Walhalla, South Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Walhalla, South Carolina
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Oconee County Courthouse
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Location in Oconee County and the state of South Carolina.
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| Country | United States |
| State | South Carolina |
| County | Oconee |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.95 sq mi (10.22 km2) |
| • Land | 3.88 sq mi (10.06 km2) |
| • Water | 0.06 sq mi (0.16 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,027 ft (313 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 4,263 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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4,472 |
| • Density | 1,151.09/sq mi (444.43/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
29691
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| FIPS code | 45-74095 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1230451 |
| Website | Walhalla, South Carolina |
Walhalla is a city in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. Designated in 1868 as the county seat, it lies within the area of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, an area of transition between mountains and piedmont, and contains numerous waterfalls. It is located 16 miles (26 km) from Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina.
The county was named after Oconee Town, developed here by the ancient Hitchiti, or Oconee people. They were one of the Muskogean-language people who were part of the Muscogee (or Creek) Confederacy. The town was later occupied by the historic Cherokee.
This European-American city was founded after Indian Removal of the Cherokee in 1838. Early residents were predominately German immigrants who had been refugees from the German revolutions of 1848-1849. Some English and Scots-Irish farmers also settled here. During the Reconstruction era, when Oconee County was organized in 1868, the state legislature designated Walhalla as its county seat.
The population was 4,263 at the 2010 census. The current mayor of Walhalla is Danny Edwards.
Contents
History
Walhalla began as a settlement of German immigrants who left from Hamburg, Germany and Bavaria with some English, Scots and Irish who came over in the same ship. In particular, General John A. Wagener, Claus Bullwinkel, John C. Henckel, Jacob Schroder, and Christopher F. Seeba (trustees of the German Colonization Society of Charleston) bought 17,859 acres (72.27 km2) of land for $27,000 from Reverend Joseph Grisham of West Union on December 24, 1849.
The Ellicott Rock, Keil Farm, Oconee County Cage, Oconee Station and Richards House, St. John's Lutheran Church, Stumphouse Tunnel Complex, and Walhalla Graded School are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography and climate
Walhalla is located at 34°46′2″N 83°3′52″W / 34.76722°N 83.06444°W (34.767263, -83.064321).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2), of which, 3.7 square miles (9.6 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (1.33%) is water.
The town is built mostly on types of granite rock. It is also near some minor faults and therefore subject to small and infrequent earthquakes. The last nearby earthquake had its epicenter in Newry, South Carolina, and occurred at 7:42 am EDT on May 19, 1971. The earthquake had an intensity of VI (Strong) in Newry as measured by the Mercalli intensity scale. The cause of the Newry quake was likely a slippage of the Brevard Fault and other faults in the area aided by the immense weight of the man-made Lake Keowee, created by the Keowee Dam.
The Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel is located near Walhalla. Walhalla is a Germanic term referring to the 'hall' where warriors would go if selected to fight during Ragnarok.
| Climate data for Walhalla, South Carolina, normals 1981–2010, extremes 1896-present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 81 (27) |
82 (28) |
94 (34) |
94 (34) |
101 (38) |
105 (41) |
106 (41) |
106 (41) |
108 (42) |
98 (37) |
87 (31) |
81 (27) |
108 (42) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 52.3 (11.3) |
56.3 (13.5) |
64.0 (17.8) |
72.5 (22.5) |
79.8 (26.6) |
86.5 (30.3) |
89.4 (31.9) |
88.3 (31.3) |
82.4 (28.0) |
72.6 (22.6) |
63.5 (17.5) |
53.8 (12.1) |
71.8 (22.1) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 28.6 (−1.9) |
30.8 (−0.7) |
36.8 (2.7) |
44.2 (6.8) |
54.0 (12.2) |
62.6 (17.0) |
65.9 (18.8) |
65.9 (18.8) |
59.1 (15.1) |
47.5 (8.6) |
37.6 (3.1) |
30.8 (−0.7) |
47.0 (8.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −5 (−21) |
−4 (−20) |
3 (−16) |
20 (−7) |
28 (−2) |
39 (4) |
49 (9) |
49 (9) |
32 (0) |
20 (−7) |
9 (−13) |
−3 (−19) |
−5 (−21) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.97 (126) |
4.90 (124) |
5.10 (130) |
3.93 (100) |
4.53 (115) |
4.78 (121) |
5.09 (129) |
5.45 (138) |
5.03 (128) |
4.22 (107) |
4.63 (118) |
5.18 (132) |
57.81 (1,468) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.6 (4.1) |
0.8 (2.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
3.1 (7.9) |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 716 | — | |
| 1880 | 789 | 10.2% | |
| 1890 | 820 | 3.9% | |
| 1900 | 1,307 | 59.4% | |
| 1910 | 1,595 | 22.0% | |
| 1920 | 2,068 | 29.7% | |
| 1930 | 2,388 | 15.5% | |
| 1940 | 2,820 | 18.1% | |
| 1950 | 3,104 | 10.1% | |
| 1960 | 3,431 | 10.5% | |
| 1970 | 3,662 | 6.7% | |
| 1980 | 3,977 | 8.6% | |
| 1990 | 3,755 | −5.6% | |
| 2000 | 3,801 | 1.2% | |
| 2010 | 4,263 | 12.2% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 4,472 | 4.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,626 | 64.49% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 168 | 4.13% |
| Native American | 12 | 0.29% |
| Asian | 19 | 0.47% |
| Pacific Islander | 3 | 0.07% |
| Other/Mixed | 206 | 5.06% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,038 | 25.49% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,072 people, 1,668 households, and 1,202 families residing in the city.
Oktoberfest
Due to its German heritage, Walhalla is also known for its annual Oktoberfest celebration, which begins on the third Friday of October each year. The festival takes on Main Street in Walhalla (Hwy 28) and on the city's Sertoma Field, located between the high school and downtown (Hwy 183). The festival includes art and craft vendors, music, dancing, specialty food vendors, Carnival rides, and other festive activities.
Education
Walhalla has a lending library, a branch of the Oconee County Public Library.
Notable people
- John C. Portman Jr., architect
- Cornelia Strong, mathematician and astronomer
- Thomas C. Alexander, President of the South Carolina State Senate
- Dutch Mantell, Professional Wrestler
See also
In Spanish: Walhalla (Carolina del Sur) para niños
