Wedgefield, South Carolina
Encyclopedia
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in the High Hills of Santee
High Hills of Santee
The High Hills of Santee, sometimes known as the High Hills of the Santee, is a long, narrow hilly region in the western part of Sumter County, South Carolina. It has been called "one of the state's most famous areas". The High Hills of Santee region lies north of the Santee River and east of the...
area in western Sumter County, 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...
. Wedgefield was so named because its location was likened to a "wedge" into the High Hills of Santee. In the 18th and 19th centuries it was the location of many plantations, notably those of the Singleton family, which produced First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
, Angelica Singleton Van Buren. Today the plantations are gone except for their cemeteries and Wedgefield is today noted as the location of a state park, a state forest and other recreational places. When the railroad came through in the 19th century, the commercial center of Wedgefield developed at the intersection of the railroad, Kings Highway (South Carolina Highway 261
South Carolina Highway 261
South Carolina Highway 261 is a state highway in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It runs between Kershaw County to Yauhannah in Georgetown County.-Route description:...
) and Wedgefield Road (South Carolina Highway 763. It has its own post office with the Zip Code of 29168.
Wedgefield had a population of 3,376 in 2000 on a Zip Code based estimate. Housing units were 1,343. Land area is 71.9 square miles (186.2 km²) while water area is 0.33 square miles.
Places of interest
- High Hills Outdoor Center of the Palmetto Conservation Foundation is located at 2070 SC 261 South. in Wedgefield. It is the center for the High Hills of Santee Passage of the Palmetto TrailPalmetto TrailThe Palmetto Trail is an ambitious plan for a foot and mountain bike trail in South Carolina for recreational hiking and biking. Several of the sections are also equestrian trails. It will extend from the Oconee County mountains to the Intracoastal Waterway in Charleston County. It currently...
. - Manchester State Forest, which extends into Clarendon County, is based in Wedgefield off SC 261 south at 6740 Headquarters Road.
- Poinsett State Park is located off SC 261 south at 6660 Poinsett Park Road, Wedgefield
Transportation
South Carolina Highway 261South Carolina Highway 261
South Carolina Highway 261 is a state highway in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It runs between Kershaw County to Yauhannah in Georgetown County.-Route description:...
, Kings Highway, is the main north-south road in Wedgefield. It runs north to Stateburg
Stateburg, South Carolina
Stateburg is a census-designated place in the High Hills of Santee in Sumter County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,264 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Sumter, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and south to Pinewood
Pinewood, South Carolina
Pinewood is a town located on South Carolina Highway 261 at the southern entrance to the High Hills of Santee in Sumter County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 459 at the 2000 census...
. Wedgefield Road (South Carolina Highway 763) begins in Wedgefield and runs east to Sumter
Sumter, South Carolina
-Demographics:, there were 59,180 people, 34,717 households, and 4,049 families living in the city. The population density was 4,469.5 people per square mile . There were 416,032 housing units at an average density of 603.0 per square mile...
.
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
, formerly the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad was a former Class I railroad company operating in the Southeastern United States beginning in 1967. Its passenger operations were taken over by Amtrak in 1971...
runs into Wedgefield from Sumter just north of Wedgefield Road and continues to the west. There is no passenger service to Wedgefield.
Cemeteries
Cemeteries in the Wedgefield area include:- Singleton's GraveyardSingleton's GraveyardSingleton's Graveyard is an historic plantation cemetery located off SC 261 in the High Hills of Santee six miles south of Wedgefield, South Carolina in the United States. On May 13, 1976, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.-History:...
is on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. - Wedgefield Baptist Church Cemetery
- Wedgefield Methodist Church Cemetery
- Wedgefield Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Notable residents
- Richard Irvine Manning IIIRichard Irvine Manning IIIRichard Irvine Manning III was a politician from the U.S. state of South Carolina. He served as a state legislator and as the 92nd Governor of South Carolina.-Early life and career:...
, (1859-1931), Governor of South Carolina. - Wyndham Meredith ManningWyndham Meredith ManningWyndham Meredith Manning was a South Carolina politician and the scion of a political dynasty in that U.S. state. Manning served in the South Carolina House of Representatives and was appointed Superintendent of the state's prison system by then-Governor Strom Thurmond in 1947, serving in that...
, (1890-1967), South Carolina politician and son of Richard Irvine Manning III, born in Wedgefield. - Angelica Singleton Van Buren, (1818–1877), First Lady of the United States, born and married in Wedgefield.
External links
- Map of Sumter County
- Another map of Sumter County
- Topo Map of Wedgefield
- Places in Sumter District
- Singleton family index to Wedgefield
Coordinates 33.893° N80.518°W