Community Spotlight: Summerville
Handsome Properties May 13, 2022
Handsome Properties May 13, 2022
Affordable, charming, and commutable, Summerville, South Carolina attracts professionals, families, and retirees looking for homes in a thriving community located just 25 miles from downtown Charleston.
With a U.S. Census 2020 population of 53,643 residents, Summerville has land in three counties. Most of the town is part of Dorchester County, but small portions lie in Berkeley County and Charleston County.
Interstate 26 provides the fastest route from Summerville to points south, including North Charleston, Charleston, and Mount Pleasant.
Summerville has a history rooted in the pine forests where the town was first settled. Known as the Flower Town in the Pines, Summerville was first called Pineland Village in 1785. Lowcountry plantation families sought its higher elevation as an escape from hot summers and seasonal mosquitoes.
When Summerville was officially incorporated as a town in 1847, the community passed a law that prohibited cutting down trees of a certain size without permission. The law was intended to protect Summerville’s pine trees, and it’s still in force today. In fact, Summerville’s town motto is Sacra Pinus Esto—”The Pine is Sacred.”
Tuberculosis was a dreaded infectious disease in the 19th century. In 1899, an international gathering of physicians named Summerville one of the two best places in the world for the treatment and recovery of tuberculosis.
The chief reason was the healthful benefits of Summerville’s pine trees, which released turpentine vapors into the air. The 1899 citation spurred residential and commercial development in Summerville.
In 1980, Summerville had just about 6,500 residents. By 1990, the town increased its population by nearly 250 percent with 22,519 residents. Today Summerville has more than 50,000 residents who enjoy its high quality of life, its highly ranked Dorchester School District Two, and its robust community services.
Summerville is known for the azaleas and other flowering shrubs that bloom each spring its parks and gardens. The 16-acre Azalea Park is a Summerville landmark that features hundreds of azaleas and camellias. The park provides a glorious setting for the Flowertown Festival, an annual fund-raising event held by the Summerville Family YMCA.
Another well-known Summerville landmark shows why Summerville calls itself the Official Birthplace of Sweet Tea. In 2016, on National Iced Tea Day on June 10, Summerville set the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest sweet iced tea.
The town filled a giant mason jar with 2,524 gallons of sweet tea brewed with SCE&G natural gas, using 210 pounds of local tea leaves from the Charleston Tea Plantation, 1,700 pounds of Dixie Crystals, and more than 3,000 pounds of ice. “Mason,” the world’s largest sweet tea, can be seen in downtown Summerville next to the town hall at 200 Main Street.
Residents and visitors can also view the Sweet Tea Mural at the Summerville Visitor Center at 402 North Main Street.
As you look for homes for sale in Summerville, other landmarks you may encounter include:
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