Chester, South Carolina

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chester, South Carolina
City
Chester County Courthouse, built in 1852
Nickname(s): The Picture Perfect City; The Little City on the Big Hill
Location of Chester, South Carolina
Coordinates: 34°42′20″N 81°12′42″W / 34.70556°N 81.21167°W / 34.70556; -81.21167Coordinates: 34°42′20″N 81°12′42″W / 34.70556°N 81.21167°W / 34.70556; -81.21167
Country United States
State South Carolina
County Chester
Government
  Type Council-Manager
  Mayor Wanda Stringfellow
Area
  Total 3.2 sq mi (8.2 km2)
  Land 3.2 sq mi (8.2 km2)
  Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 535 ft (163 m)
Population (2000)
  Total 5,607
  Density 2,042.8/sq mi (788.7/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
  Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 29706
Area code(s) 803
FIPS code 45-14095[1]
GNIS feature ID 1247275[2]
Website www.chestersc.org

Chester is a small rural city in Chester County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 5,607 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chester County.[3]

Geography and climate

Chester is located at 34°42′20″N 81°12′42″W / 34.70556°N 81.21167°W / 34.70556; -81.21167 (34.705553, -81.211638).[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2), all of it land.

Young mill workers in Chester, 1908, photographed by Lewis Hine.

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 6,476 people, 2,465 households, and 1,639 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,042.8 people per square mile (788.8/km²). There were 2,774 housing units at an average density of 875.0 per square mile (337.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 62.26% African American, 36.37% White, 0.15% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.

There were 2,465 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.4% were married couples living together, 26.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,518, and the median income for a family was $32,973. Males had a median income of $27,321 versus $20,802 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,386. About 16.4% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.3% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.

Chester is the center of an urban cluster with a total population of 11,140 (2000 census).

Trivia

  • While being transported to Richmond, VA for his trial for treason, former Vice-President Aaron Burr passed through Chester. Burr "flung himself from his horse and cried for a rescue, but the officer commanding the escort seized him, threw him back like a child into the saddle, and marched on."[5] The large stone he stood on has been inscribed and is preserved in the town center, and is known locally as the Aaron Burr Rock.
  • Chiefs (TV miniseries), based on the novel by Stuart Woods, was filmed in Chester over the course of three months in 1983.[6] It was nominated for three prime-time Emmy awards, and featured a star-studded cast including Charlton Heston, Keith Carradine, Paul Sorvino, Billy Dee Williams and Danny Glover.[7]

Local news media

  • Chester Vision or CSN (Chester Sports Network)
  • Chester News & Reporter
  • WRBK, 90.3 FM, a noncommercial station that primarily features classic oldies

Notable natives

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
  4. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  5. Henry Adams, History of the United States of America during the Administrations of Thomas Jefferson, Library of America, 1986, p. 828.
  6. "A Salute to Chiefs", The Rock Hill Herald, July 27, 1983.
  7. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084997

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.