Abbeville (South Carolina)

Abbeville is a town in the Old 96 District that has the distinction of being where the Civil War was both instigated and terminated in a way, as it was here that a delegation of South Carolinians came together at "Secession Hill" on November 22, 1860 to decide to secede from the Union, and moreover where, at the Burt-Stark Mansion, a perhaps crestfallen Jefferson Davis moved to dissolve the Confederacy on May 2, 1865.

Get in

Located in a rather isolated part of South Carolina, you'll likely need a car to get to Abbeville. It is about 17 miles west of Greenwood and 30 miles southeast of Anderson.

See

Stark House, Abbeville (Abbeville County, South Carolina)

• 1 Burt-Stark Mansion, 400 N Main St, ☏ +1 864 366-0166. F-Sa 1:30pm-4:30pm. During the last cabinet meeting to be held by the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis dissolved the Confederacy's government here on May 2, 1865, allowing for the sequelae of events that mark the end of the Civil War to follow. (updated Aug 2021)
• 2 Abbeville Opera House, 100 Court Square #102. Here is something else to look at for its aesthetic architectural value from the turn of the century since you drove all the way here. (updated Aug 2021)

USACE Richard B Russell Dam and Lake

Do

• 1 Calhoun Falls State Park, 46 Maintenance Shop Rd, Calhoun Falls, ☏ +1 864 447-8267. Daily 6AM-6PM, or 6AM-9PM during Daylight Savings Time. Natural setting along rural Lake Russell, aka the impounded Savannah River, where swimming, fishing, camping, sunset-watching, and even hiking along Cedar Bluff Trail are available. The name Calhoun Falls is a bit obscure, as there doesn't seem to be a waterfall. Interestingly though, the original Georgia–Carolina Memorial Bridge next to the current Hwy 72 bridge is submerged beneath the lake if you happen to be a scuba diver or have an underwater camera. $3 per person, only like $1.50 for kids and seniors. (updated Oct 2021)

Eat

• 1 Village Grill, 110 Trinity St. W-Sa Lunch and Dinner. A place that is kind of foo-foo, but that will draw you into a vintage feeling of Abbeville from yesteryear. (updated Aug 2021)

Sleep

• 1 Abbevilla Motel, 801 E Greenwood St, ☏ +1 864 366-5041. It is kind of like a piece of Americana in that it has a nostalgic motor inn look and isn't part of a chain like so many these days. (updated Aug 2021)