Most visitors know Poinsett Bridge as South Carolina’s oldest surviving bridge. Few realize it carried traffic for more than 135 years and was once part of an ambitious highway project designed to connect Charleston to the mountains. Here’s the forgotten story behind one of the Upstate’s most remarkable landmarks.
From Pumpkintown and Sugar Tit to Nine Times, Ninety Six, Possum Kingdom, and Tigerville, South Carolina is filled with communities whose names tell remarkable stories. Explore the history, folklore, and local legends behind 30 of the state’s strangest place names.
In 2025, wildfire swept across the slopes of Table Rock Mountain, creating dramatic scenes visible throughout Pumpkintown and northern Pickens County. Discover the story of the fire, the response, and how South Carolina’s most famous mountain is recovering.
For more than 150 years, Griffin Baptist Church has served the communities of Pumpkintown and northern Pickens County. Located along the Pumpkintown Highway with Glassy Mountain in the background, the church remains a longstanding landmark in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Long before Highway 178 and the Foothills Trail, travelers crossed the mountains near Sassafras Mountain on the Emory Gap Toll Road. Portions of this forgotten route still survive today, hidden beneath one of South Carolina’s most famous hiking trails.
A forgotten wagon wheel discovered on a wooded ridge overlooking Table Rock reveals a surprising truth about the Upstate foothills. Long before the forests returned, these hills were home to farms, pastures, orchards, and families who worked the land beneath the shadow of the mountains.
Built in 1918 as Oolenoy School, the Oolenoy Community Center has been the heart of the Oolenoy Valley for generations. From educating local children to hosting community events and the annual Pumpkin Festival, this historic landmark continues to preserve the rich heritage of Pumpkintown and the surrounding foothills.
Built in 1918 as Oolenoy School, the Oolenoy Community Center has been the heart of the Oolenoy Valley for generations. From educating local children to hosting community events and the annual Pumpkin Festival, this historic landmark continues to preserve the rich heritage of Pumpkintown and the surrounding foothills.
Founded in 1795 and named for Cherokee Chief Woolenoy, Oolenoy Baptist Church has stood at the heart of the Pumpkintown community for more than 230 years. Its historic cemetery contains the graves of pioneer settlers, veterans, and generations of families who helped shape the Oolenoy Valley.
Before Pumpkintown existed, Cherokee hunters, traders, and families traveled a network of footpaths through the Oolenoy Valley. Discover the forgotten trails that once connected the mountains of the Upstate to the Cherokee Lower Towns.