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Fort Mill, South Carolina

Coordinates:35°00′22″N80°56′24″W/ 35.00611°N 80.94000°W/35.00611; -80.94000
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Fort Mill
Fort Mill Township
Town
Fort Mill Downtown Historic District
Fort Mill Downtown Historic District
Official seal of Fort Mill
Seal
Location in South Carolina
Location in South Carolina
Coordinates:35°00′22″N80°56′24″W/ 35.00611°N 80.94000°W/35.00611; -80.94000
CountryUnited States
StateSouth Carolina
CountiesYork
Established1873[1]
Named forColonial-era British fort[2]
Government
• TypeCouncil–manager
• MayorGuynn Savage[3]
Area
[4]
• Total19.97 sq mi (51.72 km2)
• Land19.71 sq mi (51.04 km2)
• Water0.26 sq mi (0.68 km2) 1.30%
Elevation
[5]
623 ft (190 m)
Population
(2020)[6]
• Total24,521
• Estimate
(2023)
33,626
• Density1,244.34/sq mi (480.43/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5(Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)UTC−4(EDT)
ZIP codes
29715, 29716, 29708
Area code(s)803, 839
FIPS code45-26890[7]
GNISfeature ID1247805[5]
Websitefortmillsc.gov

Fort Mill,also known asFort Mill Township,is a town inYork County, South Carolina,United States. It is a suburb ofCharlotte, North Carolina.As of the2020 census,the population of the town was 24,521.[8]Some businesses and residents in theIndian Landcommunity of neighboring Lancaster County share a Fort Mill mailing address, but the official town boundary extends only within York County.

The Fort Mill area is home to notable businesses such as the headquarters ofCarolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps(who wereDCI World Championsin 2013),LPL Financial,[9]Continental Tire the Americas (Lancaster County), LLC.,CompuCom Systems,Diversey, Inc.,Sunbelt Rentals,Domtar,Springs Industries,AECOM (Lancaster County),Shutterfly,[10]Red Ventures(Lancaster County),Daimler Trucks North America,andPuckerbutt Pepper Company,known for originally producing theCarolina Reaper.[11]

History[edit]

The town of Fort Mill was established in 1873, getting its name from its location between two points, the first, a fort constructed by British in colonial times to protect the Catawba Indians from marauding tribes to the north, and the second point of Webb's Mill.[12]TheCatawbaIndians made their home in present-day Fort Mill for many years.Scots-Irishsettlers began arriving in the 1750s and 1760s and a small settlement soon developed. Fort Mill grew rapidly in the late 19th century astextile millswere established. After many textile mill shut-downs the town continued to grow rapidly and became a major suburb ofCharlotte.

Highlights in Fort Mill's history include:

  • In the mid-18th century, Thomas Spratt and his wife Elizabeth were traveling through upper South Carolina in their wagon. They spent a night among the friendlyCatawbaIndians and were invited to stay and live in the area on a large tract of land given to them. They became the first white settlers in the Fort Mill area and their descendants still reside there. Their descendant,John Spratt,represented the area in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 2011.
  • The town of Fort Mill was the site of the last Confederate Government Cabinet meeting (1865).[1]Jefferson Davisand the Confederate Cabinet passed through the area during their flight from Richmond in 1865. The last meeting of the full Confederate Cabinet was held at the White Homestead in Fort Mill. Fort Mill's Confederate Park contains the nation's onlymonumentto slaves laboring on theConfederateside of theAmerican Civil War.
  • In the 1970s and 1980s, Fort Mill was the home to TV evangelistJim Bakker's now defunctHeritage USA(now reopened asHeritage International Ministries).

TheBanks-Mack House,Fort Mill Downtown Historic District,Mack-Belk House,Mills House,Nation Ford Road,National Guard Armory,Spratt Cemetery,Springfield Plantation House,Thornwell-Elliott House,Unity Presbyterian Church Complex,John M. White House,William Elliott White House,andWilson Houseare listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[13]

Geography[edit]

Map
Interactive map of Fort Mill

According to theUnited States Census Bureau,the town has a total area of 19.97 square miles (51.7 km2), of which 19.71 square miles (51.0 km2) is land and 0.26 square miles (0.67 km2) (1.30%) is water.[4]Interstate 77passes through the western portions of the town, and exit 85 is signed "South Carolina Highway 160/Fort Mill. "SC 160 is the main east–west street in Fort Mill.

The town of Fort Mill held a final public hearing in October 2008 on a proposed annexation that doubled the town's physical size.[14]Fort Mill has three golf courses. The town also maintains six parks: Harris Street Park, Steele Street Park, Doby Bridge Park, Calhoun Street Park, Veterans Park and Walter Elisha Park. Three of the six parks have picnic shelters, children's playgrounds, and restrooms. Doby Bridge and Harris Street Parks have lighted baseball fields, with Steele Street and Harris Street Parks havingbasketballcourts, and Steele Street Park having a smallwater park.[1]The town also maintains a banquet hall rentable through the parks and recreation department.

