Things to See and Do Near a Stuckey’s: Richburg, S.C.

There’s quite an interesting story to how the town of Richburg, South Carolina, got its name.

You see, back around the early- to mid-19th century, there was a preacher from New York who made the rounds preaching up and down the East Coast. One day while preaching to his Chester County, South Carolina followers, he predicted the world would end on March 15, 1843. As a result, the richest among them started moving to one of the highest elevations in the county. There, they built a temporary shanty town of sorts from which they could watch and wait for the Apocalypse.

Down below, however, the less wealthy had to keep working, end of the world or not. Many were full of contempt for those that lived up there in those shacks and began calling it “Rich Hill”.

As you may have guessed, the preacher’s prediction failed to come true. March 15, 1843, came and went without as much as a bang or a whimper. Soon after, the preacher’s followers lost their faith in him and started living their everyday lives once again.

Most of those who lived up on the hill kind of took a liking to it, however, and started building more permanent homes and businesses there. What’s more, when they built a post office, they were even going to call the place that contemptuous name the poor had come up with – “Rich Hill”. However, South Carolina already had a town called Rich Hill over in Lancaster County, so they settled on Richburg.

These days, with a median household income of $45,125, Richburg is far from wealthy. Nonetheless, they do have their own public library and a Stuckey’s Express out along I-77, which is pretty rich in our book. So, once you’ve made a Stuckey’s stop and lined your pockets with our iconic pecan log rolls, pecan pralines, and other favorite road trip snacks, why not check out these things to see and do while you’re in the area?

The Civitas / Rock Hill, SC

Standing on the four corners of the intersection of Dave Lyle and Gateway Boulevards in Rock Hill, the four 20’-tall female figures known as the Civitas (loosely translated from Latin as “civic spirits”) were erected in April 1991.

Commissioned by Rock Hill Economic Development council and created by New York artist Audrey Flack, each of the Civitas holds aloft a medallion that represents four attributes of Rock Hill and its citizens. Stars represent Inspiration and Creativity, while flames symbolize Knowledge, gears stand for Industry, and lightning means Energy. Otherwise, all of the female statues look and are dressed the same.

Speaking of which…

Before they were erected the ladies met with a bit of controversy. It seems the some of the local clergy thought the statues a bit too risqué, so the offending parts were sanded down and the statues have been standing tall ever since.

Andrew Jackson’s State Park / Lancaster, SC

Over 256 years after his birth, there is still some controversy over where exactly Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the United States, was born. According to Jackson himself, he was born on March 15, 1767, in the Waxhaw region near Lancaster, South Carolina. However, an aunt who claimed

to have been present at his birth says he was actually born in North Carolina. Most scholars agree, however, that Jackson was born somewhere in the Waxhaw region near the North Carolina/South Carolina border.

There are a couple of reasons for the confusion, however. Back in those days when America was still just 13 colonies, the area where Jackson was born was still being settled and surveyed. Add to that the fact that people weren’t really so good at keeping official records back then and, well, you can see why it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where he was born.

Nevertheless, since you’re in the area, you can visit nearby Andrew Jackson State Park where a monument and historical marker remind you again and again that, for sure, Jackson was, without a doubt, born in South Carolina, no matter what their neighboring state to the north might claim.

You’ll also find a sculpture of a young Old Hickory dedicated to Jackson on his 200th birthday. There’s also a museum a replica of the bed he shared with his family and even a lock of hair of the “the only. president to be from South Carolina”.

Andrew Jackson State Park is open every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The museum is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults; $1.50 for South Carolinian seniors; $1 for children ages six to 15; and free for those five and younger. For more information, visit their website here.

Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson Statue / Lancaster, SC

Speaking of Andrew Jackson’s birth, about a seven-minute drive from Andrew Jackson State Park, you’ll find a statue in Old Waxhaw Cemetery that pays tribute to Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson, Andrew Jackson’s mother.

Elizabeth Hutchinson was born in Ireland around 1740. After marrying Andrew Jackson, Sr., in 1861, the couple immigrated to the Waxhaw region of the Carolinas with their two sons Hugh and Robert in 1765. A month before Andrew Jackson, Jr., was born, his father died in a logging accident at the age of 29.  While nursing Waxhaw patriots on a British prison ship in Charleston, S.C. Elizabeth came down with small pox and died November 1781. She was buried in an unmarked grave and her belongings were sent back to her youngest, and only surviving son, Andrew.

Just as it’s not clear where Andrew Jackson was born, according to the South Carolina Historical Society, it’s not exactly clear where Elizabeth Jackson was buried. As a result, the Catawba Chapter of the Daughters of the Revolution erected a statue in 1949 in Old Waxhaw Cemetery after taking an educated guess at the approximate area where Elizabeth’s remains might lay.

Honorable Mentions

One of the World’s Smallest Police Stations is located in Ridgeway. It was built in 1940 by the WPA over the town’s well and was a real working police station until 1990 when a somewhat larger police station was built next door.

The Museum of York County is an award-winning, hands-on museum that features over 2,000 natural specimens including “strange, gigantic, fierce, and fantastic beasts that once roamed the Ice Age Carolinas” There’s also the very modern Settlemyre Planetarium that uses high-tech digital projection which allows you to travel through the cosmos. Their educational gardens and Nature Trail are also a big plus. For hours and admission rates, visit their website here.

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Whether it’s north, south, east or west, wherever you’re headed on your next road trip, take Stuckey’s along for the ride.

From our iconic Stuckey’s Pecan Log Roll to our classic Pecan Pralines, we’ve got all of your favorite road trip snacks and pecan candy treats you’ve come to love us for.

And don’t forget about our Stuckey’s branded caps, tees, and travel mugs that’ll keep you looking and feeling cool all summer road trip season long.

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