Florence

History

The City of Florence was chartered in 1871 by the Reconstruction government and incorporated in 1890 following the 1888 creation of Florence County. Prior to its charter, the city was part of one of the original townships laid out by the Lords Proprietors in 1719. The area was gradually settled through the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Early settlers practiced subsistence farming and produced indigo, cotton, naval stores, and timber, which were shipped down the Great Pee Dee River to the port at Georgetown and exported. In the mid-19th century, two intersecting railroads were built, the Wilmington and Manchester (W&M) and the Northeastern. General William Harllee, the president of the W&M, built his home at the junction, and named the community "Florence", after his daughter. and 18,000 Union prisoners of war. Over 2,800 prisoners died of disease and were buried there. Industry grew, especially after World War II, when Florence became increasingly known for textiles, pharmaceuticals, paper, and other manufacturing, in addition to agricultural products. Florence also has a budding theater scene, starting with creating the Community Players in 1923. Over the years, the theater troop had several names, such as the Pinewood Plays, the Little Theater Guild, and eventually, the Florence Little Theater Guild. After a fire that took their original performance home at the Pinewood Club, the troupe used spaces such as the YMCA, high school gyms, and the Army Air Base movie house to perform. In 1968, the first Florence Little Theater was built, but in 2008, a new Florence Little Theater was built due to a need for more space. In 2023, the Florence Little Theater celebrated 100 years of performances opening with The Sound of Music. In 2010, the city of Florence began a…

Geography

Florence is located in the coastal plain of South Carolina, in the northeastern part of the state and the northern part of Florence County. The elevation above sea level is around . Jeffries Creek, a tributary of the Great Pee Dee River, is the main waterway that flows through the city, passing south of the city center. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which (0.38%) is covered by water. Autumn, winter, and spring are mild, with occasional winter nights below freezing, but they rarely feature extended cold and rigorous conditions. Florence's summers can be very hot and humid. The city, like others in the Southeast, is prone to inversions, which trap ozone and other pollutants over the area.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  837
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  749
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  670
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  627
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  583
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  562
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  547
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  513

Most recent

• M 2.72 — 2026-01-20
  5 km ESE of Elgin, South Carolina
• M 2.57 — 2025-04-26
  6 km E of Elgin, South Carolina
• M 2.5 — 2024-09-15
  6 km E of Elgin, South Carolina
• M 2.65 — 2024-03-09
  5 km E of Elgin, South Carolina
• M 2.54 — 2022-10-31
  6 km E of Elgin, South Carolina
• M 3.6 — 2022-06-29
  6 km E of Elgin, South Carolina