Johnsonville, South Carolina
| Johnsonville, South Carolina | |
|---|---|
| City | |
| Motto: "Outpost to the Coast" | |
 Location of Johnsonville in South Carolina |
|
| Coordinates: 33°49′4″N 79°26′54″W / 33.81778°N 79.44833°WCoordinates: 33°49′4″N 79°26′54″W / 33.81778°N 79.44833°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | South Carolina |
| County | Florence |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.6 sq mi (5.40 km2) |
| • Land | 1.6 sq mi (5.33 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.07 km2) |
| Elevation | 92 ft (28 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,480 |
| • Density | 719/sq mi (277.6/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 29555 |
| Area code(s) | 843 |
| FIPS code | 45-37105 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1223621 |
| Website | www |
Johnsonville is a city in Florence County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,480 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The city was founded in 1913 west of the spot of the former Witherspoon's Ferry on the Pee Dee River, where General Francis Marion received his commission for the Revolutionary War. Joseph Stevens "Steve" Dukes has served as mayor since 2004.
The city is home to the Johnsonville Heritage Festival, which began in 2011 to celebrate the area's ties to the American Revolution.
In use during the American Revolution, Witherspoon's Ferry was the site where Francis Marion accepted command of the Williamsburg Militia in 1780. Ownership of the ferry lands passed from Robert to John Witherspoon in 1787. In 1802, John bequeathed the land to Aimwell Presbyterian Church.
Witherspoon's Ferry was a strategic ferry in the northeastern area of Williamsburg County, vested in John Witherspoon in 1801 and remaining in his charge until his death in 1815. According to the terms of John Witherspoon's will, the ferry was then vested in J. D. Witherspoon, executor, for a term of 14 years, "in trust for and having the sole benefit of the incorporated Presbyterian Church at Aimwell on the Pee Dee River."
In 1819, former South Carolina Governor David R. Williams, son-in-law of John Witherspoon, obtained these ferry lands. William J. Johnson, born 1787, succeeded J. D. Witherspoon at the ferry after purchasing the plantation in 1825 from the Witherspoon estate. The 1850 census of Williamsburg County shows William Johnson, a man of considerable wealth for his time and place, living just below where the American Legion stands in Johnsonville today.
Johnson's Ferry was the point at which the stagecoach stopped to change horses. As the stagecoach passed east over the Lynches River on the ferry, a Johnson slave in charge of the ferry mules announced the number of passengers with a blast from a fox horn: one blast for each passenger, thus informing Mrs. Johnson of the number of places that should be set for dinner. The passengers ate during the change of horses, and then proceeded to the next stop.
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