Hartsville

Hartsville is the largest city in Darlington County, South Carolina, United States. It was chartered on December 11, 1891. Hartsville was chosen as an All-America City in 1996 and again in 2016. The city is home to Coker University and a branch of FlorenceDarlington Technical College. It is also the home of the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics, a public boarding high school. The town is named for Captain Thomas E. Hart, who eventually owned most of the land in the community. The area surrounding the city was once home to several Native American tribes, including the Pee Dee, Catawba, Chicora, Edisto, Sane, and Chicora-Waccamaw, who inhabited the region until European settlers arrived in the 1760s. It has a total area of 6.2 square miles (14.0 km), of which 5.7 sq miles (8.2 km) is land and 0.1 sq km is water. The average low is 31 °F (1 °C) in January, and the average high is 92 °C (33 °F) in July. During the winter months, the city experiences a mild climate year-round. It experiences a number of days with measurable precipitation is 106, and about 46 inches (1,200 mm) of rainfall per year. The population was 7,764 at the 2010 census, and it has a population of 7,816.

History

Hartsville's first settlement began around 1760. The town is named for Captain Thomas E. Hart, who eventually owned most of the land in the community. James Lide Coker came to Hartsville in 1857 with plans to implement new farming methods he had learned at Harvard College. He established Welsh Neck High School, which later became Coker College. The Southern Novelty Company and Carolina Fiber Company merged to form Sonoco Products Company. Sonoco eventually expanded to a global scale and became a Fortune 500 company. The Town of Hartsvile received its first charter on December 11, 1891, during a period of bustling economic activity and growth. The railroad eventually became part of the South Carolina Central Railroad, and the town is now home to the Coker and Company General Store, a bank, and a museum. Hartsevile is located in South Carolina's Pee Dee and Catawba counties, which were once home to several Native American tribes, including the Peeee Dee, CatawBA, Chicora, Edisto, Sane, and Chicora-Waccamaw, who inhabited the region until European settlers arrived in the 1760s and 1770s. It is located on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, and is listed on the National Historic Register of Buildings and Landmarks, as well as the State Register of Historical Places, which lists it as a National Historic Landmark, and as a Civil War-era site.

Geography

Hartsville is located in northwestern Darlington County at 34°2210N 80°451W (34.369474, 80.080783). U.S. Route 15 bypasses the city to the southeast; it leads northeast 17 miles (27 km) to Society Hill. Columbia, the state capital, is 70 miles (110km) to the southwest. Hartsville has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16.0 km²), of which 5.7 sq miles (14.8 km²) is land and 0.4 sq mi (1.1 km) is water. Prestwood Lake, an impoundment on Black Creek, is on the northern border of the city. Black Creek is part of the Pee Dee River watershed. It experiences 213 sunny days on average. The number of days with measurable precipitation is 106, and the city receives about 46 inches (1,200 mm) of rainfall per year. The average low is 31 °F (1 °C) in January and the average high is 92 °F [33 °C] in July. The city has a mild climate year-round, with an average high of 92 °C (33 °F) in July and a low of 31 °C in January. During the winter months, the city can receive snowfall. It has an average temperature of 31°C (1°F) during the summer months, with a high of 33 °C.

Demographics

As of the 2020 U.S. Census, there were 7,446 people, 2,934 households, and 1,860 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 50.58% White, 42.29% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 2.55% Hispanic or Latino, and 3.24% two or more races. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.07. The median income for a household in theCity was $35,487. The per capita income for the city is $23,469. 28.8% of the population was below the poverty line, including 52.0% of those under age 18 and 19.0%) of those age 65 or over. The population is made up of 45.7% males and 54.3% females. The city's population is spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 13. 5% from 18 to 24, 12.2% from 25 to 34, 9.2%. from 35 to 44, 12,8% from 45 to 54, 11.7%. from 55 to 64, and 14.0%. The median age was 32.7 years. The town's population was 7,445 as of the 2010 United States Census. It has a population density of 1257.77 people per square mile. It is located in the eastern part of the state.

Economy

Major employers in the area include Sonoco Products Company, Nucor Corporation, Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center, Novolex, Stingray Boats, North Industrial Machine, and Duke Energy's H. B. Robinson Nuclear Generating Station. At 4.3%, the unemployment rate is slightly higher than the national average of 3.9%. Job growth over the next decade is expected to be approximately 27.4% which is significantly lower than the US average of 33.5%. The household median income is $29,276/year which is much lower than national median income of $53,482/year. The town has a population of 4,000, with a population growth rate of 1.7%. The town is located in the Piedmont region of the South Carolina Coastal Plain. It is located on the North Carolina-South Carolina border and is located near the state capital of Pembroke. The city has an unemployment rate of 4.2% and a population Growth Rate of 2.7% over the past 10 years. The area has a median home value of $28,000 and a household median Income of $29.276/ year. The average household income in the town is $30,000/year, which is less than the U.S. average of $50,000. The community has a high school graduation rate of 8.2%. The average high school graduating rate is 9.0%. The area's population growth Rate is 1.8%. The city's unemployment rate has been 2.3% since the start of the century.

