Leesville

Batesburg-Leesville is a town in Lexington and Saluda counties, South Carolina, United States. The town's population was 5,362 as of the 2010 census and an estimated 5,415 in 2019. It was formed in 1992 by the consolidation of the neighboring towns of Batesburg and Leesville. In 1946, a black World War II veteran was severely beaten by local police officers, including Chief Lynwood Shull. The attack was the subject of radio commentaries by Orson Welles in July and August 1946. President Harry S. Truman ordered a federal investigation, and the sheriff was acquitted by an all-white jury. A permanent historic plaque now stands on the corner of West Church Street and Fulmer Street in old Batesburg commemorating the civil rights incident at the site of the original police station. In early 2018, the town reopened the Woodard case to consider dismissing the 1946 charges. The current council members are: Cynthia Etheredge, Olin Gambrell, Steve Cain, Paul Wise, Shirley E. Mitchell, and Bob Hall. The fire department consists of two stations, five career staff members, and 41 volunteer firefighters as of September 2019. The two business districts are located in the town's two business stations and are still identified as the Batesburg station and the Leesville station. It boasts an Insurance Services Office Class 3/3 rating. It employs approximate 60 full-time employees, and 35 volunteer firefighters. It operated from a $7.4 million budget in Fiscal Year 2018-2019.

History

Leesville is the primary city name, but also Batesburg Leesville, Batsbrg Levil are acceptable city names or spellings, Delmar, Fairview Crossroads, Lake Murray Shores, Steedman, Summit on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. Batesburg-Leesville was formed in 1992 by the consolidation of the neighboring towns of Batesburg and Leesville. Batesburg was named for Captain Tom Bates, a prominent citizen of the community and a captain in The American Civil War. Leesville was "named for Colonel John W. Lee," a prominent resident. The D. D. Barr House, Batesburg Commercial Historic District, Simon Bouknight House, Cartledge House, Cedar Grove Lutheran Church and Church Street Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In February 1946, Sergeant Isaac Woodard, a black World War II veteran, was severely beaten by local police officers, including Chief Lynwood Shull. The assault left Woodard completely and permanently blind. President Harry S. Truman ordered a federal investigation. The sheriff was indicted and went to trial in federal court in South Carolina, where he was acquitted by an all-white jury. Such miscarriages of justice by state governments influenced a move towards civil rights initiatives at the federal level. The attack was the subject of radio commentaries by Orson Welles in July and August 1946. A permanent historic plaque now stands on the corner of West Church Street and Fulmer Street in old Batesburg commemorating the civil rights incident at the site of the original police station. The Woodard case was reopened and the charges were dismissed by Town Judge Robert Cook on June 5, 2018. In early 2018, the town, with Town Attorney Christian Spradley, Police Chief W. Wallace Oswald, and Mayor Lancer Shull, reopened the Woodard Case to consider dismissing the 1946 charges.

Law and government

Batesburg-Leesville is served by a council-manager style government. The town operated from a $7.4 million budget in Fiscal Year 2018-2019. The current council members are: Cynthia Etheredge, Olin Gambrell, Steve Cain, Shirley E. Mitchell, Paul Wise, Jason Prouse, Lancer Shull, and Bob Hall. The fire department consists of two stations, five career staff members and 41 volunteer firefighters as of September 2019. The department boasts an Insurance Services Office Class 3/3B rating. It employs approximate 60 full-time employees, and 35 volunteer firefighters. It is located in the town's two historic business districts and are still identified as the Batesburg station and the Leesville station. It has eight elected council persons representing single-member districts. The mayor is Lancers Shull and the town manager is William Theodore "Ted" Luckadoo. It was consolidated into Batesburg and Leesville in 2014. It currently has a population of 2,000 people. It also has a school district with 1,200 students and a high school with 3,000 students. The school district has a budget of $1.2 million and has an enrollment of 1,100 students. It operates from a council manager style government, with eight elected members representing eight districts. In Fiscal Year 2019, the town had 2,400 students and 2,200 residents. It had a budget for Fiscal Year 2020-2021 of $2.1 million.

