Anderson, South Carolina

Anderson Court House

Cherokee first settled the area of what is today the city of Anderson. During the American Revolution the Cherokee sided with the British. After the American Revolutionary War the Cherokee surrendered their land. In 1791 the South Carolina legislature created the Washington District which comprised Greenville, Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties. The Washington District was then divided into Greenville and Pendleton districts. Anderson, Pickens and Oconee comprised the newly created Pendleton district. Anderson was settled in 1826 and incorporated in 1828 as Anderson Court House separating from the Pendleton district. The name Anderson is in honor of Robert Anderson who fought in the American Revolutionary War and also explored the Anderson region in the mid-17th century. Anderson County was also established in 1826 out of the Pendleton district.

In 1851 the Johnson Female Seminary was established in Anderson as the first college of the town and was named after William Bullein Johnson. One year later the seminary was renamed Johnson University. During the American Civil War Johnson University was closed and converted into a Confederate treasury. On May 1, 1865 Union forces invaded Anderson looking for the Confederate treasury. The treasury office of Anderson was ransacked by Union forces and the main building of Johnson University was used as a Union headquarters. A minor skirmish erupted at the Battle of Anderson leading to two Union casualties. After the war a Union garrison was stationed in Anderson.

The Electric City

Anderson became one of the first cities in the Southeastern United States to have electricity. Electricity to Anderson was established by William C. Whitner in 1895 at a hydroelectric plant on the Rocky River giving the city the name "The Electric City." Anderson also became the first city in the world to supply a cotton gin by electricity. In 1895 Anderson Court House was renamed to Anderson. In 1897 Whitner's plant was upgraded with a 10,000 volt generating station at Portman Shoals. Whitner's power plant at Portman Shoals became the first hydroelectric plant to generate high voltage without step-up transformers in the United States. The Portman Dam was swept away in 1901 forcing Anderson to be in darkness until it was rebuilt in 1902.

In 1911 Anderson College was established by the Anderson Chamber of Commerce. Anderson College was a successor to the Johnson Female Seminary and is affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention in particular the First Baptist Church of Anderson. Anderson College became a co-ed two year junior college in 1930 and in 2006 it became Anderson University.

Geography

Anderson is located in the northwest corner of South Carolina on the Piedmont plateau. Anderson is a 1-hour drive from the Blue Ridge Mountains and a 4-hour drive from the South Carolina coast. Anderson lies roughly at the midpoint of the busy I-85 corridor between Atlanta, Georgia, and Charlotte, North Carolina.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.6 square miles (37.9 km²), of which 14.6 square miles (37.8 km²) is land and 0.039 square miles (0.1 km²), or 0.30%, is water.

Historic districts

Parks

Economy

Anderson's economy revolves around manufacturing. Anderson has over 230 manufacturers, including 22 international companies. In the county, Anderson has a thriving business climate. The top major industries in Anderson include manufacturers of automotive products, metal products, industrial machinery, plastics, publishing, and textiles. Two industries that many times interconnect are the plastic and automotive sectors. There are more than 27 BMW suppliers in the Upstate region, which is recognized internationally as an automotive supplier hub. The plastics industry has a strong presence in the Upstate, with 244 plastic companies located within the 10 counties of the state's northwest corner. Anderson County, in particular, has 11 automotive suppliers and is a major player in the plastic industry, with 27 plastics companies located within its borders. It has one unionized company in the area.

Hospitals

AnMed Health is one of the top employers in the county and the primary healthcare network for Anderson. AnMed Health Medical Center is the main medical facility, offering all the amenities of a standard hospital, as well as a heart and vascular center, and stroke/neurological center. Located two and a half miles north of the facility is the AnMed Health Campus which includes a women's and children's hospital, minor care, cancer center, speech and occupational therapy, and more. The AnMed Rehabilitation Hospital is located between the two facilities. AnMed has recently received national attention being awarded the "National Presidents Circle Award," and the "American College of Cardiology Foundation’s 2012 NCDR ACTION Registry–GWTG Platinum Performance Achievement Award."

