Florence, South Carolina

Florence is a city in and county seat of Florence County, South Carolina. It covers 17.7 sq mi (45.9 sq km) and has a population of 37,000 people (2011 estimate).

Francis Marion University, Florence, South Carolina
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Author: JonTisdale


Although the area around Florence has been settled as early as 1719, it remained a small village until the mid-19th century, when it was selected to be a railroad hub for three major railway lines, the Wilmington & Manchester line, and the Northeastern line, and later the Cheraw & Darlington line. The spillover effect helped Florence to develop as a regional center for business, finance, culture and medicine.

During the American Civil War, Florence served as a railway workshop for the Confederacy. The Florence Stockade became a prison for the detection of captured Union soldiers, and those who died were buried in the adjacent burial ground.

Unlike many other cities in South Carolina, Florence managed to continue prospering after the American Civil War, thanks largely to its position as a railway hub, enabling it to be the center for the transportation of goods, from timber to tobacco, to other parts of the United States.

Today Florence has turned itself into a major medical center and manufacturing center for pharmaceuticals. Subsidiary industries include paper making and textile.

Visiting Florence

Florence is served by Interstate 95, approached via Exits 157, 160, 164 and 169.

Places of Interest in Florence

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