10 Facts You Probably Did Not Know About Walhalla, South Carolina
Walhalla is known as the county seat of Oconee County and the gateway to the mountains, but there is much more to its story.
Here are ten facts that even longtime visitors may not know.
1. Walhalla Was Founded by a Colonization Society
Walhalla was not simply a town that slowly formed around a crossroads.
German immigrants in Charleston organized the German Colonization Society and intentionally searched for land where they could establish a new community. Their efforts led them to the foothills of present-day Oconee County in 1850.
2. A German Military Officer Helped Establish the Town
The colonization society was led by General John A. Wagener. He played an important role in organizing the settlers and establishing their new home in the mountains of South Carolina.
3. Walhalla Is Older Than Oconee County
Walhalla was established in 1850, but Oconee County was not created until 1868.
When the former Pickens District was divided, Walhalla became the county seat of the newly formed county.
4. Stumphouse Tunnel Was Part of a Much Larger Plan
The tunnel was supposed to help create a railroad connection between South Carolina and Knoxville, Tennessee, with connections eventually reaching farther north.
The project represented the hope that rail service would bring commerce, travelers and economic growth through the mountains.
5. Workers Cut the Tunnel Mostly by Hand
Construction began in 1853. Irish laborers worked through blue granite using hand drills, hammers, chisels and black powder.
Considering the limited equipment available at the time, the section they completed remains an impressive engineering achievement.
6. The Tunnel Was Intended to Be Almost 6,000 Feet Long
Only approximately 1,600 feet were completed before construction stopped in 1859 after the South Carolina legislature declined to provide additional funding.
The tunnel remained unfinished, and the railroad never passed through Stumphouse Mountain.
7. Clemson Used the Tunnel to Cure Blue Cheese
In 1951, Clemson University acquired Stumphouse Tunnel and experimented with curing blue cheese inside it.
The tunnel’s cool temperature and high humidity provided conditions that helped researchers develop what became Clemson Blue Cheese.
8. Walhalla’s Oktoberfest Tradition Began in 1979
The community began holding its annual Oktoberfest celebration in 1979.
Held during the third weekend of October, the event celebrates Walhalla’s German heritage through traditional music, dancing, food and community activities.
9. The Oconee History Museum Was Once a Tobacco Factory
The building housing the Oconee History Museum dates to 1892 and originally served as a tobacco factory.
Today, it preserves artifacts and stories covering Oconee County’s history from its earliest inhabitants through modern times.
10. The Museum Preserves Ancient Dugout Canoes
Among the Oconee History Museum’s most unusual exhibits are two preserved dugout canoes recovered from local rivers.
These artifacts serve as reminders that the history of this area began long before German immigrants established Walhalla.
Walhalla Is More Than a Point on the Map
Walhalla’s history includes German settlers, Irish tunnel workers, Native American heritage, railroad ambitions and generations of residents who built lives in the foothills.
Today, people are still drawn here by many of the same qualities that attracted the original settlers: mountain scenery, abundant water, fertile land and room to create a home.
Whether you are walking along Main Street, touring a historic house or exploring Stumphouse Mountain, you are surrounded by reminders that Walhalla has never been an ordinary little town.
Gwen Fowler
Gwen Fowler Real Estate, Inc.
Walhalla and Oconee County Real Estate
864-710-4518
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