Towns & Communities

Gilbert

Gilbert is half between Batesburg-Leesville and Lexington, and was once called Gilbert Hollow.
A Revolutionary War skirmish took place on 18 June 1781, when "a party of Sumter's soldiers harassing a rear guard of British foragers under Lord Rawdon(en route to relieve besieged Ninety Six) was ambushed".
Gilbert was also called Lewieville from 1886-1899 after the family of Samuel and Nancy Hendrix Lewie. Solomon Lewie founded Lewie Chapel in 1870s in Gilbert. Lewie Chapel was later known as Lewiedale Methodist Church and after 1910 as Gilbert Methodist Church.

Irmo

Irmo was possibly named by taking the first two letters of Iredell and Moseley. Mr Moseley was the first President and Mr Iredell the first Secretary of the CN&L Railroad.

Samaria

Samaria is 8 miles south of Batesburg. It was a Post Office and a well-known railroad stop until the railroad was abandoned in 1941. The Southern Railroad for many years maintained a line from Batesburg to Perry. It was well-known by some as Old Midland, but countless others knew the branch railroad as "The Swamp Rabbit".

Summit

The name derives from a claim that the location is the highest elevation on the Southern Railroad between Columbia and Augusta Georgia.

Boiling Springs

Boiling Springs is a community 6 miles below Red Bank. The name comes from a spring of water which does not literally boil, but does come from the sandy soil with considerable strength. The water is said to be so close to the surface in the surrounding area that mules would sink into watery holes while plowing. In another day Boiling Springs was a great and popular site for political rallies.