Fairfield County is part of the Old English District of South Carolina. Although the reason behind the county’s name remains uncertain, it seems to have come from Lord Cornwallis. While headquartered in the area during the Revolutionary War, Lord Cornwallis supposedly said that the region had “fair fields.” Cornwallis was not the only important war figure to have left his mark in Fairfield County. General Sherman invaded Winnsboro during the Civil War.
Historically, the county’s economy depended on the production of cotton and a special type of granite known as Winnsboro Blue Granite. Today the county remains rural with an estimated 2015 population of about 26,000 people. Fairfield County was founded within the Camden District in 1785, and Winnsboro serves as its county seat.
Welcome to Fairfield County, South Carolina. Accessed June 03, 2016. http://www.fairfieldsc.com/
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Activity Sheets include: Use the photo of the marker and the bio to compare five facts about Sergeant Isaac Woodard Jr. Use the ad for the Isaac Woodard Benefit Show from 1946 to answer the questions...
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Dorothy Wilson talks about her grandfather, William Griffin. The history of William Griffin goes back to 1886. The Griffin family were sharecroppers and farmers. Her grandfather purchased 80 acres of...
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Francine Davis' family moved to Blythewood in 1940 so she can attend the only black high school available in District 2. There were several church-based schools for black children to attend, but...
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Explore the African American community through the experiences of Blythewood resident, Ruby Brice. Brice's paternal family lived in Blythewood since the late 1800s. In the early 1900s, her maternal...
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Constelena Kelly's great-great grandfather, a Caucasian man, was married to a Cherokee Native American who lived on the reservation. A time came when she was not allowed to live anywhere but on the...
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Naomi and Matty share memories of their father and growing up in Blythewood. Their father was a farmer and activist, encouraging people in the community to register to vote. This was during the time...
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Gordon Light Infantry of Fairfield County, around 1900. Courtesy of the Fairfield County Museum.
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This boxing match was one of many events that made the new Community Building built by the Mill a center for leisure-time activities of the Winnsboro Mill operatives and their families around 1929...
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An aerial view of Winnsboro around 1950, before the Confederate monument in front of the clock tower was moved because it caused traffic accidents. The clock, assembled in 1833, is thought to be the...
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The Fairfield County Courthouse, built in 1823 from a design by Robert Mills, still stands, and was recently restored. Fairfield became a county in 1785. Courtesy of the Fairfield County Museum.
