HOA Management in Blythewood SC

Blythewood, SC Facts & Information

Blythewood is a municipality located in Richland and Fairfield counties; however, primarily located within Richland County. Blythewood has a town municipal charter. Blythewood is located around 15 to 20 miles north of Columbia, which is the state capital of South Carolina.   

The origin of Blythewood can be traced back to a train stop on the Charlotte & Columbia Railroad incorporated in 1846 and reorganized that same year as the Charlotte & South Carolina Railroad. The rail line was completed in 1852 to the outskirts of Charlotte and carrying freight by October 1852. The rail line was completed into Charlotte by October 21, 1852, when the first passenger train arrived in Charlotte.      

What became Blythewood was originally known as Level Depot in 1852 and then was named Doko Depot in 1856. The settlement was known as Doko until 1877 when the name was changed to Blythewood. Reportedly the name “Blythewood” originated from a local school known as the Blythewood Female Institute, which later became known as the Blythewood Academy.  

The Blythewood or Level or Doko Depot was located between the Campbells Depot to the north and Elkins Depot to the South. After the Elkins Depot, the next stop was the Columbia Station. The Charlotte & South Carolina Railroad was a major economic driver for the entire region prior to the American Civil War. This railroad connected Charlotte and eventually the North Carolina Piedmont region economy to the port of Charleston. The railroad was a major agricultural development for the entire region of both South Carolina and North Carolina.

During the American Civil War, the rail line was a major transportation link supplying and moving Confederate forces to Virginia. Union forces of Major General William Tecumseh Sherman burned the Doko Depot and destroyed the railroad tracks in 1865. The settlement of Doko did not suffer the total destruction by Union forces leveled on many towns in South Carolina. One home, the historic George P. Hoffman House still stands in Blythewood. Constructed around 1855, the one-story, braced-frame Greek Revival style home missed the destruction that was prevalent during Sherman’s march through South Carolina.

The historic George P. Hoffman House is comprised of a central, five-bay block, and is flanked by three-bay wings. A pedimented porch spans the three central bays of the façade. It is no longer a private residence and serves as the Blythewood Town Hall. In 1986, the George P. Hoffman House was added to the National Register of Historic Places. 

The Blythewood Female Institute was founded by Baptist minister J.T. Zealy, in 1860. It was operated by Samuel W. Bookhart until 1879. Initially, the school was incorporated in 1863 as the Fairfield Female Institute and the name was changed to the Blythewood Female Institute in 1864. Girls from all over South Carolina attended the Blythewood Female Institute. Subjects included English, French, drawing, music, and other subjects of refinement. 

The institute was located around the entrance of the Cobblestone Park in Blythewood along what is now Blythewood Road. The institute was located around a half-mile from the Doko Railroad Station. In 1865,  

when Union forces of Major General William Tecumseh Sherman set fire to some of the institute’s buildings, the fires were put out without major damage. Reportedly, by the end of the American Civil War, there was only one student still enrolled. 

1. Blythewood’s first census was the 1980 United States Census, and the population was determined to be 92. 

2. Blythewood’s second census was the 1990 United States Census, and the population was calculated to be 164. 

3. Blythewood’s third census was the 2000 United States Census, and the population was determined to be 170.

4. Per Google Earth, Blythewood’s Location or Coordinates are – Latitude: 34°12′51.72″ N, Longitude: 80°58′26.32″ W

5. The fourth census in 2010 determined the population had grown 1,096.5% between the 2000

United States Census, and the 2010 population was determined to be 2,034.

6. Blythewood’s Elevation Above Sea Level is 507 feet, per Google Earth for the coordinates noted above.

7. The United States Census Bureau estimated Blythewood’s 2019 population to be 4,150.

8. Within South Carolina, Blythewood is the 66th largest municipality in the state.

9. Blythewood’s area code are 803 and 839.

9. Blythewood’s ZIP code is 29016

10. Blythewood’s area code are 803 and 839.

11. The land area of Blythewood, per the United States Census Bureau as of 2010, was 10.71 square miles.

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