Pelzer is a town in Anderson County, South Carolina, United States, along the Saluda River. Its population was 89 at the 2010 census, and grew to 1,344 at the 2020 census.

Government

As of 2010, the town was governed by a mayor and four council members. The mayor as of 2026 was Chase Smithwick.

History

Pelzer was founded in the 19th century as a mill town around several mill sites <!-- (the Lower Mill and the Upper Mill) --> on the Saluda River developed by the Pelzer Manufacturing Company. The first (lower) mill was completed in 1882; two additional expansions were referred to as mills 2 and 3, with construction of the 4th mill (the upper mill) starting in 1896. Pelzer Manufacturing drew power from two dams built along the Saluda River, which generated power with the help of the first generators ever sold by General Electric. The factory was the first in the country to use incandescent lighting.

The company and town were named for Francis J. Pelzer, who surveyed sites along the river and laid out the town, and was, along with William Lebby and Ellison A. Smyth, one of the founders of Pelzer Manufacturing. The first president and treasurer of the company was Ellison Adger Smyth, who held the corporate titles for 43 years. When Smyth decided to build the fourth mill, he initially selected a site four miles downriver from the town along a shoal, necessitating construction of a new mill town. Eventually, however, Smyth decided to build a new mill at Pelzer and began construction at the Upper Mill site, with power generation coming from the downstream shoals and dam. This was the first instance of a mill in South Carolina not built immediately adjacent to its power-generation facility; Smyth contracted General Electric (GE) to build the power lines between the new dam and the existing town, a first in the industry that many competitors argued was doomed to fail. Smyth allowed GE to use the new Upper Mill as a testing ground for new electric generators and motors, which initially cost Pelzer Manufacturing money and made the new mill a money loser for several years, though it did become profitable over time.

In 2008, the Community of Pelzer Historical Society was founded at 1 Reed Street in historic Pelzer, with a mission to preserve, restore, and publish when advisable Pelzer history. The society maintains the Historic Pelzer, South Carolina, archives and the historical preservation of events and celebrations.

Subsequently, in 2013, the Pelzer Heritage Commission bought both mill sites.

In the mill town, the mill managers' homes were laid out along what was the town's main street (Lebby St.), which eventually became South Carolina Highway 8. When the town was initially incorporated, only the main street and adjacent properties were included, so that the management of the mill would retain control of the town; the mill town itself occupied substantially more area than the incorporated town. In 2015, area residents voted to incorporate substantial additional property into the town limits.

The Pelzer Presbyterian Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

Geography

Pelzer is located in Anderson County, beside the Saluda River. On the town's western border is the town of West Pelzer, and the town of Williamston is to the south. Anderson, the county seat, is to the southwest, and the center of Greenville is to the north.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

As of the 2000 Census, 97 people, 35 households, and 26 families were residing in the town.

thumb|right|Shoeless Joe Jackson

Notable people

  • Mac Arnold, legendary local blues musician, was born in nearby Ware Place and now lives (and farms) in Pelzer.
  • Shoeless Joe Jackson, professional baseball player, lived in Pelzer as a child and played briefly for the mill team.
  • William L. McKittrick, a marine aviator during World War II, reaching the rank of major general, was born is Pelzer.
  • Junior Wooten, professional baseball player, was born in Pelzer.

References

  • Town of Pelzer official website
  • Information about the Town of Pelzer, South Carolina Appalachian Council of Governments