CAROLINA MAIN STREETS Saddle-upC
Historic Camden, SC BY STACY E. DOMINGO
amden, South Carolina, has watched history unfold since 1732. The old- est inland town in the state, the
township was created at the behest of the king of England. Settled mostly by Quakers and Scottish/Irish immigrants, it was named Fredericksburg Township and, later, Pine Tree Hill, probably in deference to the ubiquitous pines in the area. Joseph Kershaw arrived from England in
1758 and established a mercantile company. Prosperity followed and, within a decade, Kershaw suggested yet another name change. In 1768, the town formally became Camden, named for Lord Camden, a champion of Colonial rights. By 1780, with the Revolutionary War
raging and Charleston under the control of the British, led by Lord Cornwallis, 2,500 redcoats moved west into the central part of the state, making Camden their central supply source. For the better part of a year, residents suffered the indignities of war, while the colonists suffered two notable losses on the battlefield. The Battle of Camden, in August 1780, is considered to be the worst American defeat of the war. The British prevailed again in April 1781, beating an American force led by Gen. Nathaniel Greene, but the costly vic- tory precipitated England’s withdrawal from Camden. With more than 60 sites that pre-date 1865,
Camden has maintained its place in history as well as its small-town atmosphere, in spite of its location just 20 minutes from Columbia. The town is also known as a thriving entertain- ment venue. Since 1930, the Carolina Cup Races, hailed as South Carolina’s largest sport- ing/social event, has attracted crowds in excess of 50,000 to watch thoroughbreds race the emerald green course. Camden also hosts the Colonial Cup, a shining example of the best America has to offer in steeplechase racing. Strolling Broad Street, Camden’s historic
From Top: Broad Street In Camden (cour tesy: Camden Chronicle Independent) The Carolina Cup attracts huge crowds to watch the thoroughbreds run (cour tesy: SCPRT) Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Cneter (cour tesy: Johnny Deal)
version of Main Street, you can enjoy the antique shops, cafés, grand columned white houses, cottages and spacious mansions, as well as the Quaker Cemetery. And while you’re visiting, stop and ask a local about the little- known tale of Andrew Jackson’s imprisonment for refusing to polish a British soldier’s boots.
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