Wedding & Event Venue Near Camden, SC.

CAMDEN, S.C. — The days of urging businesses and people to migrate south are officially over, or they should be. We’re becoming overpopulated so quickly here that resources are strained, traffic is jammed and people are getting grumpy.

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Energy officials recently warned that South Carolina’s power grid is overburdened, and brownouts are likely in our not-distant future. Not all agree on the reasons. State Sen. Tom Davis (R), who is proposing reform legislation, says the problem is bad state policy and poor planning by monopoly utilities.

This might be right, but it’s also true that millions of people are invading the Southeast and raising the demand for housing and utilities. We’re simply in no position to keep growing at our current pace in our current circumstances.

As of June, 2.2 million people had moved to the Southeast in the past two years alone, according to Bloomberg News, and in 2020 and 2021, the nation’s economic center of gravity shifted to the tune of $100 billion in new income to the region. Gee, wow, that sounds excellent, doesn’t it?

But everything comes at a price, especially growth. Yet public officials intone the word “growth” as if it had mystical power and was immune to negative consequences. Migration and population increases are nothing new, of course, but the scale of what’s happening now is sometimes horrifying to those of us who live here.

Allow me to introduce you to my hometown as a microcosm of what’s happening all over the region. Camden is South Carolina’s oldest inland city — the poor man’s Charleston — and its pitch to visitors is “history, horses and hospitality.” In the past couple of years, however, the area has exploded. Some of the resulting change is welcome: Long-ignored buildings downtown are being restored by thoughtful, preservation-minded developers. On the other hand, about a mile up Broad Street, the main drag, where it intersects with Interstate 20, there’s a new crop of hospitality-related edifices that seem to have been designed by Soviet architects.

They are the usual hotels seen at interstate exchanges everywhere, probably not shocking to casual passersby. But the core of Camden is on the National Register of Historic Places and deserves better from those who wish to profit from its hospitality. Ideally, some thought would have gone into matching the style of Camden’s history, which also includes a Revolutionary War park, a section of the American Battlefield Trust’s Liberty Trail, and an abundance of antebellum houses and other notable historic landmarks.

As the fifth of these hotels is constructed, it is a moment to recall Camden’s previous “hotel era” (1882-1941), when wealthy Northerners and Midwesterners “wintered” here with their polo ponies and horses. We have great footing in Camden — that is, sandy soil that allows horses to be run within an hour of heavy rains. These polished visitors were migratory birds who sought better weather for a time, then returned home. Most sat out the winter months at one of three well-staffed hotels, stimulating the local economy while conducting “one giant house party,” as one wag described life at the Kirkwood Hotel.

Of course, few towns demand quality development along interstates, for fear that developers will go elsewhere. But they should realize by now that they can ask for what they want. The growth that started with pandemic migration doesn’t seem to be abating. Elected officials and city managers needn’t apologize for insisting on high construction standards. If fast-food restaurants decide to opt for a cheaper deal at the next exit, then vaya con Dios, amigo.

Drive the roughly 30-mile stretch along I-20 from Camden to Columbia, and you’ll notice that the forestland has been replaced with chock-a-block housing, with nary a tree in sight. Many of these developments not only are offensive to the eye but also are destroying wildlife habitat beyond what should be acceptable. And traffic is becoming a nightmare.

The view is much the same if you take I-26 from Columbia to Charleston. Miles before you reach the coast, the landscape is pocked with developments and industrial installations that can’t even be identified. There seems to be no end to the bulldozing and burning of what nature had provided. South Carolina’s coastline has been thoroughly overdeveloped, increasing the potential toll of the next destructive hurricane.

Charleston, for its part, has become a Disney-fied interpretation of its former grandeur. You can trust that it’s nothing like the original, dowdy and downtrodden though it was. Unquestionably, new people and new money have saved the city’s crumbling architecture from further decay, but the patina, mystery and allure of this old port town are mostly gone. And so it goes until the Southern states will begin to look like all those places the migrating millions have fled. Prettier, perhaps, but thus it has always been.

Oh, well, you say, c’est la guerre. This is the way of things, and it’s not Ukraine or Israel or Gaza. But the South must wake from its multibillion-dollar trance and realize that while growth creates, it also destroys whatever stands in its way.

