Hardeeville, South Carolina

Hardeeville, South Carolina
City
Location of Hardeeville, South Carolina
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
County	Jasper
Incorporated	1911
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• Mayor	Bronco Bostick
Area
• Total	49.7 sq mi (128.7 km2)
• Land	49.7 sq mi (128.7 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	23 ft (7 m)
Population  (2008 Census Estimate)
• Total	2,763
• Density	55.6/sq mi (21.5/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	29927
Area code	843
FIPS code	45-32245Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	1223032Template:GR
Website	[1]

Hardeeville is a small, though rapidly growing city located mostly in Jasper County, South Carolina, United States. A small portion of the city limits extends also into Beaufort County. The population was 1,793 at the 2000 census but has since grown to 2,763 as of 2008 Census estimates. Hardeeville is included within the Hilton Head Island–Beaufort Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The earliest European settlement in the region was Purrysburg, a former Swiss Huguenot and German settlement founded in 1732 on the banks of the Savannah River, about two miles (3 km) northwest of the current city's center. The settlement ultimately failed, as disease, infestation, and competition from growing Savannah proved too much for the local settlers to overcome. Many left the immediate area, moving upriver to the new communities of Augusta and Hamburg, though some remained.

The area saw some skirmishes between Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. The Charleston and Savannah Railway (today's CSX railway) was considered a prized possession and major strategic goal for Union forces. In an effort to defend the railroad, the Battle of Honey Hill was one of the last battles won by southern forces in late 1864, shortly before General William Sherman attacked South Carolina after his "March to the Sea" in Georgia.

The area within the city was settled in the 19th century by Isaac Hardee, a native North Carolinean. Through his son William Whyte Hardee's efforts, a depot and general store along the Charleston to Savannah railway opened up. This depot and the surrounding areas became collectively known as Hardee's Station, and eventually as Hardeeville at the town's founding in 1911. The area became renowned for its timber operations with the Argent Lumber Company, which had one of the largest logging operations in the world centered around the town. Unique to the area was the swamp logging procedure that was utilized, which made operations far more treacherous than standard logging. Narrow-gauge railroads were constructed to help deliver timber to a processing area, where the lumber would be lifted onto standard-gauge rail cars or trucks headed to all parts of North America.

Growth continued at a modest pace, though timbering operations were gradually scaled back as overseas lands became more sought after due to lower costs and more standard logging procedures. In spite of the decline of the logging industry, the construction of U.S. 17 and later Interstate 95 provided a new type of commerce; motorist services such as motels, restaurants, and gas stations. Officially, the city adopted the slogan "New Horizons, Traditional Values". In recent years, Hardeeville has seen increasing growth as a result of regional population growth in the Lowcountry and the Coastal Empire region of Georgia.

Geography

Hardeeville is located at 32°17′2″N 81°4′43″W (32.283850, -81.078496)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²), all land in 2000. The City has since expanded its limits to an area approximately 50 square miles (130 km²) in size, due to annexation of large parcels formerly held by area lumber/timber companies.

The vast majority of the city is located on flat coastal plain land, with very few variations in elevation. The average elevation of the city is approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) above mean sea level. Most of Hardeeville is located within Jasper County, though a small portion of the city limits crosses into Beaufort County. The city is bordered to the west by the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, a large-scale nature preserve along the South Carolina and Georgia sides of the Savannah River.

Neighborhoods

Downtown area

• "Downtown" or "Old Town Hardeeville" refers generally to the original city limit extents of the community, bound between Exits 5 and 8 along I-95 and between the interstate and the CSX rail line. Downtown consists mostly of one-story single-family homes along quiet and shaded streets. Main Street (S.C. 46) and Whyte Hardee Boulevard (U.S. 17) provide the majority of commercial development in downtown. Locally-oriented commerce is located along Main Street and northern portions of Whyte Hardee Boulevard.

• Car Moorer Acres , also known as Carmore Acres is often considered to be part of downtown Hardeeville but is located on the eastern side of Interstate 95. A small commercial area exists along Main Street and along Frontage Road.

• Deerfield Village is located approximately two miles north of downtown Hardeeville. It is an affordable housing community of single-family homes and duplexes, developed by Jasper County Neighbors United, a local non-profit housing group. [2]

• Pine Arbor is an area with larger homes and properties east of the downtown core along Pine Arbor Road. The Heritage Place neighborhood is located along this corridor. Some of the properties along this road are not in the city limits.

