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| Hartsville |
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ori and Scott Jablonski have found a lot to like about their new hometown. She’s from Virginia, and he was a military brat who lived all over. Now, the Jablonskis have moved to Hartsville so Scott can serve as the new youth pastor at the First Baptist Church.
“I really like the downtown area,” Mrs. Jablonski says. “It’s a very attractive town and has lots of activity.” She also enjoys her work at the YMCA. (The Y boasts more than 3,000 members and offers a wide range of programs, from childcare to a state-of-the-art fitness center.)
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ince 1845, people have been proud to call Hartsville home. Though it’s kept its small-town feeling, the international businesses that have developed or moved here have brought a distinctly cosmopolitan air to the place.
Dr. Aqil Surka and his wife met at the University of South Carolina and lived in Norfolk, Virginia before settling in Hartsville. "This is a wonderful place to raise a family," says the pediatrician. "Our daughter is two, and we live in a neighborhood with about 20 children of different ages." Mrs. Surka watches her daughter play and spends time with other mothers doing the same. For them, the supportive atmosphere of the community was one of the reasons they chose small-town living. "With its theatre group, college-sponsored speakers, and lots of restaurants, Hartsville is more progressive than most towns and we're enjoying the difference," says Dr. Surka, noting that his wife is the current president of the Newcomer's Club.
Sonoco Products Company, Hartsville’s largest employer and a Fortune 500 company, is responsible for 1,800 jobs and is the international headquarters for almost 300 facilities on five continents. Started by the Coker family in the late 1800s, Sonoco contributes vast resources to enhance the place its employees call home.
Other major companies include Talley Metals Technology, a manufacturer of stainless steel bars and wire rod products; Amspack, Inc. (the country’s leading paper spool manufacturer), Stingray Boat Company and many others.
Hartsville has attracted plenty of business investment, aided in part by active participation from the Small Business Development Center and Florence-Darlington Technical College. Located close to major interstate highways and airlines, businesses have easy access to transportation worldwide.
The history contributes strongly to the traditions and attractions of the region. Start with the South Carolina Cotton Trail, which stretches from I-95 to I-20 and traces the influence of cotton on the lives and communities of the rural south. Special events take place along the route, and thousands of visitors have enjoyed discovering the remarkable influence “King Cotton” still wields over its communities.
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Located close to major interstate highways and airlines, businesses
have easy access to transportation worldwide.
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For the Hartsville leg of this journey, start at the Hartsville Museum (Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm and Saturday, 10am-2pm; free admission). Exhibits including “Cotton: Field to Fabric” help tell the story of the area from Indian times to the plantation era, and early industrial innovations. The trail continues through other communities in this area of South Carolina.
Downtown, a ride through Hartsville’s historic district reveals magnificent old homes, many still lovingly tended by family descendents.
Black Creek Arts Center is the renovated community market and has a changing art gallery on the ground floor. The second floor features clay studios and classrooms. The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics, which is a public residential high school for almost 100 academically gifted juniors and seniors.
Located close to major interstate highways and airlines, businesses have easy access to transportation worldwide.
When it’s time to eat, consider Bizzell’s Food & Spirits, where chef Willie Bizzell offers his famous shrimp and grits among other delights. (Lori Jablonski highly recommends their chicken salad.)
Nature lovers will enjoy a stop at Kalmia Gardens of Coker College. Thirty acres on the banks of Black Creek, Kalmia Gardens offers wooded trails, picnic areas, sensory and herb gardens, and a tour of Capt. Thomas Hart’s original 1820s home. The Gardens are now owned by Coker College, which is consistently ranked among the top regional liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report.
Sports enthusiasts enjoy golf, fishing, boating, swimming and much more, thanks to area courses, Lake Robinson and Prestwood Lake.
The Jablonski family loves the trees, the friendliness of the people, and the vibrancy of this small town. Obviously, the families who shaped its beginnings have been joined by new families who are shaping its future. The result? A delightful blend that beckons all who appreciate the past, but want to live in the present.
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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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