Georgetown in Georgetown County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Joseph Hayne Rainey Park
Photographed By Craig Swain, May 2, 2010
1. Joseph Hayne Rainey Park Marker
Inscription.
Joseph Hayne Rainey Park. . This park was dedicated in 1993 to the memory of Georgetown native Joseph Hayne Rainey, the first African American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Born to slave parents in 1832, Rainey escaped to Bermuda when the War Between the States broke out. After the war, he returned to South Carolina and entered politics. He was a Republican delegate to the state's 1868 constitutional convention and later was elected to the state senate. In 1870, Rainey was nominated to fill the Congressional term of a white Republican who had been force to resign for selling West Point cadet appointments. He was re-elected to four consecutive terms representing the 1st Congressional District. After losing a fifth re-election bid in 1878, he became an internal revenue agent and later unsuccessfully sought to become the first African American clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Rainey retired to Georgetown in 1886 and died a year later. The family home where Rainey was raised still stands at 909 Prince Street and has been named a National Historic Landmark.
This park was dedicated in 1993 to the memory of Georgetown native Joseph Hayne Rainey, the first African American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Born to slave parents in 1832, Rainey escaped to Bermuda when the War Between the States broke out. After the war, he returned to South Carolina and entered politics. He was a Republican delegate to the state's 1868 constitutional convention and later was elected to the state senate. In 1870, Rainey was nominated to fill the Congressional term of a white Republican who had been force to resign for selling West Point cadet appointments. He was re-elected to four consecutive terms representing the 1st Congressional District. After losing a fifth re-election bid in 1878, he became an internal revenue agent and later unsuccessfully sought to become the first African American clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Rainey retired to Georgetown in 1886 and died a year later. The family home where Rainey was raised still stands at 909 Prince Street and has been named a National Historic Landmark.
Erected by City of Georgetown and Georgetown Steel Corporation.
33° 22.053′ N, 79° 17.191′ W. Marker is in Georgetown, South Carolina, in Georgetown County. Marker can be reached from Front Street. Located at the foot of King Street in part of the Georgetown waterfront park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Georgetown SC 29440, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Marker at the Rainey House, mentioned in the text.
Photographed By Craig Swain, May 2, 2010
2. Joseph Hayne Rainey Park Marker
3. Joseph Hayne Rainey
Portrait of Rainey from the Brady-Handy Photograph Collection in the Library of Congress. Click for more information.
Photographed By Kent C Hermes, March 19, 2023
4. Joseph Hayne Rainey Park Sign
Photographed By Kent C Hermes, March 19, 2023
5. Joseph Hayne Rainey Park Fountain
Credits. This page was last revised on July 24, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 7, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,040 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on June 7, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 4, 5. submitted on July 24, 2023, by Kent C Hermes of Georgetown, South Carolina.