The ghost town of Andersonville, South Carolina tells a compelling story of boom and bust in America’s development. Once a thriving community with hopes for a prosperous future, it now exists primarily in historical records and the memories of those who study South Carolina’s past.
County: Anderson
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 34° 26′ 50 N, 82° 51′ 19 W
Elevation: Not available
Time Zone: Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
Established: 1801
Disestablished: 1893
Comments: Research shows that andersonville was a town in Anderson County, South Carolina, that was settled around 1800. It was named for Robert Anderson, who was a Revolutionary War veteran. Although it had been a thriving textile and trading community, it suffered from repeated floods and was bypassed by the railroad. The construction of Lake Hartwell displaced the remnants of the community. Today the nearest incorporated communities are Hartwell, Georgia, across the lake to the southwest, and Anderson, South Carolina, to the North.
Remains: The abandoned location now the area was largely flooded in the construction of Lake Hartwell. Most of those buried at the cemetery were moved to Andersonville Baptist Church on the eastern shore of the lake. Andersonville Island, which is a narrow island about two miles long, is all that remains of the community.
Current Status: The abandoned location is currently the town grew as a trading and textile center. The Southern Clock Company and textile mills were built in the town. In 1840, a flood struck the community and destroyed the textile mills. The textile mills were rebuilt, but they were destroyed by another flood in 1852.
Remarks: Archaeological studies of Andersonville have yielded valuable artifacts that help tell the story of early life in South Carolina. These findings contribute to our understanding of settlement patterns and daily life during this formative period.
The Founding and Early Development of Andersonville
Andersonville, South Carolina stands as one of the state’s most fascinating ghost towns, with a rich history that began in the earliest years of the 19th century. In 1801, the South Carolina General Assembly officially established the Town of Andersonville on land owned by Colonel Elias Earle, a Revolutionary War veteran and prominent landowner. The town was co-founded by General Samuel Earle and General Robert Anderson, the latter being the namesake for both Anderson County and its county seat.
The location for Andersonville was strategically chosen at the confluence of the Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers, where they joined to form the Savannah River. This prime position at the meeting of three significant waterways made Andersonville an ideal site for river commerce and transportation in the developing Upcountry region of South Carolina. The town quickly became a vital river port that facilitated trade between the inland areas and downstream markets.
In its early days, Andersonville served as an important waypoint along a branch of the Old Post Road (also known as the Great Southern Road), witnessing a significant migration of frontiersmen and settlers moving through the region. This positioning helped establish Andersonville as a commercial hub for the surrounding areas, connecting the frontier settlements with more established communities downstream.
During its heyday in the early 19th century, Andersonville grew to become larger than neighboring settlements like Pendleton or what would later become the city of Anderson. The town developed a diverse economic base centered around river trade, with barges regularly transporting cotton, animal skins, and various other commodities to Augusta, Georgia and other downstream ports. This river-based commerce formed the economic backbone of the community and drove its initial prosperity.
A Thriving Commercial Center
As Andersonville flourished, it developed into a comprehensive commercial center with numerous industries and businesses. The town boasted an impressive array of industrial operations including a grist mill, sawmill, wool factory, tanyard, shoe shop, clock factory, blacksmith, tailor shop, wagon shop, livery stables, warehouses, gun factory, and several general merchandise stores. This diverse industrial base provided employment for residents and services for both locals and travelers passing through the area.
To accommodate the steady stream of travelers and business visitors, Andersonville featured a substantial 40-room hotel, an impressive size for a frontier town of that era. Transportation across the rivers was facilitated by two ferries that operated regularly, connecting Andersonville with surrounding areas and ensuring the flow of people and goods.
By 1812, the town had established a flourishing Female Academy with an English couple in charge, demonstrating the community’s commitment to education and cultural development even on what was then considered the frontier. This institution represented the town’s aspirations beyond mere commercial success, suggesting a vision for a permanent, cultured settlement.
While Colonel Earle had sold some lots to other settlers, he maintained ownership of most of Andersonville during its early development. Upon his death, the property passed to James Harrison, who had married Earle’s daughter and to whom Earle had previously sold a half-interest in his holdings. Under Harrison’s ownership, the town continued to develop and prosper for a time.
Decline and Abandonment
Despite its promising beginning and period of prosperity, Andersonville’s fortunes began to change by the mid-19th century. The very rivers that had been the source of the town’s success would ultimately contribute to its downfall. In 1840, a devastating flood swept through the area, destroying the cotton and wool mills as well as the cotton gin that were central to the local economy. These facilities were subsequently rebuilt, demonstrating the resilience and determination of the community.
However, fate dealt Andersonville another blow when a second major flood in 1850 once again destroyed these vital industrial facilities. By this time, the economic landscape of the region was changing dramatically with the arrival of railroads in Anderson County, particularly the Greenville and Columbia Railroad. As rail transportation began to supplant river transport as the preferred method for moving goods, Andersonville’s strategic advantage as a river port diminished significantly.
Colonel Frank Harrison, son of James Harrison, recognized the threat posed by the changing transportation landscape and advocated for a spur line of the Greenville and Columbia Railroad to be built to Andersonville in an attempt to revitalize the town. Despite his efforts, this initiative failed, and Andersonville continued its decline as commerce shifted to rail-connected communities.
