Date of Award

5-2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Legacy Department

Historic Preservation

Committee Chair/Advisor

Wilson, Ashley R.

Committee Member

Stiefel, Barry

Committee Member

Hudgins, Carter L

Abstract

Reevesville, South Carolina, is a rural agrarian town within Dorchester County. It was established as a settlement in 1793, but it did not become an official town until it was first incorporated into Colleton County in 1875. The population of Reevesville has, since 1875, remained fairly consistent, averaging 150 to 250 inhabitants. Reevesville's most prosperous era extended from 1875 to 1930, years that coincide with the most active period of the South Carolina Railroads, which served the town in the late 19th century. Many of the extant historic buildings in the area date to this period.
This thesis compiles a comprehensive history of Reevesville that draws on available historical sources, from maps and plats to census records and oral interviews, and an assessment of the town itself. A proposed historic district for the core of the town was developed from a survey of the town's historic resources and includes 48 properties, 28 of which are contributing structures and sites. Reevesville's history and the historic buildings, which survive in it, reflect the modest prosperity the town experienced during its heyday as a railroadimport/export stop. Like similar small towns in Dorchester County, Reevesville faces the threat of losing the buildings and rural landscapes which have defined it for more than a century. Since much of the vernacular rural architecture is still present in Reevesville, the preservation of this built environment is essential.

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