LANCASTER COUNTY, SC
County Offices
101 North Main Street
Lancaster, SC 803-285-1565
https://www.mylancastersc.org/
Chamber of Commerce
453 Colonial Avenue
Lancaster, SC 803-283-4105
https://www.lancasterchambersc.org/
Services
Preserving a small-town ambiance, panoramic Lancaster County is comfortably nestled between the metropolitan areas of Charlotte, North Carolina, to the north and the South Carolina capital city of Columbia to the south.
Ensuring opportunities to secure a quality education has always been a high priority in Lancaster County. The well-managed public school system that serves the county is complemented by options for a private education from kindergarten through 12th grade. The University of South Carolina-Lancaster provides a two-year campus within the state university system, melding a first-rate learning environment with smaller classes and more personalized attention. The Academic Success Center supports this goal by offering one-on-one tutoring, computer assisted instruction, peer writing consultants, instructional video tapes, supplementary handbooks and texts, and workbooks. Specialized facilities and programs on campus include the Gregory Health and Wellness Center, Medford Library, and the new Arts and Sciences building that covers more than 62,000 square feet. York Technical College, just minutes from home, also offers degree and certification programs in several business and industrial fields.
Newcomers can look forward to easy access to comprehensive healthcare close to home, anchored by Springs Memorial Hospital. Constantly improving, updating, and expanding, the hospital now boasts a 194-bed capacity. The 20-acre main campus in Lancaster is home to Springs Memorial Hospital, the Lancaster Recovery Center, the Regional Rehabilitation Center, and the Transitional Care Unit. Additionally, Springs Healthcare operates Home Care and Hospice of Lancaster, the Lancaster Rehabilitation Center, and the Imaging Center. Springs Memorial Hospital is affiliated with the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and the John Morrison White Clinic for Cardiac Rehabilitation. Recent additions to the hospital include the Springs Women and Children’s Center that combines maternity services with a level II nursery, postpartum and post-surgery care, and pediatrics. The John Morrison White Cardiopulmonary Clinic on the University of South Carolina Lancaster campus offers a rehabilitation program for patients who have suffered a heart attack or who have undergone cardiac surgery.
Lifestyle
Those who appreciate the natural beauty and serenity of country living within a reasonable commute from metropolitan excitement will find an ideal home in Lancaster County. Bordered by the Catawba River and close to a number of lakes and waterways, Lancaster is just hours from the Blue Ridge Mountains and the famous South Carolina Grand Strand. The Joint Recreation Commission for Lancaster County also operates a number of athletic fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, playgrounds, and picnic shelters as well as lush parks and mini-parks that dot the area’s neighborhoods. Several of the newer parks are graced by gardens, walking paths, and nature trails. The commission also provides a wide variety of programs designed to attract participants of all ages and interests, from sports leagues to summer day camps and after-school care. In addition to swimming pools, golf courses, and sports organizations, the Gregory Health and Wellness Center at the University of South Carolina Lancaster offers a wealth of amenities for youth, adults, and seniors.
Minutes from home, Andrew Jackson State Park offers 260 acres of natural beauty and historic attractions that include a museum and one-room schoolhouse. Camping, picnicking, nature study, and a fishing lake with rental boats combine with an amphitheater for outdoor recreation and entertainment. Boating on the Catawba River and nearby Lake Wateree, Lake Wateree State Park, and hunting on nearly 30,000 acres of wildlife management areas are a few of the regional attractions. The Forty Acre Rock and Flat Creek Natural Area in the eastern section of the county is a geological phenomenon that has been designated as a national natural landmark. Lancaster Speedway, dubbed the “fastest half-mile dirt track in the Southeast,” combines with the recently developed Carolina Motorsports Park and go-kart tracks for non-stop racing thrills. Carolina Motorsports Park is located on US Highway 521/601 just four miles south of Kershaw on a 237-acre site.
Interesting museums, historic sites, colorful annual events, competitive events, public murals, Lancaster’s Wall of Fame, clubs and organizations, and an active arts community are just a few of the highlights that ensure a superior quality of life. Throughout the county’s small towns and open countryside are diverse housing options, from cozy cottages and vintage homes to modern subdivisions graced by scenic views. New and growing developments like Legacy Park harmonize with the stately homes in such established communities as Forest Hills to cater to every taste and lifestyle choice. From home sites with acreage for gardens or horse properties to country manors and luxurious estates, Lancaster County is an idyllic place to call home.
Community Profiles
Lancaster
Municipal Offices
803-286-8414
https://www.lancastercitysc.com/
Chamber of Commerce
803-283-4105
https://www.lancasterchambersc.org/
The growing community and county seat of Lancaster has managed to preserve a small-town atmosphere in spite of recent residential, commercial, and industrial expansion. The city offers a regional hospital and two-year college campus that enriches the community intellectually, culturally, and recreationally. Boasting a proud tradition in the textile industry, this urban center has added many new restaurants, entertainment centers, retail plazas, and high-tech industries in recent years. Newcomers will find everything from vintage homes shaded by ancient greenery to vibrant new construction in established or new developments. This unique blend of old and new gives Lancaster a charm of its own, contrasting a quaint historic district showcasing Ralph Waldrop’s murals with upscale country-club and golf-course communities. In addition to local recreational amenities, Andrew Jackson State Park offers camping, lake fishing, boat rentals, hiking, biking, and nature study. The city is also home to one of the largest commercial soaring centers in the nation, where pilots can take to the skies nearly every day of the year. Antebellum homes and inns, the Lancaster & Chester Railway Museum, the Lancaster County Courthouse & Jail historic site, gallery exhibits, performing arts, and the Lancaster Golf Club are just a few of the distinctive attractions.
Heath Springs
Municipal Offices
803-273-2066
https://townofheathsprings.com/
Chamber of Commerce
803-283-4105
https://www.lancasterchambersc.org/
The small town of Heath Springs is nestled between the county seat of Lancaster and the third incorporated community of Kershaw to the south, giving residents a centralized location in Lancaster County. The community offers small-town friendliness and easy access to regional resources and amenities that include a major healthcare facility, a two-year state college campus with a state-of-the-art recreation and wellness center, cultural attractions, and state park outdoor activities. Residents also benefit from the Kershaw-Heath Springs satellite facility associated with York Technical College. Commercial development in Health Springs is sufficient to provide a convenient lifestyle where most daily needs can be met close to home. Housing options range from older homes in the heart of town to a wide range of newer construction that dots the surrounding area. World-class metropolitan attractions including professional sports are available within a reasonable commute in Columbia and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Kershaw
Municipal Offices
803-425-1500
https://www.kershaw.sc.gov
Chamber of Commerce
803-283-4105
https://www.lancasterchambersc.org/
The welcoming town of Kershaw is ideally located 18 miles south of Lancaster along US Highway 521 midway between Columbia and Charlotte, North Carolina. The town originally sprang up around a railroad station, like many of the vintage communities in rural South Carolina. The new Kershaw-Heath Springs satellite facility for York Technical College is only one element in the strategy to attract quality growth and development to the area. One of the major entertainment highlights in the Kershaw area is Carolina Motorsports Park, developed and opened in 1999 by a group of Southeast racers and enthusiasts. The park offers a 2.35 mile road racing course for motorcycle and car club events as well as private testing and instruction. Kershaw also boasts a country club and golf course and close proximity to state parks and the Forty Acre Rock national natural landmark for hiking, biking, camping, and nature study.