By the mid-1850s, Andersonville had largely become a ‘dead city,’ with its commerce gone and only a few homes and the ruins of its once-thriving industries remaining. The Andersonville post office remained operational until 1893, serving the small number of families who continued to live in the area. A small Baptist church, also known as Andersonville, provided spiritual support to the remaining community members.
By the time of World War II, the once-bustling river village had been reduced to a ghost town, with few visible remnants of its former glory. The final chapter in Andersonville’s physical existence would come in the mid-20th century with the development of the Hartwell Dam and Reservoir project.
Submergence and Legacy
In the 1950s, plans were developed for the creation of Lake Hartwell, a man-made reservoir that would span sections of the Savannah, Tugaloo, and Seneca Rivers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began construction of the Hartwell Dam in 1955 with the dual purposes of generating hydroelectric power and controlling flooding in the region.
Unfortunately for what remained of Andersonville, the town site lay directly in the path of this massive infrastructure project. As Lake Hartwell expanded following the completion of the dam, the remnants of Andersonville were submerged beneath its waters by 1962. The flooding transformed the landscape completely, leaving only a small portion of a high ridge visible as an island in the new lake – now known as Andersonville Island.
Prior to the flooding, efforts were made to relocate hundreds of graves from cemeteries in the area that would be affected by the rising waters. Most of these graves were relocated to the Andersonville Baptist Church, which had also moved to a new location outside the flood zone. However, not all burial sites were successfully relocated.
One particularly notable site is what has become known as Cemetery Island (or Ghost Island) near Townville, SC. This island was once part of the Harrisburg Plantation and contained the Harris Family cemetery, established in the late 1700s. When the dam project began in the 1950s, surviving descendants were reportedly informed about the need to relocate the graves to prevent them from being overtaken by the flood. However, for reasons that remain unclear, these graves were not moved, and by 1962, the cemetery found itself isolated on a small island in Lake Hartwell.
Local folklore has embraced this unusual situation, with stories emerging about occasional appearances by the spirits of the 59 deceased Harris family members buried on the island. Additional supernatural tales have attached themselves to the site, including claims about hauntings by a specter named Serril Broin, allegedly connected to the Salem Witchcraft Trials, though historical evidence for this particular story is lacking.
Andersonville Today
Today, the physical remnants of Andersonville lie largely hidden beneath the waters of Lake Hartwell. Andersonville Island, approximately two miles long, represents the only visible trace of what was once a thriving community. The island has become a subject of fascination for locals and visitors alike, with some claiming that during periods of drought when lake levels are low, remnants of the old town can occasionally be glimpsed beneath the water’s surface.
Divers have reported spotting old structures, weathered walls, and even grave markers in the depths near the former town site. These underwater discoveries have contributed to the mystique surrounding Andersonville and have helped keep its memory alive despite its physical disappearance.
The story of Andersonville serves as a compelling reminder of how communities can rise and fall based on changing economic conditions, natural disasters, and infrastructure development. From its promising beginnings as a strategic river port to its gradual decline and ultimate submergence, Andersonville’s history encapsulates many of the challenges faced by frontier settlements throughout American history.
For those interested in exploring this submerged history, the area around Lake Hartwell offers opportunities to learn about Andersonville and other communities affected by the creation of the reservoir. While the physical town may be gone, its story continues to be preserved through historical records, local lore, and the enduring fascination with what lies beneath the tranquil surface of Lake Hartwell.
Archaeological and Historical Significance
Beyond its fascinating narrative, Andersonville holds significant archaeological and historical value. The submerged town represents a well-preserved time capsule of early 19th-century frontier development in South Carolina. Unlike many historical sites that have been altered by continuous habitation and modernization, Andersonville’s relatively sudden abandonment and subsequent submergence have potentially preserved artifacts and structural remains in a unique state.
Archaeological studies of the accessible portions of Andersonville have yielded valuable artifacts that contribute to our understanding of settlement patterns and daily life during this formative period in South Carolina’s history. These findings help historians piece together a more complete picture of how communities like Andersonville functioned, traded, and evolved over time.
The story of Andersonville also provides important insights into the environmental history of the region, particularly regarding the relationship between human settlements and waterways. The town’s establishment at the confluence of major rivers, its prosperity through river commerce, its devastation by floods, and its ultimate submergence beneath a man-made lake all highlight the profound and sometimes unpredictable ways in which water has shaped human habitation in this area.
For historians of South Carolina, Andersonville represents an important chapter in understanding how the state’s interior developed economically and socially in the post-Revolutionary period. The town’s rise and fall mirrors broader patterns of development, illustrating how changing transportation technologies and infrastructure projects have repeatedly reshaped communities throughout American history.
Sources:
1. ‘Andersonville (Andersonville Island) – Anderson County.’ Roots and Recall. https://www.rootsandrecall.com/anderson/buildings/andersonville-andersonville-island/
2. ‘A Town Beneath Townville.’ Anderson SC Living. https://andersonscliving.com/townville/a-town-beneath-townville/
3. ‘Exploring the Ghost Town of Andersonville: Lake Hartwell’s Sunken Mystery.’ Lake Hartwell Guide. https://lakehartwellguide.com/exploring-the-ghost-town-of-andersonville-lake-hartwells-sunken-mystery/
4. Badders, Hurley. ‘Remembering South Carolina’s Pendleton District.’ 2006.
5. Anderson County Tricentennial Commission. ‘Anderson County Sketches.’ 1969.
