Orangeburg, also known as "The Garden City," is a city located in Orangeburg County, South Carolina. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 12,765. The population has steadily declined since the 1950s. It is the county seat of Orangeburg County. The city is located southeast of Columbia, on the north fork of the Edisto River.
A civil rights protest was staged at a whites-only bowling alley in Orangeburg on February 8, 1968. In what would become known as the Orangeburg Massacre, officers of the SC Highway Patrol became involved in an altercation with the protestors. The officers fired into the crowd, killing 3 and wounding 27.
In May of 2000, the city created the Orangeburg County Community of Character initiative, which is a collaborative effort by the Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association (DORA), The Times and Democrat newspaper, the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce, and the Orangeburg County Development Commission.
In 2005, the National Civic League awarded Orangeburg County with the coveted All-America City Award (which can be awarded to either a city or a county), which recognizes and encourages civic excellence and honors communities in which citizens, government, businesses, and non-profit organizations demonstrate successful resolution of critical community issues.
Orangeburg is located at 33°29'49" North, 80°51'44" West (33.496843, -80.862206).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.5 km2 (8.3 mi2). 21.5 km2 (8.3 mi2) of it is land and 0.12% is water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 12,765 people, 4,512 households, and 2,526 families residing in the city. The population density is 594.5/km2 (1,539.0/mi2). There are 5,168 housing units at an average density of 240.7/km2 (623.1/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 29.78% White, 67.51% African American, 0.13% Native American, 1.14% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.79% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. 1.29% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 4,512 households out of which 23.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.5% are married couples living together, 18.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 44.0% are non-families. 35.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.23 and the average family size is 2.88.
In the city the population is spread out with 17.7% under the age of 18, 28.6% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 28 years. For every 100 females there are 76.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 71.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $30,306, and the median income for a family is $37,008. Males have a median income of $30,310 versus $21,935 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,263. 24.7% of the population and 17.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 34.7% of those under the age of 18 and 14.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Orangeburg, named for William, the Prince of Orange, the son-in-law of King George, II, of England, was first settled in 1704 by an Indian trader, George Sterling.
To encourage settlement, the General Assembly of the Province of South Carolina in 1730 made the area into a township in the shape of a parallelogram 15 x 5 miles. In 1735, a colony of 200 Swiss, German and Dutch immigrants formed a community near the banks of the North Edisto River. The site was attractive because of the fertile soil and the abundance of wildlife. The river provided an outlet to the port of Charleston for the agriculture and lumber products. The town soon became a well-established and successful colony, composed chiefly of small farmers.
The church played an important role in the early life of Orangeburg. The first church was of Lutheran denomination but was later the Episcopal Church. The church building was erected prior to 1763 in the center of the village and was destroyed at the time of the Revolutionary War. A subsequent church building was used as a smallpox hospital by General William Tecumseh Sherman during the Civil War.
The center of the original village was near what is now Broughton and Henley Streets, according to a marker there.
Source:
OrangeburgSouthCarolina.com
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