Hartsville

The Park with the City In It

Hartsville manages to combine big city amenities with small town charm and southern hospitality. The result is a magical southern town with a population of less than 10,000 and a million and one things to do!

Visitors to Hartsville can visit one of the many historical sites in the community. Several houses have been restored and are open to visitors. Spend the day canoeing down Black Creek, exploring Kalmia Gardens, fishing on Prestwood Lake, or strolling through the many shops of downtown Hartsville. And, of course, be sure to enjoy a true southern meal from one of the many restaurants in town. Shrimp and Grits, anyone?

Jacob Kelly House

Spend the day where the Yankees spent the night. The Jacob Kelley House was built around 1820 by landowner and farmer, Jacob Kelley. Though it was originally a small one-story log cabin; over the years, an upstairs was added and the width was doubled. The original carved fireplace mantle and handcrafted Southern furniture are on display inside. During the Civil War, this house was taken over by Federal Forces as headquarters for two days. Throughout the year, living history demonstrations take place at the house. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public on the first Sunday of the month, March through December.

Coker College

Coker College is an independent, coeducational liberal arts college that is consistently rated one of the top regional colleges in country by U.S. News & World Report. In 1894, before a state-supported public education system, several prominent Hartsville citizens established Welsh Neck High School for area students. In 1908, the South Carolina legislature mandated public high school education be provided to all students and the privately operated Welsh Neck High School was no longer needed. The Board of Directors saw this as an opportunity to establish a private college for women (very progressive thinking before women earned the right to vote) and, in doing so, named the school in honor of Major James Lide Coker. Today Coker College's tree-lined campus includes several historic Georgian-style buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as the original school bell from Welsh Neck High School housed in the lattice Bell Tower at the center of campus. Visitors are welcome and may stop by the administration building for more information.

Kalmia Gardens of Coker College

Kalmia Gardens displays a unique variety of flora and fauna on 30 acres of land on the banks of the Black Creek. Thomas E. Hart and his wife originally purchased the land in the 1820's. Their house still stands in the gardens today and is available for tours. The garden itself was started in the 1930's when William Chambers Coker obtained it for his sister-in-law, "Miss May" Coker. Over the next 30 years, she helped developed the walking trails and planted a variety of species of plants. The unique setting of the area has been improved to offer an unusual facility of special interest to tree, shrub, and flower enthusiasts, students, photographers and naturalists, as well as those who simply enjoy the quiet beauty of nature. Walking trails, picnic areas, a sensory garden, an herb garden, and more are available to visitors. The gardens are open from dawn to dusk, 365 days a year.

Coker Experimental Farms

The Coker Experimental Farms National Landmark is one of the few agricultural landmarks in the nation. David R. Coker, son of Major James Lide Coker, used the latest techniques in the scientific breeding of crops at the Coker Farms. He began with cotton and soon expanded to field and vegetable crops. Thousands of farmers visited his fields each year to see the crops and to hear about seed breeding. By 1963, approximately 65% of the cotton acreage in the Southeast, 80% of the oat acreage, 75% of the flue-cured tobacco acreage, 40% of the hybrid corn acreage and an increasing percentage of the soybean acreage could be directly traced back to seed developed by the Coker scientists.

Hartsville Museum

The Hartsville Museum, located at 222 North Fifth Street, is housed in a 1930’s U.S. Post Office. The museum displays a permanent collection of Native American artifacts that were collected along the Pee Dee River and Black Creek. Exhibits like “Cotton: Field To Fabric”, tell the story of cotton cultivation and the making of cotton cloth. The museum’s Showcase Gallery features local fine art and traveling exhibitions as well as historical collections relative to Hartsville and the surrounding area.

John Lide Hart Cottage

The John Lide Hart Cottage, located at 116 East Home Avenue, is the only known structure from John Hart's plantation. John Hart , the third son of Hartsville founder, Thomas Hart, purchased 491 acres of virgin pine forest in 1845. He established the Hartsville Plantation on the land and went on to build a carriage factory, a steam-powered saw mill, gristmill, workers' homes, a store, a post office, a school and a church. The cottage, which remains from the Hartsville Plantation, is an example of federal architecture as influenced by the vernacular cottage style prevalent in the South during antebellum times. It is completely furnished and open to the public on the first Sunday of the month, February through December.

Jerusalem Baptist Church

Jerusalem Baptist Church is the oldest African-American church in town. Henry Harrison, a carriage driver for Major James Lide Coker, organized the church in 1869. Harrison asked Coker for a lot and house located on Snake Branch, which later became the site of the Hartsville Ice Plant. In 1892, the church moved to its current site.

Butler High School

Butler High School, located on Sixth Street, is the successor of the Colored Graded School. The name of the school was changed to Butler High School in 1946 in honor of H.H. "Professor" Butler, who was principal from 1909 to 1946. The school was closed in 1982 and is now under the management of the Butler Heritage Foundation, which preserves the school's legacy. The auditorium is still used today for many community events.

Hartsville Genealogical Research Library

Located at 114 South Fifth Street in the old Hartsville Train Depot (listed on the National Register of Historic Places), the Genealogical Library houses an impressive array of genealogical materials. Included in the collection is the South Carolina Genealogical Society Archives, the collections of the Old Darlington District Chapter, Pee Dee area newspapers from the 1820's and early 20th Century, and the genealogical collections of several local families. Each October the library is the site of a genealogical seminar on Pee Dee area research. Call for hours.

Natural Attractions

Hartsville is located on two bodies of water, Prestwood Lake and Lake Robinson, which are connected by Black Creek. Both offer fishing, boating and jet skiing. Black Creek offers an exciting opportunity for canoeing and kayaking enthusiasts. Black Creek winds its way through the swamps and thickets, providing a wonderful chance to view wildlife and fauna.

We invite you to explore Hartsville and find out for yourself why we think Hartsville is special!