Camden is still a horsy town with a healthy porch culture, but for how much longer? The 385-acre Camden Training Center is being offered for sale, and one proposal circulating features 800 homes on 200 of those acres. The owner of the property — once owned by Marion duPont Scott, revered horsewoman and wife of actor Randolph Scott — certainly has a right to sell. But a coterie of preservation-minded citizens and “horse people” are hoping for something more creative and, preferably, equine-related.

The battle is on. Small, perhaps, in the scheme of things, but symbolic of all that might be lost to the gods of growth for its own sake and their enablers in banks and city and county governments across the Southeast. The most important challenge now is to manage responsible growth while preserving the integrity of the environment, our history and one thing you can’t buy back once it has sold: quality of life.

The Southeast is at a critical juncture concerning its future. You can see it, feel it, hear it and smell it. Shrugging in resignation at things you think you can’t control isn’t an option. If we don’t control the growth now, we might lose our last chance. Like kudzu, unbridled growth consumes everything in its path.

For now, might we politely suggest that some of you migratory birds wing it westward? California housing prices are dropping, I hear, and the heat there, if you don’t mind wrinkles, is gloriously dry.

CAMDEN — In a South Carolina city known for its long history with equine sports and the vast plots of natural land those sports require, some residents are preparing to speak out to the Planning Commission in opposition to the sale of the Camden Training Center, where steeplechase and racehorses have been trained for nearly a century.

Owner Stuart Grant plans to sell the 360-acre site to developers who would turn it into about 800 residential lots, each 15,000 square feet in area. But some residents see this as both a threat to the preservation of Camden’s history and a burden on Kershaw County taxpayers.

Grant, an attorney, horse breeder and philanthropist, has owned the training center roughly 30 miles outside of Columbia since 2004.

But another Kershaw County attorney, William Tetterton, said he does not think the city of Camden can afford to lose the training center and have it replaced by up to 800 new homes and families. Many residents, including editors of the local newspaper, agreed with Tetterton. On Nov. 19, about 100 people met with him at the National Steeplechase Museum in Camden to plan and organize themselves two days ahead of the county Planning Commission’s meeting and likely vote.

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Several people planned to speak during the public comment portion of the Camden Planning Commission’s Nov. 21 meeting and specifically ask the commission either to reject the development plans or delay a vote for at least 90 days.

“Don’t be antagonistic, just let (county commissioners) know what they should be concerned with,” Tetterton told the group. “Simply ask them this: What are the benefits to Kershaw County?”

Visitors descend on Kershaw County by the thousands every year for events like the Carolina Cup, but that’s what many of the roughly 8,000 Camden residents say they feel equipped to handle. An influx of permanent residents could require more infrastructure, more schools and could price low-income residents out down the stretch, Tetterton said.

One resident who works for the Kershaw County School District said many of the district’s 11,500 students already are burdened by teacher vacancies, which are expected to increase by next year, and said she worries the district would not be fully able to staff a new school if one were to be built.

Another resident said selling and developing the land could invite the prospect of gentrification and property tax hikes, unfairly pricing out the county’s minority and low-income residents who live near the Camden Training Center. The average price of a home in the new development would be between $200,000 and $500,000, according to the proposal.

Kershaw County resident and attorney Rick Wiler said traffic already is a growing problem in areas near the training center, and he does not think Camden’s infrastructure is built to handle much more.

He said he does not believe a boom in permanent residents will help stimulate the local economy unless those residents also work in Camden, and that it’s more likely that new residents will find work elsewhere in the Midlands, like at the potentially incoming Scout Motors electric vehicle plant in Blythewood, in the northern portion of neighboring Richland County.

“Everybody’s moving here, and what do they do?” Wiler said. “They get up in the morning, get in their cars, then they go to Sumter or they go to Columbia, and they spend and and make all their money there.”

If approved, the project would be completed in phases, with a goal of building around 130 homes in the first phase, Grant said.

The newspaper editorial published Nov. 17 said that even in phases, “the impact would be tremendous.” Editors urged commissioners to “make the right decision for all of Camden and not just one man.”

ORANGEBURG – Daniel football made a defensive play to win the state championship.

Three other ones made it possible.

