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| Cheraw |
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izzy Gillespie would be proud. A new statue of the virtuoso trumpet player and Cheraw native resides on the green, and his home site features funky steel benches inviting visitors to rest and remember the jazz great who died in 1993. Historic downtown has been refurbished as well, making it even more inviting to history buffs and small-town enthusiasts like Charles and Debbie Rose, who recently moved here from Fredericksburg, Virginia.
“How we ended up here is luck or fate, whichever you prefer,” says Debbie Rose. “We were driving south, and met an older man who was working on a historic house in Faison, N.C. My husband gave him parameters about what we were looking for – a small town, history, nice people, churches, and an historic district.” Mrs. Rose chuckled. “He thought a minute and said, ‘I’d probably go to Cheraw’ and so we did.”
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he Rose family pulled out their atlas, drove straight to the town, and found everything they were looking for, including the perfect house, built in 1832 and for sale. “I looked at my husband and told him we were in trouble,” she laughed. “This is a house I would move for.”
Debbie Rose’s mother, Edith Batten, made the move with them. “I think it’s a great place to live and retire,” she says. “This might be one of the better moves I’ve ever made.” After the death of her spouse, Mrs. Batten knew that making a change would be great therapy for her, and she’s enjoying the nearby fitness club, meeting new people, and the “awesome” hospitality in the South. “And it’s still ‘the prettiest town in Dixie,’ ” she says.
Cheraw was settled around 1748 at the head of navigation on the Great Pee Dee River. Then, it was an inland port for river barges and later steamboat traffic. Its architecture ranges from the slender-columned Lyceum Museum to the wrought iron-staircased Old Town Hall on the Green. Its stately homes are built in Greek Revival, Georgian, Victorian, Dutch Colonial, Charleston and Upcountry Plantation styles.
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In 1865, Gen. Sherman set up headquarters in one of the plantation houses;
another grand home was named for Marquis de Lafayette after a large ball was
held there in his honor.
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Cheraw celebrates its spring festival every April and its laid-back, history-steeped lifestyle all year. The South Carolina Jazz Festival
is held in October. Most of downtown and its 253-year legacy comprise a National Historic District. In the county are 96,000 acres of public lands for hunting, fishing and nature pursuits, including Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge and Sand Hills State Forest. Cheraw State Park is popular with picnickers, golfers and campers;
Golf Digest calls its golf course one of the best values in the South.
Citizens are capitalizing on Cheraw’s outdoor appeal. Mountain biking, hiking and riding trails have been added in the state park, state forest and wildlife refuge. The H. Cooper Black Field Trial Center features new barns and camping facilities. Trail riding and carriage trekking have become popular.
Residents enjoy theater, an art gallery and a recreation department that has received awards as best in the state. The Cheraw Community Center, a redone 1930s armory, has been lauded by
Preservation magazine. Cheraw also attracts international corporations, including Schaeffler Group USA (Germany) and Highland (Japan). City leaders seek industry that suits the area’s “clean industry” reputation.
Cheraw is part of the national Civil War Trail, the Carolina’s Revolutionary War Back Country Trail, and the South Carolina Cotton Trail, which makes the town a great base for exploring American history. During the 19th Century, Cheraw’s tree-lined streets earned it the reputation as “The prettiest town in Dixie,” and a new park being built in the center of town will only add to its charm. A new senior’s community is in the planning stages, and Northeastern Technical College is developing ongoing learning programs, adding to Cheraw’s already considerable charms.
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Aida Rogers has worked in newspapers, magazines, legal newsletters and television.
The USC graduate and Lexington, SC native currently is managing editor of Sandlapper,
The Magazine of South Carolina, for which she writes a column about the
most popular restaurants in The Palmetto State. Call her with your favorites
at (803) 808-1664.
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Katherine O. Pettit has worked as a writer, magazine editor,
printer and public relations consultant. The Columbia resident has published more than 250 articles in
magazines and newspapers. Her writing explores a variety of subjects including travel, lifestyles,
business and management.
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