Discover Kingstree: History and the Black River

Kingstree combines a historic downtown with places of remembrance from several eras and a connection to nature and water along the Black River. Downtown tells the story of local architecture and institutions, while Gilland Memorial Park on the banks of the Black River offers a different perspective. If you’re looking for a hotel in Kingstree, you can start by considering which of these aspects you’d like to shape your stay.

Historic Downtown and the Pee Dee Tour

The Kingstree Historic District includes 48 buildings on Main Street, Academy Street, and Hampton Street in downtown. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 28, 1982. Most of the buildings date from 1900 to 1920, and much of the district’s historic architecture has been preserved. As you explore downtown, you’ll encounter a collection of buildings that largely date to the first decades of the 20th century.

The Pee Dee Tour also includes Kingstree. The town is among the places associated with some of Francis Marion’s early partisan actions; here, the tour includes a walk through the historic downtown district. This brings together a view of the preserved townscape and a historical connection to the region.

Courthouse and Historic Places of Remembrance

The Williamsburg County Courthouse was designed by Robert Mills and built in 1823. The site on Main Street had served an earlier purpose: during the colonial era and the American Revolutionary War, it was a gathering and muster ground for the local militia. The building and grounds thus tell stories from different periods. Another historic site is the Battle of “King’s Tree,” which took place in the Kingstree area on August 27, 1780.

Tomlinson Graded and High School was established in 1866 as South Carolina’s first public school for Black students. Decades later, on May 8, 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Kingstree and delivered his “Let Us March on Ballot Boxes” speech on the athletic field at Tomlinson High School. Both events give the town a direct connection to the history of Black education and Dr. King’s work.

Museums and Historic Buildings

The Williamsburgh Historical Museum is located in the former Carnegie Library on Hampton Avenue. The building was completed in 1917 and is in the Historic Downtown District. The C. Williams Rush Museum of African-American Arts & Culture focuses in particular on researching, documenting, and sharing the history and contributions of African Americans in Kingstree and Williamsburg County, South Carolina.

Thorntree is another of Kingstree’s historic buildings. James Witherspoon’s plantation house was built in 1749. In the early 1970s, it was moved within Kingstree’s city limits and restored to protect it from fire. The period when it was built and its later relocation place its history in two distinctly different eras.

Black River, Boat Ramps, and Local Produce

Gilland Memorial Park is on the banks of the Black River and offers views of its dark water and wildlife. The park has a public swimming area on a sandy beach, as well as a boat ramp. The river views at the park are complemented by opportunities to swim and access the water.

Mill Street Landing in Kingstree offers another connection to boating, with a public boat ramp and parking. Harvest Time Farm Stand adds a local market to these destinations. It is a roadside market in Kingstree that sells, among other things, Muscadine grapes.

Choose the Right Focus for Your Trip

If architecture and places of remembrance are your main interests, the Historic District, courthouse, and museums offer clear points of interest. If you’re interested in river scenery and water activities, the Black River and Gilland Memorial Park offer a different focus. This distinction can help you decide what Kingstree has to offer as a travel destination and tailor your search for hotels in Kingstree to the topics that interest you during your stay.

For the broader travel overview: Williamsburg County.