th

Fairfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2010 census, its population was 23,956. Its county seat is Winnsboro.

Fairfield County is part of the Columbia, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Geography
Demographics
- 2010 census
- 2020 census
Attractions
Communities
See also

History

18th century

It is alleged that the county name originated from a statement made by General Cornwallis when he declared "How Fair These Fields" during the British occupation of the area in 1780-81. The house Cornwallis stayed in during the occupation is still standing.

Several years before the Revolution, Richard Winn from Virginia moved to what is now called Fairfield County. His lands covered the present site of Winnsboro, and as early as 1777 the settlement was known as "Winnsborough".

The village was laid out and chartered in 1785 upon petition of Richard Winn, John Winn and John Vanderhorst. John, Richard, and Minor Winn all served in the Revolutionary War. Richard was a General and he is said to have fought in more battles than any Whig in South Carolina.

Fairfield County has numerous churches, some of which have existed for over 200 years. Perhaps the most famous church, built in 1788, is the Old Brick Church, where the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Synod of the Carolinas was organized in 1803. A note penciled on the wall of the Old Brick Church is testimony to a Union soldier's regret at the church's floor boards being taken up to build a crossing over the nearby river for General Sherman's troops during the American Civil War.

The early settlers in the mid-18th century brought cotton to the county. It was soon supported as a commodity crop by the labor of enslaved African Americans.

19th century

Invention of the cotton gin enabled the cultivation of short-staple cotton through the upcountry regions of the South. It was the chief commodity crop for this county from the early 19th century through the 1920s. In the antebellum era, most of the intensive labor was accomplished by African-American slaves, many of whose descendants still live in this rural area. After the Civil War, many African Americans initially worked as sharecroppers and tenant farmers. Over time the soil became depleted, but more damaging was infestation in the 20th century by the boll weevil. Together with mechanization of agriculture, the need for labor was reduced. In the first half of the 20th century through the 1940s, millions of African Americans left the rural South in the Great Migration to northern and midwestern cities for other job opportunities and the chance to escape Jim Crow restrictions.

In December 1832 Winnsboro was incorporated as a town to be governed by an intendant and wardens. The most prominent architectural feature of Fairfield County is the Town Clock in Winnsboro. South Carolina's General Assembly authorized Winnsboro's town fathers to build a market house that "shall not be of greater width than 30 feet (9.1 m)" to allow 30 feet (9.1 m) of wagon travel on either side. The narrow building was modeled after Independence Hall in Philadelphia and built on the site of a duck pond. A clock was added in 1837, and the building has since been known as the Town Clock.

The County Courthouse, across from the Town Clock, dates back to 1823. Designed by South Carolina architect Robert Mills, the courthouse houses records dating to the mid-18th century.

Granite deposits in the County led to the early development of quarrying. Winnsboro blue granite, "The Silk of the Trade," is used worldwide in buildings and monuments.

20th century

The county was home to the Carolinas–Virginia Tube Reactor during the 1960s. In 1984 the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station was built here. The county owns the Fairfield County Airport, in operation since 1975.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 710 square miles (1,800 km²), of which 686 square miles (1,780 km²) is land and 24 square miles (62 km²) (3.3%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	7,623	—
1800	10,087	32.3%
1810	11,857	17.5%
1820	17,174	44.8%
1830	21,546	25.5%
1840	20,165	−6.4%
1850	21,404	6.1%
1860	22,111	3.3%
1870	19,888	−10.1%
1880	27,765	39.6%
1890	28,599	3.0%
1900	29,425	2.9%
1910	29,442	0.1%
1920	27,159	−7.8%
1930	23,287	−14.3%
1940	24,187	3.9%
1950	21,780	−10.0%
1960	20,713	−4.9%
1970	19,999	−3.4%
1980	20,700	3.5%
1990	22,295	7.7%
2000	23,454	5.2%
2010	23,956	2.1%
2020	22,318	−6.8%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 23,956 people, 9,419 households, and 6,578 families living in the county. The population density was 34.9 inhabitants per square mile (13.5/km²). There were 11,681 housing units at an average density of 17.0 per square mile (6.6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 59.1% black or African American, 38.6% white, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 18.0% were American, 6.0% were English, 5.4% were Irish, 5.3% were Subsaharan African, and 5.0% were German.

Of the 9,419 households, 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 21.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.2% were non-families, and 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 42.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,022 and the median income for a family was $40,849. Males had a median income of $39,837 versus $28,695 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,877. About 15.8% of families and 22.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.7% of those under age 18 and 20.7% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

Fairfield County racial composition
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	8,503	40.59%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	11,201	53.47%
Native American	64	0.31%
Asian	101	0.48%
Pacific Islander	7	0.03%
Other/Mixed	649	3.1%
Hispanic or Latino	423	2.02%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 20,948 people, 9,191 households, and 5,921 families residing in the county.

Attractions

The county is home to the South Carolina Railroad Museum (in Winnsboro).

The Enoree Ranger District of the Sumter National Forest provides opportunities for outdoor recreation. The county has an abundance of deer and wild turkeys, making it an attraction for hunters. It is home to the Lake Wateree State Recreation Area.