Arts and culture

Screen on the Green is a summer event in which the city sets up a 25-foot (7.6 m) screen on the grounds of Burry Park and shows licensed movies. The "Hartsville Christmas Parade: a Miracle on Carolina Avenue" is an annual parade held in December of each year where members of numerous local and regional schools, businesses, and other organizations parade down the main street of the city. Santa Claus is usually found at the end of the parade as a symbol of Christmas coming soon. The Annual Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting is held at Burry park. There are musical and dance performances, and the Santa Mailbox, in which local children can submit letters to Santa Claus, is unveiled at this event. This is a family event that is free to the public. It is sometimes held outside of its normal season, such as during the holidays. There is also an annual festival called Hartsville Days, which is held every year on the last weekend of October. It's a free festival that is open to the general public and is held in the city's downtown area. The festival is held on the square in front of the town hall and is attended by hundreds of people each year. The city also has a summer festival called the Summer Film Festival, which takes place in the summer and is free for the public to attend. It takes place on the second weekend of August and runs until the last day of the month of September. It features a variety of films, including "The Lego Movie" and "Dirty Dancing".

Parks

Hartsville has several parks within the city. Byerly Park has six soccer fields, eight softball/baseball fields, two football fields, six tennis courts, an eight-lane 400-meter track and field facility. Burry Park hosts Hartsville's "Screen on the Green" film series, festivals, and other events. Pride Park features a picnic shelter, playground, restrooms and an outdoor stage used for events such as the annual "Gospel in the Park" series. The city will begin construction on an as-of-yet unbuilt but planned dog park in the near future. The Vista is a pedestrian corridor built along Railroad Avenue between Coker Avenue and Second Street, connecting the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics and portions of Coker College. The park will be divided by fencing into two separate areas: one for large dogs and one for small dogs. There are two sections (big dogs and small dogs) plus a water station and waste bags. The dog park will also be equipped with a washing station, covered benches, and waste bag receptacles. At present there is a fenced-in area at byerly park for dogs. It is available for private events and includes elevators and a caterer's kitchen. It was built on the site of the first public school for black children in the city, operating from about 1900 to 1921, as well as the later Butler School, named for the Rev. Henry H. Butler.

City government and programs

Hartsville has a councilmanager government. The city council is made of a mayor who is elected at large, and six council members who are elected in single-member districts. City Hall is located at 100 E Carolina Avenue in a building previously occupied by the Bank of America. Main Street Hartsville administers a Sign and Paint grant for local businesses. It also oversees the Hartville Farmers Market, Start-Up Hartsvile, and Hartsvillians for the Holidays. It follows the Main Street "Four Point Approach" of organization, promotion, design, and economic restructuring. The organization seeks to build a vibrant downtown in Hartsville, focusing on thriving businesses, entertainment, recreating and historic preservation. The new city hall opened in mid-2013. It has been praised by the citizens of Hartsllvile as a significant upgrade for the downtown area. The program is a partnership of the City of Hartllville, the Community Foundation for a Better Hartsley, and Main Street South Carolina, a program of the National Main Street Center. They periodically hold contests forLocal businesses. They also periodically hold Contest for Local businesses. The group also periodically holds contests for local business. They regularly hold contest for Local Business of the Month awards. The contest is held on the second Tuesday of the month. The winner of the contest receives a $1,000 gift card from the Hartsillvile Chamber of Commerce. The winners are announced on the third Monday of each month.

Education

The public schools in Hartsville are governed by the Darlington County School District. The district-wide student-to-teacher ratio is about 16:1. Coker University, a private, baccalaureate-granting institution, is located in Hartville. The town has a public library, a branch of theDarlington County Library System. The city is home to the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics, which serves students from the entire county. The school was named a "Best College in the Southeast" in 2016 by U.S. News & World Report. It is also home to FlorenceDarlington Technical College, based in nearby Florence, South Carolina, which maintains a satellite campus in HARTTSVILLAGE. The community also has a private school, Thomas Hart Academy (grades 2K-8), and two private colleges, Robert E. Lee Academy and Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School (grades 712) The town also has an elementary school, Carolina Elementary, and a middle and high school, Butler Academy (Charter school). The city has a middle school and a high school. The high school is called Carolina High School for Math, Science, and Technology, located in Darlington. It offers a four-year program that emphasizes a practical application of the liberal arts, as well as hands-on and discussion-based learning within and beyond the classroom. It was ranked the 20th Best college in the South and the 15th Best College for Veterans in 2016.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Hartsville, Darlington County, South Carolina = 57. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 40. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 97. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Hartsville = 4.8 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 7,446 individuals with a median age of 38.3 age the population dropped by -6.57% in Hartsville, Darlington County, South Carolina population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,244.94 residents per square mile of area (480.71/km²). There are average 2.29 people per household in the 2,848 households with an average household income of $32,941 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 13.00% of the available work force and has dropped -1.04% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 24.92%. The number of physicians in Hartsville per 100,000 population = 100.2.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Hartsville = 47.6 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 106. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 213. 92 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 32.1 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 31, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Hartsville, Darlington County, South Carolina which are owned by the occupant = 50.94%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 46 years with median home cost = $103,060 and home appreciation of 0.82%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $3.44 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,591 per student. There are 10.5 students for each teacher in the school, 516 students for each Librarian and 324 students for each Counselor. 5.23% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 13.89% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 8.31% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).