ZIP Code 29678

Seneca is a city in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 8,102 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Seneca Micropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) that includes all of Oconees County. Seneca was named for the nearby Cherokee town of Isunigu, which English colonists knew as "Seneca Town" In the antebellum period, this area was part of the Pickens District, South. Carolina. The town was given a charter by the state legislature on March 14, 1874. In 1908, the name was changed to the shorter Seneca. The first school was built in 1874, and Seneca Junior College was established here in 1899 as an historically black college. In the late 20th century, major dam projects were constructed n the Keowee and other local rivers, to support recreation and public utilities. These projects created three major lakes: Lake Hartwell in 1963, LakeKeowee in 1971, and Lake Jocassee in 1974, stimulating development in Seneca and the region. The community also was home to the SenECA Institute, which was reserved for African-American students until 1939. The district consists of a number of homes and three churches that were built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It also includes a log cabin from the mid nineteenth century that was moved from South Carolina and moved from Long Creek to Long Creek in South Carolina. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In April 2020, a EF3 tornado struck south of the high-end residential areas of Seneca, damaging or destroying many buildings.

History

Seneca was founded in 1873, during the Reconstruction era, as the railroad town "Seneca City" The town was given a charter by the state legislature on March 14, 1874. Textile mills were built in the area; a plant-and-mill village was built in 1893 by the Courtenay Manufacturing Company in Newry. The community also was home of the Seneca Institute - Seneca Junior College, established here in 1899 as an historically black college. In the late 20th century, major dam projects were constructed n the Keowee and other local rivers, to support recreation and public utilities. These projects created three major lakes: Lake Hartwell in 1963, LakeKeowee in 1971, and Lake Jocassee in 1974, stimulating development in Seneca and the region. Duke Power's Oconee Nuclear Station was built on Lake KeowEE, drawing cooling water for its operations from the lake. The recreation provided by the lakes, and other attractions, such as nearby Clemson University attracted many retirees from other parts of the country. Concerned about over-development, some residents formed the Friends of Lake KeOWee Society (FOLKS) to advocate for balance. Early on April 13th, 2020, a high-end EF3 tornado struck residential areas of south and east of Seneca. Many buildings were damaged or destroyed and one person was killed. Many other textile mills were developed in this area. These plants were the main industry for Seneca for the first half of the twentieth century.

National Register of Historic Places listings

In and around Seneca, there are a number of historic buildings and districts that are on the National Register of Historic Places. Ram Cat Alley Historic District was listed in 2000. The name of the street came from cats that gathered around a meat market. Many of these buildings have been rejuvenated and now house restaurants, shops, and professional offices. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has additional pictures and information, a copy of the nomination form, and a map. It is a historic textile mill village near Seneca. The district includes a log cabin from the mid nineteenth century that was moved from Long Creek, South Carolina. It also includes a library at Seneca Junior College and a farm that was once owned by the Angus Angus Company. It includes a church that was built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It was the site of the first African-American church in South Carolina, which was established in 1872. The church was later moved to a new location in the town of Newry. It has been listed as a national historic site since 1974. It now houses the South Carolina Museum of History and Art and the Seneca Museum of Science and Art. The museum is located in Seneca and has a collection of more than 1,000 pieces of art, including many pieces from the 1800s and early 1900s. There is also a museum of South Carolina Civil War history, which dates back to the 18th century. The state's oldest public library is located at Newry and dates to the 17th century, when it was founded.

Geography

The city is located at 34°413N 82°5721W (34.684145, -82.955778) It has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18 km²), of which 7.0 square miles is land and 0.04 square miles are water. The city is home to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has been stationed in the area since the early 1900s. It is also known as "Seneca" because of its location in the mountains. It was named after the Seneca River, which runs through the center of the city. The town's name is derived from Seneca, which means "the river" or "the stream" in Spanish. It also means "home" in English, which is the name of the town's first post office, which was established in 1788. It has been known as Seneca since the 19th century, when it was first settled by Native Americans. The name is now used to refer to the town of Seneca in New Mexico, where it was once part of the United States. It became a part of New Mexico in the early 20th century when it became a state. In the 1930s and 1940s, Seneca was the site of the first census, when the city was first recorded as a city. It now has a population of 1,854. It lies at an altitude of 34.3 miles (82.7 kilometers).

