The Area and Links

Commerce: Lancaster is the trading center of the county and portions of adjoining counties, having a trading center population of well over 100,000.
A county-wide organization, the Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce, with a membership of over 500 business and professional persons, represents the business community of Lancaster County.

Such annual features as the RedRose Festival, the Carolina Legends Festival in May draw large groups of visitors to the city.

Government: The city has the Council form of government. An Administrator is appointed by the council.
The County government is a Council-Administrator form of government. The Administrator is appointed by the Council.

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History: Lancaster was founded by settlers from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and was known as Barnettsville when the first courthouse was erected in 1795. In 1802, an application was made for a charter for the village which was thereafter called Lancaster. Long known as "The Red Rose City," Lancaster is a veritable rose garden in the spring when thousands of roses are in bloom all over the city. The red rose was the emblem of the House of Lancaster when the War of the Roses was fought in England from 1455 to 1485. It is used as a symbol today just as it was in Lancashire, England, in the Fifteenth Century.

Industries: Major industries in the trading area are: Textiles, foundry, metalworking, paper production, agricultural products, forestry, poultry, processing brick and block manufacturing, electrical and electronic products, hosiery, mining, steel fabricating, medical products, alkaline batteries, plastic laminates, railroad spikes, sportswear, spices, textile, wax, heat exchangers, flags and banners, textile machinery, distribution, retail, cabinetry, banking, housing development , automotive and trucking products, Walmart, Internet Marketing Company-Red Ventures, Gold Mining in Kershaw, Comporium Communications and communications services.

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Civic, Fraternal and Service Organizations: Among the organizations are American Legion, American Red Cross, Masonic bodies, Ladies Literary Garden and Study clubs, Rotary, Lions, Civitans, Shrine, Moose, PTAs, CAP, Ministerial Association, UDC, DAR, VFW, DAV, BSA, GSA, Sertoma, Home Builders Association of Lancaster, United Way of Lancaster County, Piedmont Carolinas Association of Realtors, Carolina Chapter Professional Secretaries International, Golden Agers, Senior Citizens, NAACP, Retired Teachers Assoc., Men's Prayer Breakfast Club of Lancaster, and Optimists.

Churches: Over 100 churches in Lancaster County representing major Protestant and Catholic faiths make possible a full and well rounded religious life.

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Schools: Lancaster County School District has excellent schools. The district has 12 elementary, four middle and five high schools and a county vocational/career center in the system. Two high schools were opened in fall, 1993 and renovations in seven of our elementary and middle schools were also completed. A new High School opened in Indian Land in 2009. A new elementary school opened in the Van Wyck area in 2019. Another new High school will open in Indian Land in 2020. The district has approximately 13,216+ students, pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, 1021 teachers, and 43 administrators.

The University of South Carolina Lancaster offers associate degrees in Nursing, Criminal Justice and Business. Fourteen + Four-year degrees are possible through the Palmetto College Program. Other associate degrees, Associate in Art and Associate in Science, are awarded at the completion of sixty hours toward a baccalaureate degree prior to transferring to the main campus in Columbia or a four-year regional campus. Selected junior, senior and graduate courses are available. The Lancaster Campus is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In addition to the academic program, USCL also offers a comprehensive continuing education program. Fall 1997 enrollment was 1,064 undergraduate and 360 graduate students.

York Tech, Rock Hill, SC has an extension campus in the Kershaw area and Chester, SC for a technical education course.

School Links:

USC-Lancaster http://usclancaster.sc.edu/

Clemson University www.Clemson.edu

Lancaster County School District www.LancasterSCSchools.org

Winthrop University www.Winthrop.edu

York Technical College www.YorkTech.com

Harvard University www.Harvard.edu

Clemson Institue for Economic and Community Development www.clemson.edu/public/ciecd