Conway, South Carolina
Encyclopedia
Conway is a city in Horry County
, South Carolina
, United States
. The population was 16,317 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
of Horry County
and is part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area
. It is the home of Coastal Carolina University
.
Numerous buildings and structures located in Conway are on the National Register of Historic Places
. Among these is the City Hall building
, reputedly designed by Robert Mills
, architect of the Washington Monument
. Since the completion of the Main Street USA project in the 1980s, Conway's downtown has been revitalized with shops and bistros. Highlighting the renovation of the downtown area is the Riverwalk, an area of fine dining which follows a stretch of the Waccamaw River that winds through Conway.
Township Scheme, but before, that Mckevlin founded it first, starting the basis for the city. It was laid out on a riverbluff in the center of what became Horry County.
Many area residents fought in the American Revolution
, and small engagements were fought near Kingston at Bear Bluff and at Black Lake. Francis Marion
, who was known as the "Swamp Fox", had an encampment near Kingston just across the Waccamaw River
.
After the war, patriotic citizens wanted to discard the name that honored Great Britain's King George II
. The County's name was changed to Horry in honor of General Peter Horry in 1801, and a courthouse was established in Kingston. "Kingston" was later changed to "Conwayborough", for General Robert Conway. In 1883, the General Assembly changed the name to the current name of Conway.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 13.4 square miles (34.7 km²), of which 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) (5.08%) is water.
of 2000, there were 11,788 people, 4,259 households, and 2,942 families residing in the city. The population density
was 927.8 people per square mile (358.1/km²). There were 4,783 housing units at an average density of 376.5 per square mile (145.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 55.82% White, 41.85% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races
, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.87% of the population.
There were 4,259 households out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples living together, 23.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 15.8% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 83.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,155, and the median income for a family was $39,189. Males had a median income of $26,720 versus $21,310 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,611. About 15.9% of families and 20.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.9% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.
system, with council members being Randle L. Alford, Vivian E. Chestnut, Irby L. Koon, Jean M. Timbes, Thomas J. Anderson II, and Larry A. White. The current mayor is Alys C. Lawson.
and Horry-Georgetown Technical College
. It is also home to a branch of Webster University
, an MBA graduate school, and North American Institute of Aviation
(NAIA), a flight school.
Most of the county is served by a single public school system, Horry County Schools, but there are schools like Conway Christian School which are run privately. Neighboring Myrtle Beach is also home to several private schools.
, a small airport
located 3 miles outside of town, along US-378
is a short line railroad which serves parts of North and South Carolina. Conway is located on the railroad's Chadbourn, NC-Myrtle Beach, SC branch. The historical Conway railroad depot is located along this branch, although the depot is now an office building.
Rivertown Radio
Horry Independent
, which would've housed both the future Myrtle Beach Thunderboltz hockey team and Coastal Carolina University's
basketball teams, replacing Kimbel Arena
.
This arena is no longer under development.
Horry County, South Carolina
Horry County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. This name honored Revolutionary War Hero, Peter Horry. Brigadier General Horry was born in South Carolina sometime around 1743 and started his distinguished military career in 1775 as one of 20 captains the Provincial Congress...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 16,317 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Horry County
Horry County, South Carolina
Horry County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. This name honored Revolutionary War Hero, Peter Horry. Brigadier General Horry was born in South Carolina sometime around 1743 and started his distinguished military career in 1775 as one of 20 captains the Provincial Congress...
and is part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area
Myrtle Beach metropolitan area
The Myrtle Beach metropolitan area is a census-designated metropolitan area in Horry County and Georgetown County, South Carolina. It consists of Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, and Conway, South Carolina and Georgetown.-Counties:*Horry*Georgetown-Demographics:The estimated population of the...
. It is the home of Coastal Carolina University
Coastal Carolina University
Coastal Carolina University is an independent, state-supported, liberal arts university in Conway, South Carolina, USA, located eight miles west of Myrtle Beach. Founded in 1954, Coastal became an independent university in 1993. The University enrolls approximately 8,300 students on its campus...
.
Numerous buildings and structures located in Conway are on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places listings in Horry County, South Carolina
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Horry County, South Carolina.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Horry County, South Carolina, United States...