Economy

Lexington County School District Three is the top employer in Batesburg-Leesville. The town's economic dependence on poultry harvesting is apparent due to the presence of two large processing plants: Amick Farms and Columbia Farms. The South Carolina Poultry Festival has been held on the second Saturday in May since 1987. The festival features live music, food vendors, craft vendors, a carnival, a parade, and to conclude the event a cake auction and fireworks show. The town is located in Lexington County, the top poultry producer in the state. It is also home to the South Carolina Music Festival, which is one of the largest music festivals in the country, with more than 1,000 performers each year. It was founded in 1987 and is held every year on the last weekend in May. It has been named after the town's oldest resident, who was killed in a car accident in the town of Batesburg, South Carolina in the early 1900s. The city is located on the banks of the Rappahannock River, which flows into the James River, one of South Carolina's largest rivers. The river runs through the town and has a population of around 2,000. It also has a number of small businesses, such as the Ansaldo STS manufacturing facility, which has a 184,000 sq ft (17,100 m2) manufacturing facility. In the town, there are four different schools and a district office, with four different elementary and high schools in the area.

Education

The public school system in Batesburg-Leesville is administered by Lexington County School District Three. All sports teams associated with the district use a panther as their mascot. The district has four public schools and two private schools. Midlands Technical College opened a new satellite campus in the Leesville Historic District in 2008. Leesville College, 1890-1911, was originally called Leesville English and Classical Institute (1881-1890) The Haynes Auditorium (built 1883) was the original classroom building. The school was said to have been the first in the state to include practical and technical training in its curriculum, have a girls' basketball team, teach tennis and to teach higher mathematics to females. A Master's Degree was offered for a year of post-graduate work in philosophy, law, commercial law, bookkeeping, typing, and one devoted to the Pitman system of shorthand, 1912-30. The original two-story wooden Hampton School (1922) was replaced in 1954 by a single story brick structure on South Lee Street in Leesville. The first class to graduate in Panther Stadium was the class of 1976. The current high school was built on the former Summerland College campus on Summerland Avenue. The campus is within the boundaries of the Leville College Park at the intersection of Main Street and College Street. It was located on the site of the current Batesburg Church in 1912 and was converted to an all-female college in 1930. It closed after the 1930 school year and then consolidated with the Newberry College.

Geography

Batesburg-Leesville is located in western Lexington County at 33°5438N 81°3214W (33.909767, -81.534296). A small portion of the town extends west into Saluda County. The town has a total area of 8.3 sq mi (21.5 km²), of which 0.1 sq mi, or 1.19%, are covered by water. It is located along the Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line which separates the Piedmont region from the Atlantic coastal plain. Historically, U.S. Route 1 followed this line, and it presently separates the north and south sides of the duel town. It has a clay soil surface, while the Coastal Plain is sandy. The city has a population of 1,816. It was founded in 1836. The current mayor of Batesburg is Robert L. "Bob" Smith, a former mayor of Leesville, North Carolina, and a former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. He was elected to a second term in 2010. He served as mayor from 2008 to 2012. He is currently serving a third term as mayor of the city of Leeesville. He has served as a member of North Carolina's House of Reps since 2007. He also served as the mayor of Leesville from 2007 to 2012, and has served on the state's Board of Education since 2000. He previously served as chairman of the South Carolina School Board from 1998 to 2008.

Demographics

As of the U.S. Census of 2000, there were 5,517 people, 2,167 households, and 1,482 families residing in the town. There were 2,446 housing units at an average density of 333.2 per square mile (128.7/km²) The racial makeup of the town was 52.82% White, 45.66% African American, 0.29% Native American, and 0.40% Asian. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.61% of the local population. The town's median income was $32,865, and the median income for a family was $40,040. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.03. About 16.1% of families and 18.0% of residents were below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 12.5 per cent of those age 65 or over. The per capita income for the town in the 2000 census was $16,078. For every 100 females there were 83.3 males. For each 100 females age 18 or over, there are 76.5 males.