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Summerville, South Carolina
Downtown Summerville SC.jpg
Motto(s): 
Sacra Pinus Esto ("The Pine is Sacred")
Summerville, South Carolina is located in South Carolina
Summerville, South Carolina
Summerville, South Carolina
Location in South Carolina
Summerville, South Carolina is located in the United States
Summerville, South Carolina
Summerville, South Carolina
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  South Carolina
Counties Dorchester, Berkeley, Charleston
Area
 • Total 19.85 sq mi (51.40 km2)
 • Land 19.71 sq mi (51.05 km2)
 • Water 0.14 sq mi (0.35 km2)
Elevation
89 ft (27 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 50,915
 • Estimate 
(2019)
52,549
 • Density 2,666.11/sq mi (1,029.40/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
29483-29486
Area code(s) 843, 854
FIPS code 45-70270
GNIS feature ID 1251073

Summerville is a town in the U.S. state of South Carolina situated mostly in Dorchester County with small portions in Berkeley and Charleston counties. It is part of the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of Summerville at the 2020 census was 50,915, and the estimated population was 57,956 as of December 1, 2021.

Geography

The center of Summerville is in southeastern Dorchester County; the town extends northeast into Berkeley and Charleston counties. It is bordered to the east by the town of Lincolnville and to the southeast by the city of North Charleston. The Summerville town limits extend south as far as the Ashley River next to Old Fort Dorchester State Historical Park.

U.S. Route 78 passes near the center of Summerville, leading southeast 24 miles (39 km) to downtown Charleston and northwest 29 miles (47 km) to Interstate 95 at St. George. Interstate 26 leads through the northeast corner of Summerville with access from Exit 199, leading southeast to Charleston and northwest 90 miles (140 km) to Columbia.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.1 square miles (47.0 km2), of which 18.0 square miles (46.7 km2) is land and 0.12 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.62%, is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 1,371
1890 2,219 61.9%
1900 2,420 9.1%
1910 2,355 −2.7%
1920 2,550 8.3%
1930 2,579 1.1%
1940 3,023 17.2%
1950 3,312 9.6%
1960 3,633 9.7%
1970 3,839 5.7%
1980 6,492 69.1%
1990 22,519 246.9%
2000 27,752 23.2%
2010 43,392 56.4%
2019 (est.) 52,549 21.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Summerville racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 33,259 65.32%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 10,460 20.54%
Native American 204 0.4%
Asian 800 1.57%
Pacific Islander 67 0.13%
Other/Mixed 2,942 5.78%
Hispanic or Latino 3,183 6.25%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 50,915 people, 19,374 households, and 13,130 families residing in the town.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 43,392 people residing in 16,181 households in the town. The population density of Summerville is 2,404.7 inhabitants per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 72.1% White, 21.4% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.6% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.0% of the population.

There were 16,181 households, out of which 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55.

In the town, 27.0% of the population was under the age of 18, and 10.5% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.7 years.

The median income for a household in the town was $54,677. About 11.2% of the population was below the poverty line. The median value of an owner-occupied home was $182,000.

History

Downtown Summerville SC
Historic downtown Summerville

The first settlement in Summerville began following the American Revolutionary War; it was referred to as Pineland Village in 1785. Development in the area resulted from plantation owners who resided in the Charleston area, and who came to Summerville to escape seasonal insects and swamp fever.

Summerville became an official town in 1847. In that year, the town passed a law against cutting down trees of particular sizes, the first of such laws in the United States, and a $25 fine was issued upon any who did so without permission. Today, the motto upon the town's official seal reads "Sacra Pinus Esto (The Pine is Sacred)."

In 1899, the International Congress of Physicians (or "Tuberculosis Congress") listed Summerville to be one of the two best areas in the world for treatment and recovery of lung and throat disorders. It received such notation due to its dry and sandy location, and the many pine trees in the area that release turpentine derivatives into the air. This notation is credited with aiding the commercial and residential development of Summerville.

