A Unique Town Uniquely Named

As the oldest inland settlement in South Carolina, Kingstree–even today–bears witness to an array of characters and events that have shaped its history. Those early Scots-Irish settlers who cleared land on the Wee Nee, or Black, River in the 1730s established a village first known as Williamsburgh. But, as these things sometimes go, people soon began referring to it as The King's Tree. According to tradition, there was a real King's tree, a lone, tall pine on a high bluff overlooking the river. It had not been cut because it was marked–set aside by the King of England for use as a mast on a ship in the Royal Navy. Whether or not it ever served its royal purpose is lost in the mists of history, but the name King's Tree, or Kingstree, stuck, and by the mid-nineteenth century the town was chartered under that name, with Williamsburg becoming the name of the county for which Kingstree serves as county seat.

The name is apparently unique as the late Edward Harrell, then a town councilman, discovered when he conducted extensive research to determine if any other town in the world bore the name Kingstree. He found a company in Chicago whose name included the word "Kingstree," a ranch in Texas, a building in Columbia, but it quickly became obvious that they were named for our town. His research found no other town worldwide with the name Kingstree.

This marker attests to Kingstree's long heritage. Erected by the Margaret Gregg Gordon Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, it stands at the approximate site of the original King's Tree and commemorates its significance to the town's history.

Photo by Linda Brown

This small town, like so many others, has struggled over the centuries to find its niche in the world. In 1926, as townspeople began planning for the town's bicentennial in 1932, they felt the town needed what today we call a "brand," but they called a "soubriquet." Looking back to the town's royal heritage, they came up with the idea of dubbing it "The Royal Town," and adopting the slogan, "A Royal Welcome to a Royal Town." Over the years, a number of entities played on the the Royal Town image, including the Peacock Grill, whose slogan was "Find the Royal Bird in the Royal Town." We don't know much about the Peacock Grill except that it was doing business in May 1930, when Vivian Baker and Camilla Plowden hosted a bridge party there. The decorations for the party were in green and yellow, matching the furniture and draperies of the grill, according to a write-up in The State newspaper. Dedication to the image of the Royal Town may well be the reason that Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians were invited to perform at Kingstree's Pre-Harvest Jubilee in 1941.

The Peacock Grill was run by Lillie Baker and Mabel Harper. It's interesting that no specific address is given, simply that it is located sixty-four miles from Charleston.

At the Pre-Harvest Jubilee, sponsored by the Jaycees, in June 1941, Kingstree residents and guests danced to the sweet music of Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians. The Jubilee was held in one of the tobacco warehouses. 

Both cards courtesy Williamsburgh Historical Museum

The royal town theme was used in several other areas including the semi-pro Kingstree Royals baseball team of the late 1940s - early 1950s; Royal Dry Cleaners on Hampton Avenue; and today's Royal Knight Apartment complex on Reed Street.

Royal Dry Cleaners was located at 200 Hampton Avenue for many years. Today the building is occupied by Cassandra Williams Rush's African American Arts and Collectables, but the reminder of "Royal Cleaners" can still be seen on the facade.

Photo by Linda Brown 

The Royal Knight Apartment complex, located on Reed Street just off Nelson Boulevard, appears to be the only entity that currently makes reference to the town's royal heritage.

Photo by Linda Brown 

Kingstree and Williamsburg County have long attracted outdoorsmen to hunt in the woodlands and fish in the rivers. Many northern industrialists, following in the footsteps of Bernard M. Baruch, bought plantations in the county and spent time here enjoying the natural bounty of the woods and streams. In the late 1960s or early 1970s, the town began calling itself "The Sportsman's Paradise." Radio station WKSP's call letters stood for "Welcome to Kingstree, Sportsman's Paradise," during its tenure on the air. The seal for the Town of Kingstree incorporates both elements of the King's Tree and the Sportsman's Paradise.

The design for the Town of Kingstree's official seal incorporates the King's Tree, the Black River, wildlife, agriculture and the timber industry. 

Photo by Linda Brown 

In 2018, the Town of Kingstree is entering a new phase of its story–that of a Main Street community. Being chosen to join the Main Street, South Carolina program, and by extension, Main Street, America is a great honor for the town. It also means that over the next three years of "bootcamp" and beyond, residents will be called upon to implement changes that will help us keep our identity, yet move us forward by encouraging small business ownership, attracting tourists to the area, and instilling pride by renovating buildings, changing the downtown landscape, and working together.

No matter what we call it, The King's Tree, The Royal Town, or The Sportsman's Paradise, for many of us, it is simply home. Over the coming months and years, may we learn to look at it with new, more appreciate eyes for what has gone before, what we have now, and what is yet to come.

NOTE: A team from Main Street, South Carolina will be in Kingstree February 14-15 to conduct a baseline assessment as a part of Kingstree's initiation into the program. The public is invited to meet with them on February 15 from 8-9:30 A.M. or from 5:30-7 P.M. to ask questions, offer input, and learn more about what lies ahead. Both of these gatherings will be held in Council Chambers at Town Hall, 401 N. Longstreet Street, Kingstree, SC 29556.