Blackville | South Carolina Public Radio

“B” is for Blackville [Barnwell County; population 2,973]. Incorporated in 1837, Blackville originated as a depository on the South Carolina Railroad. It was named for Alexander Black, a railroad superintendent. Prior to the Civil War, the town prospered as a cotton reception station, which stimulated the development of a bustling mercantile community. For a brief period after the war, Blackville was the Barnwell County seat. In the first half of the 20th century, truck farming fueled the economy with large quantities of cucumbers, watermelons, and asparagus marketed in Blackville annually. However, by 1980, less than ten percent of the workforce in the area was in agriculture; the remainder were involved in manufacturing. In the early years of the 21st century, as the economy changed, Blackville struggled to maintain it position within Barnwell County.