Kershaw in Lancaster County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Kershaw
Photographed by Michael Sean Nix, October 28, 2009
1. Kershaw Marker
Kershaw, originally Welshs Station, was founded in 1888 when Capt. James V. Welsh (1845-1906) persuaded the Charleston, Cincinnati, & Chicago Railroad to build a depot halfway between Camden and Lancaster, on what was then the county line between Kershaw and Lancaster Counties. The town was incorporated later that year and renamed in honor of Maj. Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw (1822-1894), prominent Confederate general and state senator from Camden.
(Continued on other side)
(Continued from other side)
Kershaw, with a population of 500 by 1890, grew even more dramatically after an 1897 fire which destroyed most of the downtown. By 1900 a guide to Lancaster County called it a pretty and prosperous town of about fifteen hundred inhabitants. Among the most significant early businesses here were the Kershaw Oil Mill (1902) and the Kershaw Cotton Mill (1912). The Benton Hotel on S. Cleveland St. was well known and frequently hosted tourists visiting the nearby Haile Gold Mine.
Erected 2002 by King Alfred Garden Club and the Kershaw Centennial Commission. (Marker Number 29-23.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places. A significant historical year for this entry is 1888.
Location. 34° 32.896′
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Regionally, this marker is in the Midlands and in the Olde English District. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Welsh's Station / Kershaw Depot (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Kershaw's First Library (about 400 feet away); Thomas L. Clyburn House (approx. 3½ miles away); Beaver Creek Skirmish / Capture of Provisions at Flat Rock (approx. 4 miles away); Haile Gold Mine (approx. 4.1 miles away); The Battle of the Hanging Rock (approx. 4.7 miles away); James Ingram Home (approx. 5.3 miles away); Revolutionary War Patriots (approx. 5.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kershaw.
More about this marker. This marker was moved 1 mile south from its original location at N Hampton St & N Matson St (GPS 34.56156N, 80.58752W)
Photographed by Michael Sean Nix, October 28, 2009
2. Kershaw Marker Reverse
Photographed by Ronald Patton, February 14, 2025
3. Kershaw Marker
Photographed by Ronald Patton, February 14, 2025
4. Kershaw Marker
Photographed by Michael Sean Nix, October 28, 2009
5. View down North Hampton Street
Photographed by Michael Sean Nix, October 28, 2009
6. Kershaw storefronts
Photographed by Michael Sean Nix, October 28, 2009
7. Kershaw storefronts
Photographed by Michael Sean Nix, October 28, 2009
8. Kershaw storefronts
Credits. This page was last revised on February 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 31, 2009, by Michael Sean Nix of Spartanburg, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,780 times since then and 42 times this year. Last updated on September 8, 2024, by Ronald Patton of Lancaster, South Carolina. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 31, 2009, by Michael Sean Nix of Spartanburg, South Carolina. 3, 4. submitted on February 21, 2025, by Ronald Patton of Lancaster, South Carolina. 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on October 31, 2009, by Michael Sean Nix of Spartanburg, South Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