The Lions stopped a two-point conversion in overtime Saturday night to beat Camden, 49-48, at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium and take their third Class AAA title in four years. Daniel finished a perfect 15-0 season and in fact has lost only one game in this four-year dynasty.

To get to the extra period, though, Daniel had to find some way to knock Camden (11-4) off schedule. The Bulldogs, mostly with their power running game led by 250-pound quarterback Grayson White, never punted.

But he was intercepted three times. And that was the difference. All three were critical.

Tremaine Davis Jr. had two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown and another in the end zone. Isaac Turner had another on a tip by teammate Preston Rollins. Daniel turned those into 21 points, including a possible 14-point swing on the second interception by Davis.

“Our defense has been working so hard,” Daniel coach Jeff Fruster said. “They’ve been opportunistic all year. We definitely won the turnover margin for the season and until lately, it wasn’t even close.”

Daniel went up, 28-14, in the second quarter on the 51-yard touchdown by Davis.

“I felt like it was a momentum-changer,” Davis said. “After that, we got on a roll. It was one of the biggest plays, I think.”

On a quick pass toward the Camden sideline, Davis jumped into the route and never stopped until he got to the back of the end zone.

“I’ve been talking all week about how I was going to get that pick,” Davis said. “I’ve been watching film every day. I just knew they were going to do that play and I saw it coming.”

In the fourth quarter, Davis intercepted a fourth down throw to the end zone by White.

“I should have batted it down. Honestly, I thought it was third down,” Davis said. “But I just wanted the ball so bad.”

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Turner said he had a serious case of pregame anxiety that was still there during the first half.

“I had some jitters,” Turner said. “I just had to shake that off at halftime and get myself ready. It’s always hard for me to get going right off the bus, but guys were talking to me and helping me out.”

Turner's interception led to the second of three TD runs by Jakari Bennett and put Daniel up by 14 points again in the third quarter.

“I think it’s natural to have a little bit of jitters, especially on a stage like this,” Fruster said. “You just have to overcome that, which I feel like we did. We talked Friday about not letting your anxiety outmatch your hunger.”

Grayson White’s name is etched throughout the Camden High School football record books.

Now, the senior quarterback and his teammates have another chance to finally get that elusive state championship ring.

White rushed for four touchdowns and running back Averee Hickmon added two scores as the Bulldogs defeated Brookland-Cayce, 46-30, on Friday in the Class 3A lower state championship game.

Camden will play Daniel in the state title game on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at S.C. State’s Oliver Dawson Stadium in Orangeburg.

“We have a bunch of goals that Coach (Brian) Rimpf sets for us throughout the season,” White said. “The top one is a state championship. I’ve been a lower state champion, rivalry champion, but I haven’t got that championship ring yet. So that’s definitely the goal.”

It’s Camden 17th state championship appearance in school history and third in the last five years. All three of those state title games have come against Daniel.

White, a converted linebacker, has been the Bulldogs’ quarterback the past three seasons. This year, he’s accounted for more than 4,000 yards of offense and 54 touchdowns.

Against B-C, White was 21-of-27 for 309 yards and 20 carries for 69 yards. He also ran in a pair of two-point conversions.

“I hope every coach has a chance at some point in their coaching career to have a player like our No. 15 (White),” Rimpf said. “Whenever Grayson White is on the field, we feel like we are going to win the game. He set almost every record or at least tied everyone at Camden High for quarterback play. And we have a long, rich tradition.

“We’ve got one more game together. We are excited.”

Camden’s offense was hard to stop most of the night and didn’t punt once. The Bulldogs scored on their first four drives, the last touchdown coming on Hickmon’s 25-yard on fourth-and-2 to make it 30-14 with four minutes left in the second quarter.

B-C answered quickly as Will Young scored on a 25-yard run on fourth-and-3, and the Bearcats made the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 30-22. Young finished with 123 yards and three touchdowns.

The Bulldogs looked to score right before half as White hit Aidan Heriot on a long pass play, but B-C’s DeShaun Washington stripped the ball and Jvonn Edwards recovered it inside the 10-yard line.

The Bearcats’ defense came up big to start the second half as they forced two more turnovers with Camden driving inside the 20-yard line. The Bulldogs’ defense didn’t allow B-C to capitalize.