In addition to these three network hospitals, AnMed also operates a number of smaller facilities throughout the city and county that range from a free clinic and minor care to doctor's offices.

Education

The city of Anderson is served by the Anderson County School System (specifically, Anderson School District Five). The school district has eleven elementary schools, five middle schools, and two high schools.

Elementary schools:

Middle schools:

High schools:

Private schools:

Higher education

Airport

Anderson is served by Anderson County Regional Airport (IATA: AND, ICAO: KAND). The airport is 3 miles (4.8 km) away from Anderson and has 2 runways; runway 5/23 is 6,000 feet (1,800 m) and runway 17/35 is 5,000 feet (1,500 m). The airport also has helipads. The airport has no control tower but is able to accommodate regional jet aircraft. In addition, the airport has a small terminal.

Roads and highways

Anderson has five signed exits on I-85, currently the city's only freeway. Several notable highways pass through the city, including U.S. Route 76 and U.S. Route 178 co-signed along Clemson Boulevard, also known as SC-Bus 28, and U.S. Route 29 leading to Hartwell, Georgia, to the south and Greenville to the north.

In 2011, construction began on a new east-west connector which is approximately three miles long between Clemson Boulevard and South Carolina Highway 81. On August 16, 2010, the connector was voted to have four lanes with turn and bike lanes with a completion date set in October 2012.

On November, 8th, 2013, the East-West Parkway formally opened to traffic.

Public transit

Anderson has four bus routes (Blue, Green, Red, and Gold) that travel to most major areas of the city, running every hour. and also receives service from Clemson Area Transit (CATS) via the 4U route. The city uses both newer hybrid buses and older style trolleys resembling Anderson's old streetcars. Inter-city bus travel is available through Greyhound Lines, located on West Whitner Street near downtown.

Though the city still doesn't have as extensive a transit system as more modern cities, it is making plans to expand its ventures. The city is currently trying to acquire a full-time office space for a downtown bus transfer center. There is also the potential for growth in the future, including a new line connecting Belton to Anderson.

Shopping

Anderson is one of the main shopping destinations in The Upstate. Locally owned stores such as Grady's Great Outdoors and Blake & Brady as well as big box stores occupy Anderson, mainly on Clemson Boulevard. Midtowne Park is a shopping center which opened in 2008 that features Kohl's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Staples, AT&T, Hardee's, and Ulta.

The Anderson Jockey Lot is also a well known shopping area located on US 29 about 7.5 miles from the heart of the city. The Jockey Lot is a flea market operating on 65 acres with enough spots inside and out for over 1,500 vendors. It operates on 65 acres of land and is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Anderson Jockey Lot is said to be the South's biggest flea market and the World's best one.

Anderson Mall

Anderson Mall is Anderson's largest shopping center. It opened in 1972 and has undergone many expansions. It currently has more than 76 specialty stores thanks to a renovation completed in 2008. The mall is owned by WP Glimcher and anchored by Sears, Belk, Dillards, and JC Penney. Dillards recently opened at the mall in the Fall of 2008 as part of the renovation project. The front of the mall was also remodeled with Books-A-Million relocating to this area, along with several other stores.

Demographics

At the census of 2000, there were 25,514 people, 10,641 households, and 6,299 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,843.7 people per square mile (711.8/km²). There were 12,068 housing units at an average density of 872.1 per square mile (336.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 63.12% White, 34.01% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.78% Asian American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.48% of the population.

There were 10,641 households out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were married couples living together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.8% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city, the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 82.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 77.5 males.

Anderson is the central city of an urbanized area with a total population of 70,530 (2000 census). This urban area is within the larger Greenville-Spartanburg metropolitan statistical area.

Government

Anderson is governed using the mayor-council system. The Mayor is elected at-large. The city council consists of eight members. Six are elected from districts and the other two are elected at large.

Notable people

Sister cities

Anderson has 2 sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International.: