Near Jamestown in Florence County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Jamestown
Photographed by Cindy Bullard, October 27, 2010
1. Jamestown Marker (front)
This African American community, which flourished here for 70 years, has its origins in a 105-acre tract bought in 1870 by former slave Ervin James (1815-1872). James, determined to own his own farm instead of being dependent on sharecropping or tenant farming, bought the tract from Eli McKissick and Mary Poston. His five sons and a son-in-law later divided the tract into individual farms.
Between 1870 and 1940 Ervin Jamess descendants and other area families purchased additional land, creating a rural community of about 250 residents. Among its institutions were the Jamestown Cemetery, dating from its earliest days; the Summerville Methodist Church (renamed Bowers Chapel), established about 1880; and the Summerville Elementary School, built in 1926.
Erected 2006 by the Jamestown Reunion Committee. (Marker Number 21-22.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.
Location. 34° 12.831′ N, 79° 36.725′ W. Marker is near Jamestown, South Carolina, in Florence County. It is at the intersection of Old Marion Highway (County Route 24) and Jamestown Road, on the left when traveling east on Old Marion Highway. Touch for map
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in South Carolina’s Pee Dee. 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 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: William R. Johnson House / The Columns (approx. 2.3 miles away); Gregg-Wallace Farm Tenant House (approx. 2.4 miles away); Hewn-Timber Cabins (approx. 2½ miles away); Francis Marion Memorial Highway (approx. 2½ miles away); Mars Bluff (approx. 2.6 miles away); Mt. Zion Rosenwald School (approx. 3 miles away); Mt. Zion Methodist Church (approx. 3 miles away); Mars Bluff Rice Growers (approx. 3.1 miles away).
Also see . . . Locations & Maps based on Jamestown (Florence Co.) SC NHS. Coordinates and maps for several locations relevant to the Jamestown NHS. Custom Google map shows all such locations on a single map (clicking on a marker will offer driving directions to the site). Custom map compares 1938 roads with 1977 roads. Custom map shows the size of a 2500 acre tract (shape and location speculative). (Submitted on May 31, 2011, by John A. Robertson of Shelby, North Carolina.)
Photographed by Cindy Bullard, October 27, 2010
2. Jamestown Marker (reverse)
Photographed by Cindy Bullard, October 27, 2010
3. Jamestown Marker Site
(Large buildings in the distance are not part of this rural community.)
Photographed by Paul Crumlish, May 7, 2011
4. The Jamestown Cemetery
Photographed by Paul Crumlish, May 7, 2011
5. The present day Bower Chapel (1880)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 16, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 28, 2010, by David Bullard of Seneca, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 3,746 times since then and 153 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 28, 2010, by David Bullard of Seneca, South Carolina. 4, 5. submitted on May 10, 2011, by PaulwC3 of Northern, Virginia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
