{"id":96732,"date":"2026-08-29T06:00:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T10:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/?p=96732"},"modified":"2026-08-26T19:50:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T23:50:02","slug":"anderson-county-bicentennial-celebrations-connect-the-past-to-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/communities\/anderson-county-bicentennial-celebrations-connect-the-past-to-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Anderson County Bicentennial Celebrations Connect the Past to the Future"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Bicentennial Fountain<\/p><\/div>\n

Anderson County was established by an act of the South Carolina General Assembly on December 20, 1826, and will be celebrating its bicentennial this year, alongside America\u2019s 250th anniversary.<\/p>\n

Originally carved from the Pendleton District, Anderson County grew from an agricultural community into a textile powerhouse following the development of long-distance hydroelectric power in the late 19th century. Over time, manufacturing diversified the local economy, while projects such as Hartwell Dam and Lake Hartwell expanded opportunities for tourism and recreation.<\/p>\n

The Anderson County Museum has spent the bicentennial year highlighting the community\u2019s stories through programming designed to present a broad view of Anderson County\u2019s history and identity.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Photos courtesy of Anderson County Museum<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cOur programs and educational exhibits ensure that our history is not just about what has happened in the past, but we also want to be looking at the present and what\u2019s going on today,\u201d says Beverly Childs, the museum\u2019s executive director. \u201cWe tell stories that are so diverse. I think it reinforces our community and all the identities that we share with everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the year\u2019s initiatives, the museum held Carolina Day programming in June tied to both South Carolina\u2019s semiquincentennial and Anderson County\u2019s bicentennial. A commemorative book chronicling 200 years of Anderson County is expected to be released in September, and a bicentennial parade is planned for Sunday, October 4.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur approach is not only telling the complete history of our county but also just sharing the excitement of the bicentennial,\u201d Childs says.
\nOne chapter of that history stands out to Childs as especially transformative: the development of hydroelectric power.<\/p>\n

\u201c[When] hydroelectric power started here in our county, it not only powered the city but it also powered the textile industries,\u201d Childs says. \u201cI think without that generation of power, we would not have gone from an agricultural community to a textile community and then on to a manufacturing community.\u201d<\/p>\n

That progression helped create the diverse economy Anderson County enjoys today, one that continues to attract both domestic and international companies.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that started everything in my humble opinion for Anderson,\u201d Childs says. \u201cIt made our economy more diverse. It certainly sustained us through the many years.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the county enters its third century, Childs hopes the bicentennial leaves residents with a deeper appreciation not only for Anderson County\u2019s accomplishments but also for the responsibility of continuing to build on that legacy for future generations.<\/p>\n

Learn more about the bicentennial celebrations at AndersonCountyMuseum.sc.gov<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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