A Walking Tour of Sumter, South Carolina
By Doug Gelbert
2/5
()
About this ebook
There is no better way to see America than on foot. And there is no better way to appreciate what you are looking at than with a walking tour. This walking tour of Sumter, South Carolina is ready to explore when you are. Each walking tour describes historical, architectural landmarks, cultural sites and ecclesiastic touchstones and provides step-by-step directions.
Every tour also includes a quick primer on identifying architectural styles seen on American streets.
The city of Sumter is the seat of Sumter County and the largest city, the eighth largest metropolitan area in the state of South Carolina. In 1798, the village was selected for the site of the courthouse of old Sumter District. With no access to waterway or railroad, development was slow until the Camden branch of the South Carolina Railroad extended into the town in 1843. Incorporated as Sumterville in 1845, the city’s name was shortened to Sumter in 1855. It has grown and prospered from its early beginnings as a plantation settlement.
The city and county of Sumter bear the name of General Thomas Sumter, the “Fighting Gamecock” of the American Revolutionary War. Born in Virginia in 1734, Thomas Sumter settled in St. Mark’s Parish in 1767. He founded the town of Statesburg, where his financial interests included a sawmill, grist mill, general store and a large plantation. During the Revolution, Sumter fought in numerous skirmishes and battles, including the Battle of Sullivan’s Island, the Georgia Campaign, Turnbull’s camp, Hanging Rock and Fish Darn Ford. His fierce revolutionary zeal had its origins in an incident involving a Captain Campbell, whose men plundered his home, placed his invalid wife in her wheelchair on the lawn and then set fire to the house. This event so enraged Sumter that he formed and led a band of guerillas in victorious combat against the British, helping to turn the tide in the war for independence.
Following the war, General Sumter continued in the service of the young nation, ultimately as a member of the United States Congress. He retired at age 76 to his beloved “Home House” in the High Hills of the Santee, where he continued to actively manage his business affairs and remained a respected figure in the Statesburg community until his death in 1832 at age 98, the last surviving general of the Revolutionary War. General Sumter is buried in Statesburg, the adoptive hometown to which he gave so much.
In 1912, the city of Sumter became the first city in the United States to successfully adopt the council-manager form of government. It is still in effect today. Sumter’s council-manager government combines the political leadership of elected officials in the form of a seven-member City Council headed by the Mayor, with the strong managerial experience of an appointed City Manager, who serves as the chief administrative and executive officer of the city.
Sumter’s political, commercial, and cultural development is reflected in the architecture of the central business district that spans a time period from 1828 to the present. Many of the buildings in the original commercial district date from 1880 to 1912 and are typical of turn-of-the-century commercial buildings, using materials such as pressed tin, limestone, and brick. Detail work of buildings includes arches, columns, decorative brickwork and dentil work. Our walking tour of the downtown historic district, listed in the National Register on April 21, 1975, will begin in front of the town’s most glorious building, practically obscured from the tree-lined street...