Hickmon scored his second TD of the night and a two-point conversion put Camden up 38-22. He finished with 73 yards rushing.

Heriot led Camden with six catches for 128 yards. Ja Mayrant had nine catches for 69 yards.

B-C didn’t go away and Washington scored on a 5-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter to cut the Camden lead to 38-30. Washington rushed for 75 yards.

But the Bearcats never got the stop they needed. Camden scored on its next drive, a five-yard run by White on fourth-and-2. Camden converted on a pair of fourth downs in the drive.

The senior flexed his muscles as he crossed the goal-line to put the game away.

“I had to let them know we can run the ball too,” White said of the gesture. “We can beat them at their game.”

The loss ended Brookland-Cayce’s season at 11-3. The Bearcats were making their third state semifinal appearance under coach Rusty Charpia.

“Of course we are disappointed because we felt like we had a chance,” Charpia said. “But Camden is a good team, well-coached and you can’t take anything away from them.

“... I’m proud of my guys and the season we had.”

This story was originally published November 24, 2023, 11:44 PM.

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Lou Bezjak is the High School Sports Prep Coordinator for The (Columbia) State and (Hilton Head) Island Packet. He previously worked at the Florence Morning News and had covered high school sports in South Carolina since 2002. Lou is a two-time South Carolina Sports Writer of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.

CAMDEN — Camden officials say their city has drawn more commercial investment over the past five years than in more than 25 years prior.

For four decades, South Carolina’s oldest inland city was shrinking, according to U.S. Census data, hitting an estimated low point of about 6,800 people some time after 2000.

“No one was really moving into Camden for a long time,” said city Councilman Jeffrey Graham, who also works as a Realtor.

But in the past 15 years, Kershaw County’s largest town has reversed its fortune, with the population returning to 1980s levels — roughly 750 people shy of its 1970s peak of more than 8,500, census data shows.

With more rooftops rising, the city turned its attention to bringing in more businesses to serve its growing population base, as well as those living outside the city limits and in neighboring towns.

The home of the Carolina Cup steeplechase horse racing has used tax and fee rebates, as well as infrastructure updates, to prompt new development and redevelopment of its downtown core, Interstate 20 interchange and a pair of long-vacant shopping centers.

“There is a newfound sense of pride in our community,” said Kat Spadacenta, who manages the city’s Main Street Program encouraging downtown development.

Draw for investors

Even those not native to Camden who have moved to the Midlands town from outside the Palmetto State have begun investing, realizing the potential of a smaller, more rural city on the outskirts of South Carolina’s Capital City metro area.

In 2015, the Camden City Council passed an incentives program meant to encourage development in set corridors by waiving certain fees for developers. That has resulted in roughly 10 projects in the time since, said city Planning and Development Director Shawn Putnam.

In an effort to draw Interstate 20 travelers into town, Camden added lighting and planted trees, making it the only lit interchange between Florence and Columbia and giving visitors the sense that it was a safe place to stop, Putnam said.

SUMTER — A German manufacturer of magnets used in electric vehicles is set to create 300 new jobs and invest over half a billion dollars.

Sumter will be home to the first U.S. facility for e-VAC Magnetics, which produces rare earth permanent magnets. CEO Erik Eschen and Gov. Henry McMaster made the announcement at a press conference Dec. 13.

The manufacturing plant will be placed on an 85-acre lot at Pocotaligo Industrial Park and is expected to be completed by fall 2025.

The announcement comes after the Department of Defense in September announced plans to expand domestic manufacturing of rare earth permanent magnets. The DOD plans included a $94.1 million award to e-VAC. The magnets, aside from being used in EVs, are used in the creation of military vehicles such as the F-35 plane and unmanned aerial vehicles, according to a DOD press release.

It also comes a day after electric vehicle battery factory AESC announced it would expand its Florence facility, adding an additional 450 jobs to the already 1,170 announced in December of last year, and joins the incoming Scout Motors plant in Blythewood as state officials continue to turn their focus on expanding the state’s capabilities when it comes to EVs.

“The automobile industry is really important to the state of South Carolina,” said state Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III. “It’s our largest manufacturing sector. It’s critically important that they make a pivot from internal combustion engines to the battery electric vehicles.”