Beech Island, South Carolina

Beech Island, South Carolina
Census-designated place
Beech Island
Coordinates: 33°25′39″N 81°53′27″W
Country	United States of America
State	South Carolina
County	Aiken
Area [1]
• Total	5.02 sq mi (12.99 km^2)
• Land	4.92 sq mi (12.74 km^2)
• Water	0.10 sq mi (0.25 km^2)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	1,421
• Density	288.76/sq mi (111.50/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	29842
Area codes	803, 839
FIPS code	45-04915
GNIS feature ID	1245034[3]

Beech Island is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Aiken County, South Carolina, United States.^[4] It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 1,421.^[5]

History

According to tradition, the community was first named "Beech Highland" on account of its lofty elevation, and over time the H was dropped, causing the present name to be adopted.^[6]

Beech Island was primarily an agricultural community before the 1950s. Cotton, wheat, corn, and soybean were the major crops. This changed with the construction of Urquhart Station Power Station and the nearby Savannah River Nuclear Project. New highways were built to accommodate the workers commuting to the Nuclear Project. Commerce grew and the community began to change. In the 1960s Kimberly-Clark built a large manufacturing facility on what was once farmland, creating more jobs. The boom, however, was short-lived.

Beech Island's most famous resident was James Brown, who lived there for the last few decades of his life on a 60-acre (240,000 m²) estate. Brown is buried in the Thomas Family Home Crypt on Beech Island.

The Cedars, Fort Moore-Savano Town Site, Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site, Oakland Plantation, and Zubly Cemetery are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[7][8]

Beech Island is also home to most of the television transmitters that serve the Augusta, GA MSA.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2020	1,421		—
U.S. Decennial Census[9] 2020[10][2]

2020 census

Beech Island CDP, South Carolina – Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2020[10]	% 2020
White alone (NH)	694	48.84%
Black or African American alone (NH)	548	38.56%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	7	0.49%
Asian alone (NH)	7	0.49%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	3	0.21%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	5	0.35%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	81	5.70%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	76	5.35%
Total	1,421	100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

Education

It is in the Aiken County Public School District.^[11]

Beech Island is zoned to Redcliffe Elementary School, Jackson Middle School, and Silver Bluff High School.^[12] Silver Bluff High opened in 1981 as a consolidated high school for Beech Island, Jackson, and New Ellenton.^[13]

See also

• Beech Island Historical Society
• U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Beech Island, South Carolina - the island in Georgia
• U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Beech Island, South Carolina - the community in South Carolina

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
2. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
3. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
4. Walter Edgar, Ed.: The South Carolina Encyclopedia, The University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, S.C., 2006, p. 63.
5. "Beech Island CDP, South Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
6. Federal Writers' Project (1941). Palmetto Place Names. Sloane Printing Co. p. 24.
7. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
8. "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 8/15/11 through 8/19/11. National Park Service. August 26, 2011.
9. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
10. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Beech Island CDP, South Carolina". United States Census Bureau.
11. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Aiken County, SC" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 25, 2024. - Text list - Compare to school boundary map.
12. "2019 - 20 Attendance Areas Maps". Aiken County Public School District. Retrieved October 25, 2024. - maps for ES, MS, and HS. Compare to the Aiken County school district map.
13. "History". Silver Bluff High School. Retrieved October 25, 2024.