Winnsboro, South Carolina

Winnsboro, South Carolina
Town
Location of Winnsboro, South Carolina
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
County	Fairfield
Area
• Total	3.2 sq mi (8.4 km2)
• Land	3.2 sq mi (8.4 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	535 ft (163 m)
Population  (2007)
• Total	3,564
• Density	1,109.6/sq mi (428.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	29180
Area code	803
FIPS code	45-78460Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	1251474Template:GR

Winnsboro is a town in Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,599 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Fairfield CountyTemplate:GR. Winnsboro is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Several years before the Revolution, Richard Winn from Virginia moved to what is now called Fairfield County. His lands covered the present site of Winnsboro, and as early as 1777 the settlement was known as "Winnsborough".

The village was laid out and chartered in 1785 upon petition of Richard Winn, John Winn and John Vanderhorst. John, Richard, and Minor Winn all served in the Revolutionary War. Richard was a General and he is said to have fought in more battles than any Whig in South Carolina. John was a Colonel. See Fairfield County, South Carolina for more.

The traditional blues song Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues was written about working in a cotton mill in Winnsboro; the song has been sung by Leadbelly, Pete Seeger, and other artists and was reworked by modernist composer/pianist Frederic Rzewski.

Geography

Winnsboro is located at 34°22′37″N 81°5′17″W (34.377069, -81.087959)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.4 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 3,599 people, 1,454 households, and 984 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,109.6 people per square mile (428.9/km²). There were 1,597 housing units at an average density of 492.4/sq mi (190.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 40.29% White, 58.46% African American, 0.31% Asian, 0.33% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.

There were 1,454 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.7% were married couples living together, 25.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 80.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,094, and the median income for a family was $29,550. Males had a median income of $29,275 versus $18,925 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,135. About 23.6% of families and 24.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.

Famous residents

• D. Wyatt Aiken, (1828-1887), born in Winnsboro, United States Congressman
• Mike Anderson, Baltimore Ravens running back, formerly of the Denver Broncos where he was named Rookie of the Year his first season
• John Bratton, Confederate general during the American Civil War
• Walter B. Brown, former Vice-President of Southern Railway (now Norfolk Southern); political legend in South Carolina legisltaive government
• William Porcher DuBose A priest, theologian, and educator in the Episcopal Church; and a Civil War Veteran.
• Orlando Ruff, Defensive Lineman for the New Orleans Saints
• Joseph Lazorik, UPS Inside Sales Supervisor
• John Hugh Means, former Governor of South Carolina
• Alex Sanders, former Court of Appeals Judge, Lt. Governor Candidate, College of Charleston President, and U.S. Senate Candidate; Democrat; resides in Charleston-- related to Thomas family of Ridgeway
• Miriam Stevenson 1954 Miss USA and Miss Universe winner, first to hold both titles
• Timothy C. Wilkes, former S.C. House member who was cleared of charges in the Operation Lost Trust FBI Sting in South Carolina during the 1990's
• Tyler Thigpen, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback
• James Francis Miller, politician who represented Texas in the United States House of Representatives from 1883-1886.

External links

• Town of Winnsboro