. Among these is the City Hall building
Old Horry County Courthouse
Old Horry County Courthouse, now known as Conway City Hall, is a historic court house building located at Conway in Horry County, South Carolina. It was built between 1824 and 1825 and reputedly designed by Robert Mills . It is a two story Classical Revival brick building...
, reputedly designed by Robert Mills
Robert Mills (architect)
Robert Mills , most famously known for designing the Washington Monument, is sometimes called the first native born American to become a professional architect, though Charles Bulfinch perhaps has a clearer claim to this honor...
, architect of the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
. Since the completion of the Main Street USA project in the 1980s, Conway's downtown has been revitalized with shops and bistros. Highlighting the renovation of the downtown area is the Riverwalk, an area of fine dining which follows a stretch of the Waccamaw River that winds through Conway.
History
Conway is one of the oldest towns in South Carolina. Originally named Kingston, the town was created in 1734 as part of Royal Governor Robert Johnson'sRobert Johnson (governor)
Robert Johnson was the British colonial Governor of the Province of South Carolina in 1717-1719, and again from 1729-1735. Governor Johnson ordered Colonel William Rhett to engage the notorious pirate Stede Bonnet's sloops in the Battle of Cape Fear River near Charleston in 1718...
Township Scheme, but before, that Mckevlin founded it first, starting the basis for the city. It was laid out on a riverbluff in the center of what became Horry County.
Many area residents fought in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, and small engagements were fought near Kingston at Bear Bluff and at Black Lake. Francis Marion
Francis Marion
Francis Marion was a military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. Acting with Continental Army and South Carolina militia commissions, he was a persistent adversary of the British in their occupation of South Carolina in 1780 and 1781, even after the Continental Army was driven...
, who was known as the "Swamp Fox", had an encampment near Kingston just across the Waccamaw River
Waccamaw River
The Waccamaw River is a river, approximately 140 miles long, in southeastern North Carolina and eastern South Carolina in the United States. It drains an area of approximately 1110 square miles in the coastal plain along the eastern border between the two states into the Atlantic Ocean...
.
After the war, patriotic citizens wanted to discard the name that honored Great Britain's King George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
. The County's name was changed to Horry in honor of General Peter Horry in 1801, and a courthouse was established in Kingston. "Kingston" was later changed to "Conwayborough", for General Robert Conway. In 1883, the General Assembly changed the name to the current name of Conway.
Geography
Conway, the county seat of Horry County, is located at 33°50′17"N 79°3′22"W (33.838093, -79.056101). It is situated in the South Carolina Coastal Plain, on the western banks of the Waccamaw River, and is approximately 25 km from the Atlantic Ocean.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 13.4 square miles (34.7 km²), of which 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) (5.08%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 11,788 people, 4,259 households, and 2,942 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 927.8 people per square mile (358.1/km²). There were 4,783 housing units at an average density of 376.5 per square mile (145.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 55.82% White, 41.85% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.87% of the population.
There were 4,259 households out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples living together, 23.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 15.8% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 83.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,155, and the median income for a family was $39,189. Males had a median income of $26,720 versus $21,310 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $16,611. About 15.9% of families and 20.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.9% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The city is run by an elected Mayor-council governmentMayor-council government
The mayor–council government system, sometimes called the mayor–commission government system, is one of the two most common forms of local government for municipalities...
system, with council members being Randle L. Alford, Vivian E. Chestnut, Irby L. Koon, Jean M. Timbes, Thomas J. Anderson II, and Larry A. White. The current mayor is Alys C. Lawson.
Education
Conway is home to two major institutes of higher learning, Coastal Carolina UniversityCoastal Carolina University
Coastal Carolina University is an independent, state-supported, liberal arts university in Conway, South Carolina, USA, located eight miles west of Myrtle Beach. Founded in 1954, Coastal became an independent university in 1993. The University enrolls approximately 8,300 students on its campus...
and Horry-Georgetown Technical College
Horry-Georgetown Technical College
Horry-Georgetown Technical College is a 2-year community college in Conway, South Carolina, U.S.A. The college's president is H. Neyle Wilson. It is a part of the South Carolina Technical College System....
. It is also home to a branch of Webster University
Webster University
Webster University is an American non-profit private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
, an MBA graduate school, and North American Institute of Aviation
North American Institute of Aviation
The North American Institute of Aviation was a private, FAA Part-141 flight school located in Conway, South Carolina, in the United States. Founded in 1972 in Hammonton, New Jersey, then later moved to South Carolina in 1978, NAIA specialized in flight and aircraft maintenance training. It has...
