Branchville in Orangeburg County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company
Original Track Location
Photographed by Michael Stroud, July 1, 2007
1. South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company Marker
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Landmarks • Notable Events • Railroads & Streetcars • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1883.
Location. 33° 15.067′ N, 80° 48.95′ W. Marker is in Branchville, South Carolina, in Orangeburg County. It is on U.S. 21, on the right when traveling north. Next to Railroad Station. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 110 N.Main St, Branchville SC 29432, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Lowcountry and in Santee Cooper Country. 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 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Branchville Depot (within shouting distance of this marker); Orangeburg County (within shouting distance of this marker); Woodlands (approx. 8½ miles away); Bowman Rosenwald School (approx. 9.8 miles away); Bowman S.C. (approx. 10.3 miles away); Bowman War Memorial (approx. 10.3 miles away); Captain Richard A Morris (approx. 10.3 miles away); Green Pond United Methodist Church (approx. 11.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Branchville.
Regarding South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company.
this page online
Also see . . . South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on December 20, 2007, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)
Photographed by Mike Stroud, July 1, 2007
2. Branchville Station
S.C. Dept . of Archives and History, circa 1973
3. Branchville Station
(Branchville Depot) The depot at Branchville is the site of the oldest railroad junction in the United States. The original line coming from Charleston and extending to Hamburg was completed in 1832. At the time, it was the longest line in America, as well as being almost twice as long as any in America. In 1840, a line was extended to Orangeburg establishing Branchville as the first junction in the country. The depot, built in 1877, reflects the important role the railroad played in the development of commerce and transportation in South Carolina during the nineteenth century. The establishment of the railroad provided an efficient route for inland towns to send their cotton and farm products to the coast. The depot was also the site of a speech given by President-elect William Howard Taft in 1909. Several rooms in the main structure of the one-story building have been restored to reflect the 1870s and 1880s. The building is constructed of brick with a stucco finish. The hipped roof is covered with painted tin. Listed in the National Register April 23, 1973.(South Carolina Department of Archives and History)
Photographed by Michael Stroud, July 1, 2007
4. Branchville Station
The Southern Railway Passenger Depot, known as the Branchville Railroad, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 (Building #73001723) • Historic Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering •
Architect, builder, or engineer: Unknown
Architectural Style: No Style Listed •
Area of Significance: Military, Transportation, Commerce •
Period of Significance: 1825-1849, 1850-1874 •
Owner: Private •
Historic Function: Transportation •
Historic Sub-function: Rail-Related •
Current Function: Work In Progress.
Photographed by Michael Stroud, July 1, 2007
5. Telegrapher's Desk...Six keys and four separate lines
Southern Railway (now Norfolk Southern Railway) gained control of the line in 1899 and obtained a lease to the South Carolina and Georgia Railroad in 1902. The lease is still in effect.
Photographed by Michael Stroud, July 1, 2007
6. Old Southern Railroad Telephone Operator's Switchboard
Branchville the first R.R. junction point in the world.
Photographed by Michael Stroud, July 1, 2007
7. Famous Dining Room - three U.S. Presidents ate here, one ordered " to go."
Among the countless travelers who enjoyed meals in the old Branchville passenger depot dining room
(still in use today) were Presidents William H. Taft, William McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's train also stopped in Branchville en route to Warm Springs, Ga., but he remained on board.
Photographed by Michael Stroud, July 1, 2007
8. Communications Manager J. Norris' Velocepede
This is a pedal-powered, 3-wheel mode of transportation, which Mr. Norris used to travel up and down the track from pole to pole. Also here is Mr. Norris' tool belt and spikes.
Photographed by Mike Stroud, February 2008
9. The Dining Room
Photographed by Mike Stroud, February 2008
10. One time Southern RR Master Clock
Credits. This page was last revised on August 19, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 20, 2007, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,326 times since then and 78 times this year. Last updated on August 5, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. Photos: 1. submitted on December 20, 2007, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 2, 3. submitted on May 12, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on December 20, 2007, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 9, 10. submitted on February 23, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
