HOA Management in Forest Acres, SC

Forest Acres, or the City of Forest Acres, South Carolina, is located within Richland County. Forest Acres is sandwiched between the City of Columbia to the west and Fort Jackson to the east. The estimated population for Forest Acres was 10,298 for 2019 per the U.S. Census Bureau. The total land area of Forest Acres is 4.60 square miles per the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau. 

Coordinates – Latitude: 34°2′19″N, Longitude: 80°58′3″W. 

The standard street delivery zip code for Forest Acres is 29206. 

The telephone area codes for Forest Acres are 803 and 839.

Forest Acres is within the Columbia Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes the surrounding counties of Calhoun, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Richland, and Saluda. The Columbia MSA’s estimated population as of 2020 was 847,397. Forest Acres is the sixth-largest municipality within the Columbia MSA. The Columbia Metropolitan Statistical Area is only second to the Greenville MSA in population in South Carolina. As measured by population, the Columbia Metropolitan Statistical Area is the 69^th largest in America.

A Brief Historical Overview of Forest Acres & the Surrounding Area

The unorthodox origin of Forest Acres can be traced back to December 25, 1934, when two land developers set upon how to obtain a municipal water system in the future Forest Acres. These two developers and the driving force behind this initiative were John Hughes Cooper (1885-1945) and James Henry Hammond (1885-1970). The land within the Quinine Hill area did not have access to a municipal water system. Cooper and Hammond, to maximize their residential development, knew a municipal water system was needed. 

As a result of their petition and lobbying efforts in September of 1935, the South Carolina General Assembly granted a charter to the City of Forest Acres. Cooper became the city’s first mayor. A position he held, reportedly unbeknownst to him because he had resigned when he unsuccessfully ran for South Carolina governor in 1938, until 1941.  

The original city boundaries or limits were established in an irregular-shaped rectangle of two square miles. These boundaries formed from one-half mile to the north and south of Old Camden Road, a thousand feet east of Gills Creek, and two miles west past Quinine Hill.

Cooper and Hammond, while both being attorneys by training, were experienced, residential developers. Forest Land Company was Cooper’s real estate holdings company, and for development marketing reasons, he spread the name “Forest” throughout the area, such as Forest Drive, Forest Lake, and Forest Lake Club. Tree and lake-themed street names were also used throughout the development, such as Pinebrook Road, Spring Lake Road, and Springwood Road. Hammond took a different approach in naming the streets of his development; He named streets after relatives, friends, and customers, such as  John Francis Court, Hanson Road, and Beverly Drive.

Legal issues complicated the installation of the water system. The installation of the water system was not completed until 1939. The new City of Forest Acres issued municipal bonds for the water system paying 4%. The municipal water system bonds sold well and left the city a surplus of over $10,000, which half was used by the city to buy $5,000 worth of war bonds. To hook up to the new water system, residents paid a $35 charge. By the U.S. Census of 1940, the population of Forest Acres reached 323, and within ten years, the population climbed to 3,240, per the 1950 U.S. Census.

Going into the 1940s, Forest Acres did not have a business district or any businesses except for a small gasoline station and grocery store. There was no chamber of commerce or city property taxes. It was not until 1968 before a city property tax was introduced. At the beginning of World War II, the mayor, William (Bill) Hazlehurst, was an engineer working in Columbia. He volunteered for the Navy shortly after he was elected mayor in 1942. After participating in the Pacific campaign for several years, he was discharged and returned home to Forest Lake. The city’s business apparently had proceeded in his absence, and his unpaid mayoral position was waiting for him.

The proximity of Forest Acres to Fort Jackson and World War II changed the original intention of Cooper and Hammond’s residential development of a tranquil suburb. A multitude of businesses sprang up around Forest Acres to service the military community from Fort Jackson.   

Forest Acres blossomed as a bedroom community for Columbia and Fort Jackson. For many years, the city had one of the highest per capita income levels in South Carolina. Fire protection services are provided by the City of Columbia, and there was not a Forest Acres Police Department until 1962. While there were no city property taxes until 1968, residents paid a county property tax and a fee for garbage collection. 

The city is governed by a mayor with a city council comprised of four members. The police department has over thirty officers. By annexing neighboring communities, such as Ravenwood, the city has grown from its original two square miles to 4.60 square miles. The municipal water system that was the impetus of the city was abandoned in 1990 because of the operational expense. Forest Acres now draws its municipal water from the City of Columbia’s water system.  

Thousands of Forest Acres residents were affected. The rains and resulting flooding caused earthen dams to collapse, bridges to wash away, and roads to give way. Flooded homes along with hundreds of fallen trees were also a result of the massive rains. The municipal water system was contaminated by the flooding and rendered undrinkable. It took several months for the police station on Trenholm Road to be repaired from the flood damage to the first floor.

The homes in the low-lying Gills Creek watershed within Forest Acres were hit the hardest. The Gills Creek watershed has a number of lakes that were contained by earthen dams. Around five of these earthen dams were damaged or giving way completely.

The fire department, police, and other municipal rescuers were aided by citizens with boats in rescuing stranded citizens from flooded homes and vehicles. Primary roads like Trenholm were flooded. Woodlake Drive, which abuts two small lakes, was completed covered in water. 

Filing for political office within Forest Acres is done at the Forest Acres City Hall Administrative Offices, 5209 North Trenholm Road, Forest Acres, SC 29206.

Voter registration and elections for Forest Acres are administered by the Richland County Voter Registration and Elections Office, Richland County Administration Building, 2020 Hampton Street, Columbia, SC 29204 

Forest Acres has ten voting precincts with four polling locations: 

Arcadi Precinct, Oakwood Precinct, Satchelford Precinct, and Trenholm Precinct – Satchelford Elementary, 5901 Satchelford Road. 

Cooper Precinct and East Forest Acres Precinct – Brockman School, 2245 Montclair Drive.

North Forest Acres Precinct and Keenan Precinct – Trenholm Park, 3900 Covenant Road.

South Forest Acres Precinct and Gregg Park Precinct – Crayton Middle School, 5000 Clemson Avenue. 

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