Summerton

History

Summerton's history began circa 1830 to 1840. Plantation owners made their move inward to Summerton to escape from the mosquitos along the Santee River. It was thought of as a health resort and safe retreat from the "malaria" associated with the swamp. The town was officially chartered by the South Carolina legislative delegation on Christmas Eve, 1889. Summerton is well known for the court case Briggs v. Elliott (Court citation:347 US 483). Briggs was the first filed of the four court cases combined into Brown v. Board of Education, the famous case in which the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954 officially overturned racial segregation in U.S. public schools. Summerton High School and Scott’s Branch High School were added to Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park in 2022. Despite the outcome of Briggs and Brown, as of 2004 Summerton's schools remain effectively segregated, with nearly all white students now attending the private Clarendon Hall, leaving the public schools almost entirely African-American. As of 2004, 95% of public high school students at Scotts Branch High are black, despite 40% white population in the community. Today, Summerton is still noted for being a summer retreat and vacation spot for visitors interested in nature and outdoor recreation activities, e.g. golf, fishing, hunting, boating, camping.

Geography

Summerton is in southwestern Clarendon County. Interstate 95 passes just south of the town, with access from Exit 108. I-95 leads northeast to Florence and southwest to Savannah, Georgia. U.S. Routes 15 and 301 join in the center of Summerton. US 301 leads northeast to Manning, the Clarendon County seat, and US 15 leads north to Sumter, while the combined highways lead southwest to Santee. Summerton is located in the heart of Santee Cooper Country, from the shores of Lake Marion. According to the United States Census Bureau, Summerton has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,515
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  4,301
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,180
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  4,139
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,123
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,096
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,916
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,837

Most recent

• M 3 — 2026-02-26
  5 km WSW of Irmo, South Carolina
• M 2.84 — 2026-02-13
  4 km WSW of Irmo, South Carolina
• M 2.91 — 2026-02-08
  6 km SW of Ladson, South Carolina
• 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