Demographics

As of the 2020 U.S. census, there were 8,850 people, 4,043 households, and 2,138 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 63.32% White, 33.77% African American, 0.31% Native American,0.63% Asian and 0.01% Pacific Islander. The city's median income was $32,643, and the median income for a family was $44,487. About 13.0% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.4% of those under age 18 and 16.4 per cent of those age 65 or over. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was2.93. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there are 87.5 males. The per capita income for the city is $18,498. It is the second-smallest city in the state of New Hampshire. It has a population of 7,652 and a population density of 1,084.6 people per square mile (418.5/km²) The city is located on the New Hampshire Turnpike, which runs through the state's southern tip. It was the site of the U.N. World Trade Organization's World Trade Center summit in 2001. It also hosted the World Economic Forum's World Summit in 2007, which was attended by President Barack Obama.

Government

Seneca City Hall is located on North First Street, in the center of the historic (downtown) area of Seneca. The City Hall Complex holds the Seneca Police Dept, Seneca Light and Water, as well as the offices of the Mayor and City Administrator. Seneca Fire Department is housed on West South Fourth Street. The Fire House is just across the street from the Shaver Complex, which comprises the Shavar Civic Center, sports fields for theSeneca Recreation Department, a park for smaller children, and a rubberized soft walking track. It is also marked as Highway 123 Business by the state of New York. It was built in the early 1900s, and is one of the oldest cities in New York State. The city was founded in 1838. It has been the site of the U.S. National Guard since 1838, and has been home to the National Guard ever since. It also hosts the National Park Service, which has been based in Seneca since the early 20th century. The town is home to a number of historic buildings, including the National Museum of American History, which dates back to the early 19th century, and the National Civil Rights Museum, which was established in the mid-20th Century. The Seneca River, which runs through the city, was once the main source of water supply for the city. The river is now the source of drinking water for the town, and was once a source of electricity as well.

Education

Seneca has a lending library, a branch of the Oconee County Public Library. It was the headquarters of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), the council that deals with the examination for engineers and surveyors. On that date, the NCEES moved to Greenville, South Carolina. Seneca is home to the Seneca High School, which was founded in 1881. It is also home to Seneca Middle School, where students learn to read and write. It also has the SenECA High School for Girls, which opened in 1883. It has a junior high, high school, and a high school for girls, all of which are located in Seneca. Seneca also has an elementary school, which is located in the town's downtown area. The high school has a senior high, which has been open since 1883, and an adult high school. The town also has a public library, which operates out of the town hall. The library is open to the public, as well as a public recreation center and a community center, which were built in the 1950s and 1960s.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Seneca, Oconee County, South Carolina = 78.6. 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 99. 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 98. 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 Seneca = 4.6 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 1,330 individuals with a median age of 38.3 age the population grows by 1.55% in Seneca, Oconee County, South Carolina population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,073.64 residents per square mile of area (414.55/km²). There are average 2.27 people per household in the 3,419 households with an average household income of $37,880 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 14.30% of the available work force and has dropped -6.17% 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 13.36%. The number of physicians in Seneca per 100,000 population = 173.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Seneca = 52.7 inches and the annual snowfall = 3.5 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 113. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 220. 90 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 31.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 35, 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 Seneca, Oconee County, South Carolina which are owned by the occupant = 53.33%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 33 years with median home cost = $121,870 and home appreciation of -5.08%. 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 $3.98 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 $4,633 per student. There are 10.2 students for each teacher in the school, 454 students for each Librarian and 384 students for each Counselor. 4.69% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 12.65% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 9.87% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).