(NAIA), a flight school.
Most of the county is served by a single public school system, Horry County Schools, but there are schools like Conway Christian School which are run privately. Neighboring Myrtle Beach is also home to several private schools.
Transportation
Air
Conway is home to the Conway-Horry County Airport (HYW)Conway-Horry County Airport
Conway-Horry County Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles west of the central business district of Conway, a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States....
, a small airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located 3 miles outside of town, along US-378
U.S. Route 378
U.S. Route 378 is a spur of U.S. Route 78. It currently runs for 234 miles from Conway, South Carolina at U.S. Route 501 to Washington, Georgia at U.S. Route 78.-Route description:...
Bus
A large part of Horry County is serviced by the Coast Regional Transit Authority (RTA), formerly known as the Waccamaw Regional Transit Authority and as Lymo. The primary station and offices are located in downtown Conway, near the historic district.Railroads
The Carolina Southern RailroadCarolina Southern Railroad
Carolina Southern Railroad operates between Mullins, South Carolina and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina via Whiteville, North Carolina, with a branch extending into Chadbourn, North Carolina.-History:...
is a short line railroad which serves parts of North and South Carolina. Conway is located on the railroad's Chadbourn, NC-Myrtle Beach, SC branch. The historical Conway railroad depot is located along this branch, although the depot is now an office building.
Economy
Notable companies/employers located in the Conway area include:- HoneywellHoneywellHoneywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
- New South Companies, Inc. (a subsidiary of CanforCanforCanfor Corporation is a Canadian integrated forest products company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company traces its roots to the late 1930s, when brothers-in-law John G. Prentice and L.L.G. "Poldi" Bentley and their families left their native Austria just before the outbreak of World...
) - Vulcan Materials CompanyVulcan Materials CompanyVulcan Materials Company , based in Birmingham, Alabama is principally engaged in the production, distribution and sale of construction materials. Vulcan is the largest producer of construction materials, primarily gravel, crushed stone, and sand, and employs approximately 9,700 people at over 356...
Media
Conway JournalRivertown Radio
Horry Independent
Sports
Conway was home to the developing YRT2 ArenaYRT2 Arena
YRT2 Arena was to be a future arena in Conway, South Carolina. It was to serve Coastal Carolina University in sports like basketball, and volleyball. The arena would have been owned by CCU. It would have been home to the future ECHL franchise, the Myrtle Beach Thunderboltz. It was scheduled to open...
, which would've housed both the future Myrtle Beach Thunderboltz hockey team and Coastal Carolina University's
Coastal Carolina University
Coastal Carolina University is an independent, state-supported, liberal arts university in Conway, South Carolina, USA, located eight miles west of Myrtle Beach. Founded in 1954, Coastal became an independent university in 1993. The University enrolls approximately 8,300 students on its campus...
basketball teams, replacing Kimbel Arena
Kimbel Arena
Kimbel Arena is a 1,039-seat multi-purpose arena located on the campus of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina. It is home to the Coastal Carolina University men's and women's basketball teams, along with the women's volleyball team...
.
This arena is no longer under development.
Notable people
- William GibsonWilliam GibsonWilliam Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:-Association football:*Will Gibson , Scottish footballer...
, author and credited as the father of the CyberpunkCyberpunkCyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
genre of science fictionScience fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities... - Kristy McPhersonKristy McPhersonKristy McPherson is an American professional golfer, currently playing on the LPGA Tour.-Early life and amateur career:A native of South Carolina, McPherson was diagnosed at age 11 with Still's disease, a form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis...
, golfer on the LPGA TourLPGAThe LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from... - Sheri ReynoldsSheri ReynoldsSheri Reynolds is an author of contemporary Southern fiction.She was born and raised in rural South Carolina and lives on Virginia's eastern shore...
, author and associate professor of southern literatureSouthern literatureSouthern literature is defined as American literature about the Southern United States or by writers from this region...
at Old Dominion UniversityOld Dominion UniversityOld Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
, Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, VirginiaNorfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach.... - Nick ShaloskyNick ShaloskyNicholas Shalosky is an openly gay native South Carolinian who, as a college student, won a seat on the Charleston County School Board. He currently represents the 20th District, downtown Charleston....
, first openly gay elected official in South Carolina