Pendleton is a town in Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,489 at the 2020 census. It is a sister city of Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The town is located southeast of Clemson, SC, which is home to Clemson University.

The Pendleton Historic District, consisting of the town and its immediate surroundings, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Particularly notable historic buildings on the Pendleton town square include Farmer's Hall and Hunter's Store, which is currently the headquarters of the Pendleton District Historical, Recreational and Tourism Commission. Near Pendleton are the historic plantation homes Ashtabula and Woodburn.

thumb|upright|Detail of window with hinged panels, Woodburn Plantation

History

For centuries, the land that is now Pendleton was the territory of the Cherokee nation. After England claimed South Carolina as a colony, the Cherokee traded with the British.

The Ashtabula, Boone-Douthit House, Faith Cabin Library at Anderson County Training School, Pendleton Historic District, and Woodburn are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Pendleton is located in northwestern Anderson County. Its northwestern edge touches the Anderson County/Pickens County line and borders the city of Clemson. U.S. Route 76 passes through the southwest part of town, bypassing the town center and leading northwest to Clemson and southeast to Anderson, the county seat. Greenville is to the northeast by U.S. Route 123.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.70%, is water.

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| align-fn = center

2020 census

{| class="wikitable"

|+Pendleton racial composition

!Race

!Num.

!Perc.

|-

|White (non-Hispanic)

|2,323

|66.58%

|-

|Black or African American (non-Hispanic)

|713

|20.44%

|-

|Native American

|4

|0.11%

|-

|Asian

|81

|2.32%

|-

|Pacific Islander

|1

|0.03%

|-

|Other/Mixed

|235

|6.74%

|-

|Hispanic or Latino

|132

|3.78%

|}

As of the 2020 census, Pendleton had a population of 3,489. The median age was 36.4 years. 18.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 83.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 80.6 males age 18 and over.

98.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 2.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,638 households in Pendleton, of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 32.5% were married-couple households, 20.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 40.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 37.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Tri-County Technical College is located within the town.

Pendleton has a public library, a branch of the Anderson County Library System.

Pendleton has 4 schools: 4 public schools and 0 private schools. Pendleton schools spend $11,812 per student (The US average is $12,383). There are 16 pupils per teacher, 488 students per librarian, and 366 children per counselor.

Notable residents

  • Stephen Adams (1807–1857), born in the Pendleton District, congressman and senator
  • Joe Ellis Brown (1933–2018), was an American schoolteacher and politician.
  • Floride Calhoun, wife of U.S. Senator and Vice President John C. Calhoun
  • Warren R. Davis (1793 – 1835), elected as a Jacksonian to the 20th - 24th Congresses.
  • Barnard Elliott Bee, Jr., commanded the 3rd Brigade, Army of the Shenandoah, 1861
  • Juanita Goggins, was the first African American woman elected to the South Carolina legislature.
  • Brandon Hall, is an American actor who starred in God Friended Me.
  • Jane Edna Hunter, African American social worker who established the Working Girls Association
  • Bryce McGowens is a basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets
  • Samuel Augustus Maverick, Texas rancher/politician for whom the word "maverick" originated.

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  • Mazÿck Porcher Ravenel, pathologist and medical doctor who worked towards the elimination of tuberculosis as a public health problem. -->
  • Thomas Jefferson Rusk, early political and military leader of the Republic of Texas
  • John Allen Wakefield, political and military leader, took part in the Black Hawk War
  • Margaret Sellers Walker (1935–2020), Michigan state official, born in Pendleton
  • Alexander F. Warley (1823–1895), Confederate States Navy officer, moved to Pendleton

References

  • Town of Pendleton official website
  • Pendleton Historical Marker