U.S. 278 corridor

Much of Hardeeville's population growth can be attributed to the continuing development along the U.S. 278 corridor, which connects Hardeeville with Bluffton, Hilton Head Island, and Beaufort. Most of these areas of the city were formerly owned by the Argent Lumber Company and is divided into several large parcels which are slated for development. Included in this area are the following developments:

• Tradition Hilton Head, a mixed-use development with mostly single-family homes, a village center, and several lifestyle amenities. [3]

• Hilton Head Lakes at Hardeeville, a single-family residential development with lagoon-oriented lots. A future commercial and multi-family phase will be included within the development. [4]

• Hampton Pointe, a residential golf course community by Toll Brothers. [5]

• Courtney Bend, a luxury garden apartment community by ContraVest. [6]

• Reflections at Sun City Hilton Head, a new phase to the existing over-55 community by Pulte-Del Webb Communities. [7]

Culture

Media

Hardeeville currently is served exclusively by the weekly newspaper Hardeeville Today, [8] which is a subsidiary of the Savannah Morning News. Other local newspapers that serve the community include the Jasper County Sun, and the Island Packet.

The City of Hardeeville also owns and operates a public affairs channel (HTVN Channel 9) on local cable networks.

Festivals and events

The city hosts celebrations throughout the year to garner community involvement and interest. Among the more notable celebrations include:

• Easter Egg Hunt (March/April)
• Relay for Life (April/May)
• Children's Fishing Rodeo (May)
• Fireworks & Fun Fourth of July Celebration (June/July)
• National Night Out (August)
• Catfish Festival (September/October)
• Christmas Parade (December)

Sports and Recreation

Through the city's recreation department, junior and intramural athletics are sponsored year-round. Activities include football, basketball, softball, soccer, and cheerleading. Most recreational events take place at the city's recreation complex located behind City Hall.

The city is currently home to the University of South Carolina Sand Sharks baseball team. The Sand Sharks have played at the Richard Gray Baseball Complex since 2008 and will continue games at the facility until a new facility is built on the USCB's south campus in Beaufort County.

Community facilities

• Hardeeville City Hall
• Hardeeville Museum (inside City Hall)
• Hardeeville Community Library
• Senior Citizens Center
• Coastal Carolina Hospital
• Hardeeville Recreational Park (sports and recreation fields & courts)
• Hardeeville Veterans Park & H.K. Porter 2-8-0 steam locomotive, c/n 4776, built January 1911, Argent Lumber Company Number 7, donated for display January 1960.
• Sgt. Jasper County Park
• The Sarge Disc Golf Course

Religion

The city is home to several Christian denominations, with most churches located in the downtown area. Other religious faiths have houses of worship in surrounding communities, especially in Beaufort, Hilton Head, and Savannah.

Economy

Hardeeville's central location from other fast growing areas including Hilton Head Island, Beaufort, and Bluffton make it a prime site commercial and industrial development. Large land tracts, good access to downtown Savannah, the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport, the Port of Savannah, and a future container port to be built on the Savannah River are additional features that the city capitalizes on to attract investment. Upon final buildout of major projects and other developments, the city will likely become one of the ten largest cities in South Carolina based on population and land area.

Industrial development

The Hardeeville Industrial Park has served the City for several years, allowing a location for light industrial development and distribution. The industrial park is connected both to road and rail networks. Additional light industrial development is occurring in other areas of the city, especially along the Argent Boulevard and Highway 170 corridors.

RiverPort is a major new industrial development that will focus on logistics, transportation, and port-related industrial uses. This development will occur along the U.S. Highway 17 corridor south of the downtown area. [9]

Commercial development

Downtown Hardeeville has traditionally been the center of commercial activity in the city, with traveler services along U.S. 17 mixing together with more local-oriented businesses along Main Street. Hardeeville's two exits along Interstate 95 are some of South Carolina's more popular stopping points, with traveler-oriented commercial services. Although Exit 5 has been in existence longer and has more commercial activity, Exit 8 has experienced recent commercial growth as well. Exit 8 also is the access point to the local hospital and a popular county park located within a mile of the exit.

New commercial opportunities will continue to expand along the U.S. 278 corridor in future years.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 1,793 people, 642 households, and 428 families residing in the city. The population density was 419.8 people per square mile (162.1/km²). There were 700 housing units at an average density of 163.9/sq mi (63.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 45.79% White, 40.83% African American, 0.89% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.33% Pacific Islander, 10.32% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.41% of the population.

Due to Census errors, new development, and undocumented illegal immigration, a population estimate of about 3,000 residents is more realistic.

There were 642 households out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.31.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.0% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 111.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,977, and the median income for a family was $31,625. Males had a median income of $25,417 versus $20,781 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,795. About 27.7% of families and 31.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.3% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government

City council

Hardeeville is governed by an elected, non-partisan city council, with one mayor and four council members. All members are elected to staggered four-year terms and are considered at-large (not representing geographic districts). The city council as of November 2008 was represented by the following officials:

• Bronco Bostick, Mayor (term ends 2012)
• Roy Powell, Mayor Pro-Tem (term ends 2012)
• Brooks Willis, Councilman (term ends 2010)
• Michael Foskey, Councilman (term ends 2012)
• Bill Horton, Councilman (term ends 2010)

The city also has an Election Commission, a Planning Commission, a Board of Zoning Appeals. Meetings from these boards as well as community events and news are broadcast by the city's local-access cable station, HTVN Channel 9.

