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Blackstock, South Carolina

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Coordinates: 34°33′31″N 81°09′08″W / 34.55861°N 81.15222°W / 34.55861; -81.15222
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Blackstock, South Carolina
Unincorporated community
Blackstock is located in South Carolina
Blackstock
Blackstock
Blackstock is located in the United States
Blackstock
Blackstock
Coordinates: 34°33′31″N 81°09′08″W / 34.55861°N 81.15222°W / 34.55861; -81.15222
CountryUnited States
StateSouth Carolina
CountiesChester, Fairfield
Elevation
620 ft (190 m)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
29014
Area code(s)803, 839
GNIS feature ID1246908[1]

Blackstock is an unincorporated community in Chester and Fairfield counties in the Midlands of South Carolina about 45 miles (72 km) north of Columbia. The elevation of the community is 620 feet (190 m).[1] Its ZIP code is 29014.[2] The Cornwell Inn, located on Blackstock Road, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.[3]

Government

Blackstock is an unincorporated community. Accordingly, it has no municipal government.

Certain portions of the community are located in Fairfield County, while others are located in Chester County. As a result, both counties exercise a measure of control over the affairs of the community and provide services to it.

History

Edward Blackstock, an early postmaster, gave the community his last name.[4]

Attractions

A monument dedicated to the slave Burrel Hemphill can be found on the front grounds of Hopewell ARP Church.[5] The monument consists of a small stone building with a placard that reads: "In memory of Burrel Hemphill, killed by Union soldiers February 1865. Although a slave, he gave his life rather than betray a trust. He was a member of Hopewell."[5] One account of Hemphill's death states that he was tortured and killed by U.S. soldiers after refusing to disclose where his master had hidden certain valuables.[6] The story of Burrel Hemphill's sacrifice has been the subject of historical programs led by Dr. W.T. Holmes, a descendant of Mr. Hemphill's, as recently as 2017.[7]

A gymnasium which was once part of Blackstock High School has hosted bluegrass concerts on a weekly basis since November 1998.[8] The venue hosts multiple stages where performers are permitted to play regardless of age or skill level.[8] Although attendance is not taken, it is estimated that between 150 and 200 people attend the concerts each week.[8]

Notable natives

Posthumous pardon

On April 24, 1913, Confederate States of America veteran John Q. Lewis was murdered in Blackstock.[10] An investigation of the murder led to the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of Thomas and Meeks Griffin - two African-American residents of the town.[10] Doubts about the conviction inspired more than 150 residents of the town, including the mayor and a former sheriff of Chester County, to petition for governor of South Carolina to commute the sentences.[10] The list of petitioners included "many white leaders of the community and ordinary white citizens."[10] However, the men were executed on September 29, 1915.[10] Research demonstrating the inequity of the matter was presented to the parole board in 2009 and led the state to issue its first posthumous pardon in a capital murder case.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b "Blackstock, South Carolina". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ United States Postal Service (2012). "USPS - Look Up a ZIP Code". Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  3. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  4. ^ Federal Writers' Project (1941). Palmetto Place Names. Sloane Printing Co. p. 26.
  5. ^ a b South Carolina Office of Tourism
  6. ^ Charles Kelley Barrow and J.H. Segars, Black Southerners in Confederate Armies: A Collection of Historical Accounts, Pelican Publishing Company (2007)
  7. ^ Staff Reports, "Dr. W.T. Holmes to present history of Burrel Hemphill", The News and Reporter (July 6, 2017)
  8. ^ a b c "Blackstock Bluegrass Association".
  9. ^ "Ed Durham: Society for American Baseball Research".
  10. ^ a b c d e f Drash, Wayne (October 15, 2009). "Tom Joyner get justice for electrocuted kin, 94 years later". CNN.
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