Williamston is a town in Anderson County in Upstate South Carolina. It is is adjacent to the towns of Pelzer and West Pelzer. The town of Williamston covers 3.6 square miles.
Williamston has a great location with Highways 8, 20, and 29 making commuting easy. A fantastic town in a great location!
Williamston History
Williamston was founded by West Allen Williams. In 1842 he discovered a spring that had water with with healing qualities. As news of the medicinal water spread, the town grew and became a major resort when the railroads arrived in 1851. Soon it became known as the ‘Saratoga of the South’ which was a referral to a similar spring in New York. To accommodate the influx, the Mammoth Hotel was built near the spring and was the largest building in the state at that time, featuring 150 rooms plus bowling alleys and ballrooms. Unfortunately, a devastating fire in 1860 destroyed it and other buildings. The site where the mineral spring still exists is now the park where the town holds the annual Spring Water Festival.
The town was initially known as Mineral Springs, but this was changed to Williamston in 1852. Mr. Williams set aside property to preserve the spring and to begin schools and churches. The Civil War brought an end to that “golden era”, but not without leaving its own history. The last skirmish east of the Mississippi took place a few miles north of town when cadets from the Arsenal Academy at Columbia encountered Stoneman’s Raiders on May 1, 1865.
Williamston Population
Williamston Income Statistics
Level of Education Attained in Williamston
Williamston Average Monthly Temperatures
More About Williamston
Check out the Homes in Williamston South Carolina