City government

Since 2006, Hardeeville operates under a council-manager form of government. The current city manager is Ted Felder. The city consists of the following departments organized into three sections:

Administrative

• City Manager
• Assistant City Manager
• City Clerk
• Economic Development

Operations

• Finance
• Fire/Rescue
• Information Technology
• Police
• Public Information
• Public Works & Parks/Recreation

Growth Management

• Planning (& Zoning)
• Permitting & Licensing
• Building (partially contracted)
• Engineering (contracted)

Education

Hardeeville presently has three schools (two public, one private). Hardeeville Elementary School and Hardeeville Junior/Senior High School are technically two separate public schools (run by the Jasper County School District) operating on one campus. The "Hardeeville South Campus" as it is officially known was opened in October 2007 and serves students in Hardeeville and southern Jasper County. Abundant Life Academy, a private, Christian-affiliated K-12 school is also located in the city limits. The Hardeeville Community Library serves residents in Hardeeville and southern Jasper County. Additional schools are planned in the future through development agreements signed by private developers and the city.

Two local institutions comprise the current extent of higher education in the Hardeeville area. Both the University of South Carolina Beaufort South Campus and the Technical College of the Lowcountry New River Campus are located just outside the city limits in Beaufort County.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Hardeeville serves as a major transportation hub for the Lowcountry and Coastal Empire regions, with several major regional transportation links. Listed below are some of the major transportation links that are located in the city.

• Interstate 95, the major north-south highway on the Eastern Seaboard runs through Hardeeville. Exits 5 and 8 are located in the city and provide numerous motorist services. A South Carolina welcome center is located in the city, shortly before Exit 5 on the northbound lanes. The four-lane interstate is expected to be widened to six lanes from Exit 8 to the state line to help with increasing congestion. A future exit 3 is being planned and will help assist in the flow of traffic around the city and to Bluffton and Hilton Head Island.

• U.S. Highway 17, a principal route connecting Charleston, Savannah and beyond enters Hardeeville shortly after crossing the Savannah River from Georgia and remains in the city limits for 15 miles (24 km). The road is known locally as Speedway Boulevard for points south of I-95 and as Whyte Hardee Boulevard north of the interstate. U.S. 17 is exit 5 off I-95. The road is mainly four lanes wide, with some segments having a suicide lane, whereas other segments are limited-access. Sections of two-lane configurations exist in the northern and southern areas of the city.

• U.S. Highway 278, also known as Independence Bouleveard, is a heavily-traveled thoroughfare connecting Hardeeville and Interstate 95 with Bluffton and Hilton Head Island. As mentioned above, most of the city's major large-scale developments are occurring along this corridor. U.S. 278 is exit 8 off I-95. Heading north, the route runs concurrent with U.S. 17 until Ridgeland, before veering west towards Augusta and Atlanta.

• U.S. Highway 321, also known as Deerfield Highway is a lightly-traveled route for cars, yet serves as a commercially important link for trucks heading for the Port of Savannah. From its starting point/terminus at U.S. 17 near Interstate 95, the route heads northward toward Columbia, Charlotte, and Knoxville.

• S.C. Highway 46, known locally as Main Street, runs eastward from its starting point at U.S. 321 over the CSX rail line, intersects at U.S. 17, goes under I-95, and continues eastward towards Bluffton, passing by the hamlet of Prichardsville and the new development of Palmetto Bluff. The route provides a more scenic and less traveled alternative to U.S. 278.

• S.C. Highway 170, known locally as Okatie Highway, Freedom Parkway, and Alligator Alley, runs generally northeast to southwest, connecting Hardeeville with Beaufort and northern Beaufort County as well as Port Wentworth and the northern suburbs of Savannah. The highway also goes through the neighboring rural communities of Okatie and Levy, as well as the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge.

• The CSX Railway, (also known as the Charleston-Savannah Railway) currently operates both freight trains and passenger trains (via Amtrak) along the lines, but do not stop at Hardeeville.

Local public transportation and dial-a-ride service is provided by Palmetto Breeze, a regional transportation authority run by the Lowcountry Council of Governments, which serves as the regional Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). [10]

Utilities

Since 2005, water and sewer services are provided by the regional Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority (BJWSA), based in Okatie. South Carolina Electric and Gas company (SCE&G, a division of SCANA) and Palmetto Electric Cooperative are the major suppliers of power to the city. Hargray Telephone Company, a regional phone utility provides telephone and broadband services.

External links

• City of Hardeeville
• Hardeeville Today (newspaper)