Climate[edit]

Fort Mill is located in ahumid subtropical climate,Cfa in theKöppen climate classification.This means that the city experiences four distinct seasons, although the variation between the seasons is not as pronounced as in other parts of the United States. Generally, daytime maximum temperatures in the summer are around 90 °F (32 °C), with nighttime low temperatures of approximately 70 °F (21 °C). In winter, daytime maxima average around 50 °F (10 °C) while nighttime low temperatures are near 30 °F (−1 °C). Occasional readings as high as 105 °F (41 °C) are seen, reaching a high of 108 °F (42 °C) in 2007 or as low as −5 °F (−21 °C) in 1989. Summers are generally humid and prone to thunderstorms, while winters are rainy with sleet and occasional snow. Snow might fall during the winter but usually does not accumulate or persist as ground cover. Fort Mill experiences rainfall related totropical cyclonesbut is generally too far inland to experience damaging winds. Fort Mill has not had any direct hits from any tropical systems since 1989, whenHurricane Hugodevastated the area.

The most common soil in Fort Mill isCecil series.[15]

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880290—
1890689137.6%
19001,394102.3%
19101,61615.9%
19201,94020.0%
19302,1128.9%
19402,91938.2%
19503,2049.8%
19603,3153.5%
19704,50535.9%
19804,162−7.6%
19904,93018.5%
20007,58753.9%
201010,81142.5%
202024,521126.8%
2023 (est.)33,626[8]37.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[16][6]

2020 census[edit]

Fort Mill racial composition[17]
Race Num. Perc.
White(non-Hispanic) 17,210 70.18%
Black or African American(non-Hispanic) 2,965 12.09%
Native American 81 0.33%
Asian 1,294 5.28%
Pacific Islander 4 0.02%
Other/Mixed 1,296 5.29%
HispanicorLatino 1,671 6.81%

As of the2020 census,there were 24,521 people, 6,130 households, and 4,854 families residing in the town.

2010 census[edit]

At the2010 census,[7]there were 10,811 people, 4,168 households, and 2,184 families residing in the town. Thepopulation densitywas 661.6 people per square mile. There were 4,479 housing units at an average density of 676.9 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 77.6%White,17.6%African American,0.4%Native American,1.3%Asian,and 2.1% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 2.9% of the population.

There were 2,890 households, out of which 43.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% weremarried couplesliving together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.1% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $68,250, and the median income for a family was $79,495. Males had a median income of $58,986 versus $40,819 for females. Theper capita incomefor the town was $36,548. About 7.2% of families and 9.5% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture[edit]

Fort Mill is home to numerous attractions and, while a growing town, it has access to many amenities outside its jurisdiction in the nearby cities of Charlotte and Rock Hill.

  • A portion ofCedar Fair'sCarowindsamusement park is located in Fort Mill.
  • Upper Room Chapel is a replica of Jerusalem's Upper Room where the Last Supper was held.
  • Fort Mill Downtown Historic Districtis the location of Confederate Park, Memorial Park, and several retail shops. TheFort Mill Times(ceased publication 2020) andFort Mill Magazineare also located on Main Street. One of the Confederate monuments in Confederate Park is theloyal slaves monument,dedicated to the proposition that slaves were loyal and gladly helpful to the Confederacy.
  • Annually, Fort Mill is home to the St. Phillip Neri Italian Festival at the localCatholicparish and the Strawberry Festival held at Walter Elisha Park.

Fort Mill is also known for its peach orchards and theAnne Springs Close Greenway,an extensivenature preserveconsisting of approximately 2,300 acres (9.3 km2) of lakes, forests, and pastures that provide trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.

Sports[edit]

Fort Mill is the Home of thePrimeTime Players,a Minor League Basketball Franchise who currently plays in theEast Coast Basketball League.The PrimeTime Players are four-time Minor League champions, having won Championships in the TRBL 2012-2014 and the ECBL in 2015. The PrimeTime Players play their home games at Banks Street Gym at 490 Academy Street.

Fort Mill is also home toCarolina Crown,a competitive drum and bugle corps. As a member ofDrum Corps International (DCI),Carolina Crown won one World Class championship (2013), won the silver medal three times (2009, 2012, 2015), the bronze medal three times (2016, 2017, 2023), and one Division II championship (1993).

Government[edit]

The government of Fort Mill takes place within the framework of aCouncil-Manager Form.Currently, the town council of Fort Mill consists of six board members, two of whom serve fromat-largedistricts, while the remainder of the council represent each of four wards. Elections are held in accordance with United Stateselection regulationsevery two years, and council members serve staggered four year terms.[1]The town council meets the second Monday of each month. The town of Fort Mill currently has four boards and commissions. These are the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Planning Commission, the Historical Review Board, and the Housing Authority Board. Members of boards and commissions are appointed on a volunteer basis.

