McCormick County, South Carolina is named for Cyrus McCormick(1809-1884), the inventor of the McCormick reaper, an invention which revolutionized the agricultural economy in the South. About the time Mr. McCormick was inventing the reaper (1850), gold was discovered where the current town of McCormick now stands. In 1872, he bought the Dorn Gold Mine and later donated land for the town, which was named for him in 1882. It is thought, however, that he never visited the area. The mine continued to operate until the 1930s. 
The McCormick area had actually been part of Old 96 District, settled in the mid-1800's by Scotch-Irish, French Huguenots, and German farmers. A massacre by Cherokee Indians at Long Cane in 1760 led to the British building Fort Charlotte to protect the region. This fort was one of the first seized by the Americans in the Revolutionary War.
According to the South Carolina State Library, several prominent South Carolinians have resided in the area that is now McCormick County. U. S. senator George McDuffie (1790-1851), Unionist leader James Louis Petigru (1789-1863), and Moses Waddel (1770-1840), who taught many of the future leaders of the state at his Willington Academy all lived in the area.
The story of McCormick County and the surrounding area is told at The Freshwater Coast Discovery Center in Edgefield, SC. Housed in an 1840's restored farmhouse, the Center provides exhibits in the 6,000-square-foot museum that takes you from the natural landscapes and settlements through modern times. You are introduced to the region's vast military and political history, thus providing a better understanding of the hot political issues of the time; some of which led to the firing upon Fort Sumter in the Charleston Harbor signaling the Civil War. Exhibits also show the fall of the Confederacy and the signing of surrender papers in what is now the Burt-Stark Mansion in picturesque Abbeville, 25 minutes from downtown McCormick.
For more information on the history of McCormick, South Carolina, contact Bruce & Mary today!
Bruce and Mary are South Carolina REALTORS® specializing in Savannah Lakes Village, a planned golf and lake front community that features retirement and second homes in addition to lakefront and golf course lots for future building. Our community has two premier golf courses, Monticello and Tara, and amenities including a Health & Wellness Activities center, clubhouses and restaurants. For additional information on retirement or second homes in Savannah Lakes Village, email Bruce and Mary or visit Savannah Lakes Homes.
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