The Ashley River Road, Middleton Place, Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site, Old White Meeting House Ruins and Cemetery, and the Summerville Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Tourism

Starting in 1973, the town of Summerville has hosted the annual Flowertown Festival. It is the largest arts and crafts festival in South Carolina. It is held the first weekend of April in the Summerville Azalea Park. In 1925, these flowers led Summerville's Chamber of Commerce to adopt the slogan "Flower Town in the Pines."

Although Summerville claims to be "The Birthplace of Sweet Tea," this is actually false. Their declaration of being the first place to have sweet tea comes from a perceived notion that a receipt from 1890 containing "600 pounds of sugar and 880 gallons of iced tea" is enough to give themselves the title of "The Birthplace of Sweet Tea." However, the oldest known recipe for sweet iced tea was published in 1879 in a community cookbook called Housekeeping in Old Virginia by Marion Cabell Tyree, who was born in Texas.

Climate

Climate data for Summerville, South Carolina (Airport), 1981–2010 normals
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 59.0
(15.0)
62.8
(17.1)
69.6
(20.9)
76.5
(24.7)
83.2
(28.4)
88.4
(31.3)
91.1
(32.8)
89.6
(32.0)
84.9
(29.4)
77.1
(25.1)
69.8
(21.0)
61.6
(16.4)
76.1
(24.5)
Average low °F (°C) 38.1
(3.4)
41.2
(5.1)
47.2
(8.4)
53.8
(12.1)
62.4
(16.9)
70.2
(21.2)
73.6
(23.1)
72.9
(22.7)
67.8
(19.9)
57.3
(14.1)
48.1
(8.9)
40.6
(4.8)
56.1
(13.4)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.70
(94)
2.96
(75)
3.71
(94)
2.91
(74)
3.02
(77)
5.64
(143)
6.52
(166)
7.15
(182)
6.10
(155)
3.75
(95)
2.43
(62)
3.11
(79)
50.99
(1,295)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.1
(0.25)
0.2
(0.51)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.3
(0.76)
0.6
(1.5)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 9.5 8.6 7.9 7.7 7.8 11.9 13.0 13.2 10.0 7.3 7.0 8.7 112.6
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.1 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 0.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours 179.8 189.3 244.9 276.0 294.5 279.0 288.3 257.3 219.0 223.2 189.0 170.5 2,810.8
Source: NOAA, HKO (sun only, 1961–1990)

Leadership

Town Administrator

  • John F. Wilbanks (1981-2001)
  • Mark Williams (2001-2004)
  • Lisa L. Wallace (Interim) (2004-05, 2011, 2015-16)
  • Dennis P. Pieper (2005-2011)
  • Colin L. Martin (2016- )

Education

Public education in Summerville is administered by Dorchester School District Two, which operates Summerville High School. 10,000-capacity Memorial Stadium in Summerville is used for the American football matches.

Summerville has a public library, a branch of the Dorchester County Library.

Notable people

  • Christopher Celiz, army ranger and Medal of Honor recipient.
  • Jenn Colella, comedian, actress, and singer
  • Janet Cone, college athletic director at UNC Asheville
  • Chuck Eidson, professional basketball player
  • Sam Esmail, film and television producer known for Mr. Robot and Homecoming, resident of a few years
  • Brett Gardner, baseball player for the New York Yankees
  • A. J. Green, 7-time NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals
  • Charles Green (1950–2017), known as Angry Grandpa on YouTube
  • Shanola Hampton, actress, best known for playing the wonderful Veronica Fisher on the television show Shameless
  • De'Angelo Henderson, former NFL running back
  • Keith Jennings, former NFL tight end
  • Stanford Jennings, former NFL running back, older brother of Keith Jennings
  • Milton Jennings, professional basketball player
  • John McKissick (1926–2019), high school football coach, winningest football coach at any level with 621 wins
  • Fern Michaels, author
  • Roger E Lane, Gospel Preacher

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Summerville para niños

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