The current mayor is Guynn Savage, who was sworn on January 12, 2016.[18]

Fort Mill is currently represented by the following legislators:[1]

Fort Mill and northern portions of its township are represented in the South Carolina House byR. Raye Felder(R)as part of South Carolina House district 26.[1]

Education[edit]

Fort Mill High School

Fort Mill is the primary community within the Fort Mill School District, which also serves children from the nearby community ofTega Cay.

Fort Mill has apublic library,a branch of the York County Library.[19]

Notable people[edit]

  • Nick Nemeth- Professional Wrestler, also known as Dolph Ziggler in WWE, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action wrestling, resides in Fort Mill

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdef"Our Town".fortmillsc.org.Archived fromthe originalon August 27, 2007.RetrievedApril 3,2018.
  2. ^"Town of Fort Mill".discoversouthcarolina.Archivedfrom the original on December 7, 2022.RetrievedDecember 7,2022.
  3. ^"Your Government".fortmillsc.gov.RetrievedMarch 23,2024.
  4. ^ab"ArcGIS REST Services Directory".United States Census Bureau.Archivedfrom the original on February 13, 2023.RetrievedOctober 15,2022.
  5. ^abU.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Fort Mill, South Carolina
  6. ^ab"Census Population API".United States Census Bureau.Archivedfrom the original on February 13, 2023.RetrievedOctober 15,2022.
  7. ^ab"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.Archivedfrom the original on December 27, 1996.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
  8. ^ab"QuickFacts: Fort Mill town, South Carolina".United States Census Bureau.Archivedfrom the original on May 16, 2021.RetrievedMay 16,2024.
  9. ^"LPL Financial breaks ground on Fort Mill, SC, headquarters"ArchivedApril 16, 2017, at theWayback MachineCharlotte Observer. Retrieved April 16, 2017
  10. ^"Shutterfly Expands East Coast Manufacturing"ArchivedApril 16, 2017, at theWayback MachineAreaDevelopment, Retrieved April 16, 2017
  11. ^"Puckerbutt Pepper Company Makes World's Hottest Peppers And Sauces"ArchivedNovember 9, 2020, at theWayback MachineCNBC. Retrieved December 11, 2020
  12. ^Bradley, Francis (August 31, 1958)."Palmetto Place Names"(PDF).The State.Archived(PDF)from the original on February 18, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 17,2018.
  13. ^"National Register Information System".National Register of Historic Places.National Park Service.July 9, 2010.
  14. ^Allen, Jonathan."Fort Mill 11 #5".The Herald.The Herald.Archivedfrom the original on January 15, 2017.RetrievedJune 17,2016.
  15. ^"SoilWeb".Archivedfrom the original on May 14, 2013.RetrievedJuly 12,2016.
  16. ^"Census of Population and Housing".Census.gov.Archivedfrom the original on April 26, 2015.RetrievedJune 4,2015.
  17. ^"Explore Census Data".data.census.gov.Archivedfrom the original on December 15, 2021.RetrievedDecember 15,2021.
  18. ^Marks, John."Savage sworn in as Fort Mill's new mayor".Herald Online.The Herald.Archivedfrom the original on January 29, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 22,2016.
  19. ^"South Carolina libraries and archives".SCIWAY.Archivedfrom the original on June 7, 2019.RetrievedJune 13,2019.
  20. ^"Thomas Lee Hall | World War I | U.S. Army | Medal of Honor Recipient".Congressional Medal of Honor Society.Archivedfrom the original on March 30, 2023.RetrievedMarch 30,2023.
  21. ^Bollinger, Cristina (May 2, 2019)."Miss North Carolina USA, a Charlotte lawyer, takes the crown. She's the new Miss USA".News Observer.Archivedfrom the original on May 3, 2019.RetrievedMay 3,2019.
  22. ^Vargas, Claudia (March 9, 2012)."Current and former S.J. politicos attend funeral of former Camden Mayor Randy Primas".Philadelphia Inquirer(Camden Flow).Archivedfrom the original on November 23, 2012.RetrievedMarch 11,2012.
  23. ^Noden, Merrell (July 6, 1992)."Great Expectations: Melvin Stewart's Journey From the World of the PTL Ministry to his Life as the World's Best Butterflyer Has Been Well, Dickensian"ArchivedJuly 20, 2021, at theWayback Machine.Sports Illustrated.Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  24. ^"Where Are They Now?: Mel Stewart"ArchivedJuly 20, 2021, at theWayback Machine.Charlotte Magazine.July 20, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2021.

External links[edit]

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