Home Click 1900 CENSUS-Occupations --- History 1907-1950---History 1951-1999
In 1886 Mr. A.W. Martin erected what was probably the first home within the town limits. The house stood on the west side of Spring Street, between Second and Third Streets. Mr. Martin Operated a turpentine distillery, cleared the creek and rafted logs to the Edisto River and on to Charleston. Shortly there after, Mr. Hilliard Goodwin, owner of much of the land lying within the town limits, built his home on the northwest corner of Monmouth Avenue and First Street. This house was moved to Gaston, S.C. in 1995 by Roddy Rucker.
In 1890 Swansea had its beginning as a stop or station for the Southbound Railroad (later the Seaboard Airline Railroad). Tracks for this railroad were laid about this time and the town was surveyed and laid out in blocks. Related Information.
In 1892, on March 25, a block or square in the center of town was deeded in trust to a committee from the Sardis Baptist Church for the location of a Baptist church in town. The Swansea Baptist Church was constituted this same year. The deed was transferred to them and they began worship under a brush arbor. Worship was then held in a shed type structure until the first church building was erected in 1895.
December 1, mail which had been going to Pine Plains begin arriving daily in Swansea. The post office was in a wooden building in the yard of the C.H. Corbitts, who were in charge of the post office. This house still stands on the northeast corner of Second and Cardiff. It is the home of Karen and Jerry Smith. Related Information
December 7, a bill to incorporate the town was introduced in the General Assembly by Mr. W.H.F. Rast, a member of the House of Representatives. It was approved on December 19. The first "merchandise" store in town was also built by Mr. Rast on the southeast corner of Cardiff Avenue and Third Street, approximately where the fire station stands now.
Sometime before the latter part of 1893, a head-on collision of two passenger trains of the Florida Central and Pennsylvania Railroads occurred early one spring morning on a curve about one and one half miles south of town.
In 1893 on December 20, a second act to incorporate Swansea was approved by the General Assembly. This act included sections which designated W. B. Ross, C. H. Corbitt and John H. Wise to conduct the first election for Intendant and Wardens.
On the same day, a bill previously introduced by D. J. Knotts was also approved. This, upon its approval became the act creating the Swansea School District and setting its boundaries.
On December 23, Swansea first "hotel boarding house' burned. It had been built sometime earlier by Mr. Tom Martin and stood on the northeast corner of Cardiff Avenue and Third Street. Mr. and Mrs. L. V. Gantt operated the hotel.
In 1896 the Swansea Methodist Church was organized, and in the 1920's occupied its second building on the same site, the northeast corner of Church and Lady St.
In 1897 what may have been the first public school building was in use. It was located near the northwest corner of Church and Second St. Mr. Jim Smith and Mr. B. E. Craft were the teaches of about fifty students. The school later moved to the southwest corner of Monmouth Ave. and Second St. and then to a building near the northeast corner of Church and St. Paul Streets.
In1898 the congregation of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church was at worship on the southeast corner of Church and Fifth Streets. The land was deeded to them by Mr. Joe Boozer. Members had previously withdrawn (around 1870) from the Ebenezer Baptist Church located on the Knott's place about six miles distant. Until the erection of their first building on this site, they had worship under a brush arbor and in a building on Mr. Rast's place which they shared with Mount Olive A.M.E. Church and M.E. Church-each having a Sunday service.
The cornerstone of the Mount Olive A.M.E. Church located diagonally opposite on the northwest corner bears the dates 1895-1909.