Read more from Doug Gelbert
A Walking Tour of The New Orleans French Quarter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Miami Beach, Florida Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLook Up, Tucson, Arizona! A Walking Tour of Tucson, Arizona Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Aiken, South Carolina Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of A Salem, Massachusetts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Williamsburg, Virginia Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Look Up, San Diego! A Walking Tour of Balboa Park Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5A Walking Tour of Greensboro, North Carolina Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLook Up, Chicago! A Walking Tour of The Loop (North End) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLook Up, Madison! A Walking Tour of Madison, Wisconsin Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Look Up, Savannah! A Walking Tour of Savannah, Georgia Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A Walking Tour of Beaufort, South Carolina Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Meadville, Pennsylvania Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of New York City's Financial District Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLook Up, Boise! A Walking Tour of Boise, Idaho Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLook Up, Charleston! A Walking Tour of Charleston, South Carolina: The Battery Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5A Walking Tour of Salisbury, North Carolina Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Morristown, New Jersey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLook Up, Gettysburg! A Walking Tour of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Bordentown, New Jersey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLook Up, Nashville! A Walking Tour of Nashville, Tennessee Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLook Up, Toledo! A Walking Tour of Toledo, Ohio Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of New York City's Upper East Side Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Pittsburgh's Business District Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of New York City's Upper West Side Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Walking Tour of Georgetown, South Carolina Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Look Up, Long Beach! A Walking Tour of Long Beach, California Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLook Up, Phoenix, Arizona! A Walking Tour of Phoenix, Arizona Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Staunton, Virginia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to A Walking Tour of Sumter, South Carolina
Related ebooks
A Walking Tour of Farmington, Connecticut Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Elmira, New York Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Media, Pennsylvania Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Moorestown, New Jersey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Princess Anne, Maryland Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Front Royal, Virginia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLook Up, Canton! A Walking Tour of Canton, Ohio Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSeymour Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Adams, Massachusetts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSomerville Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5A Walking Tour of Walterboro, South Carolina Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Millville, New Jersey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLook Up, Gettysburg! A Walking Tour of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Orangeburg, South Carolina Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Brooklyn's Williamsburg Section Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of North Adams, Massachusetts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Springfield, Massachusetts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJeannette Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Abingdon, Virginia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Auburn, New York Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Williamsport, Pennsylvania Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of West Chester, Pennsylvania Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLook Up, Augusta! A Walking Tour of Augusta, Georgia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLook Up, Concord! A Walking Tour of Concord, New Hampshire Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGuilford and Sangerville Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Tarboro, North Carolina Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHomestead and Mifflin Township Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Walking Tour of Uniontown, Pennsylvania Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
United States Travel For You
The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2024 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFodor's Best Road Trips in the USA: 50 Epic Trips Across All 50 States Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fodor's The Complete Guide to the National Parks of the West: with the Best Scenic Road Trips Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids 2023 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLake Superior Rocks & Minerals Field Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dark Side of Disney Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Fodor's Bucket List USA: From the Epic to the Eccentric, 500+ Ultimate Experiences Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Magical Power of the Saints: Evocation and Candle Rituals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fodor's New Orleans Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/550 Great American Places: Essential Historic Sites Across the U.S. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Humans of New York Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Haunted Texas: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Lone Star State Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints: A Guide to Magical New Orleans Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fodor's Best Weekend Road Trips Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow To Be Alone: an 800-mile hike on the Arizona Trail Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWalt Disney World Hacks: 350+ Park Secrets for Making the Most of Your Walt Disney World Vacation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConnecticut Witch Trials: The First Panic in the New World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Trees of Michigan Field Guide Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Exploring the Geology of the Carolinas: A Field Guide to Favorite Places from Chimney Rock to Charleston Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Texas Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rockhounding & Prospecting: Upper Midwest: How to Find Gold, Copper, Agates, Thomsonite, and Other Favorites Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Humans of New York: Stories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5One Man's Wilderness, 50th Anniversary Edition: An Alaskan Odyssey Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fodor's Essential Hawaii Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Huckleberry Finn Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer: An Edgar Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Assassination Vacation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for A Walking Tour of Sumter, South Carolina
1 rating0 reviews
Book preview
A Walking Tour of Sumter, South Carolina - Doug Gelbert
A Walking Tour of Sumter, South Carolina
a walking tour in the Look Up, America series from walkthetown.com
by Doug Gelbert
published by Cruden Bay Books at Smashwords
Copyright 2010 by Cruden Bay Books
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the Publisher.
The city of Sumter is the seat of Sumter County and the largest city, the eighth largest metropolitan area in the state of South Carolina. In 1798, the village was selected for the site of the courthouse of old Sumter District. With no access to waterway or railroad, development was slow until the Camden branch of the South Carolina Railroad extended into the town in 1843. Incorporated as Sumterville in 1845, the city’s name was shortened to Sumter in