Celebrating South Carolina Community Design in Johnsonville

Located in Florence County in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, Johnsonville is a small town characterized by timber and tobacco. Traditionally the town had an agricultural economic base. Since the 1950s, the county has seen an increase in industrial development and has one major industry, Wellman, Inc., a manufacturer of plastic packaging, fibers, and engineering resins. The town offers good schools and a retreat from more urban areas of the state. Johnsonville has a rich history centered on Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion and an abundance of natural resources. AIA Charleston’s community design charrette in Johnsonville focused on two major issues: the proposed development of a Revolutionary War park, campground, and interpretive center at the site of Witherspoon’s Ferry and a downtown master plan with connections to the proposed park, interpretive center, and other natural areas.

Back Story

As the viability of its tobacco and timber industry began declining, Johnsonville built the infrastructure for an industrial park on the edge of town. But attempts to attract new industry have proven unsuccessful. Johnsonville needed a creative approach to economic development – one that respects the town's natural and cultural resources. 

South Carolina 's top industry is tourism, so positioning Johnsonville as a tourist destination was a logical strategy. According to a survey conducted by the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology, Johnsonville has three of the top 15 sites associated with Francis Marion and the Revolutionary War. In conjunction with state plans to develop a Francis Marion Heritage Trail, Johnsonville planned to create a Revolutionary War Heritage Park with campgrounds and an interpretive center on the site of Marion 's assumption of command, Witherspoon's Ferry. This plan would complement the state's heritage tourism and build on Johnsonville's natural assets – a beautiful river, hunting, fishing, hiking, and campgrounds.

Johnsonville also hoped to position itself to benefit from federal funds designated for a National Heritage Area for the Southern Campaign of the Revolution, proposed by U.S. Congressman John Spratt.

As part of South Carolina 's “Celebration of Community Design,” AIA Charleston worked with Mayor Steve Dukes of Johnsonville, civic and business leaders, faculty and students from Francis Marion University , and the local school district to collaboratively plan a pair of community design workshops.

The first workshop centered on the proposed Revolutionary War Park at Witherspoon's Ferry. This would be a vibrant public space that gives river access to everyone, rather than limiting it to private development. Through this site, the historic landscape will be preserved for people to experience the same Lynches River that Frances Marion experienced when he received his orders. As Johnsonville's natural assets and the proposed historical park attract more tourists, the town will enjoy a stable source of income that will create jobs without the undesirable side effects of industrial development such as air and water pollution.

The second workshop focused on a master plan for Johnsonville to guide its future growth and ensure that the Heritage Park is sensitive to the town's environment. The master plan addressed basic issues such as streetscape design, green space opportunities, and historic preservation, all of which will set the stage for a new cultural district downtown. As the plan is realized, downtown Johnsonville will benefit through enhanced shopping, dining, and social opportunities for citizens and tourists. The goal of both workshops was to maximize citizens' opportunities to engage in the planning of their community's future.

Through this process, the community created a tangible vision for its future that will be used to build local pride and support and attract investments from potential grant funders, developers, and tourists. Johnsonville gained a stronger sense of identity and understanding of its unique position in the state, which should lead to even more opportunities for growth in the future.

The result of this initiative was a clear plan for the new Heritage Park , a solid understanding its effect on the town, and a guide for becoming a model community in the Pee Dee Region of South Carolina and an example for other towns on the Francis Marion Trail .

Additional Files

Johnsonville Charrette Presentation

Mayor Steve Dukes