Williston offers small-town charm and regional industry
Williston is a quiet rural town in South Carolina with local industries and long-time residents. Kayla Jerkins, the town clerk, says Williston is a close-knit and welcoming community. "I've been here my whole life. I have neighbors that if I needed to get a cup of sugar, I could always go across the street and get some," Jerkins says. Once a railroad town, some tracks near downtown were replaced by a paved walking path. Major regional employers include the Savannah River Site and manufacturing companies like Swiss Krono. There are also service providers and warehouses throughout the area. Jerkins says that a future DIG STEM Center is coming to Williston. "It'll be a community center geared towards young people for STEM. They want to create the center, and there are potential locations that will be in the town of Williston, but it will be open to everybody," Jerkins says.
Retail and local eateries on U.S. Route 78
Most of Williston's commerce is off U.S. Route 78, also known as Main Street. Williston IGA and Schumpert's Market are available for grocery items. "We have a few chain restaurants, and everything else is local. We have Meeting on Main, Momma Diane's and Russell's Pizza," Jerkins says. "We have two new restaurants that just opened up. One is on Main Street, [it's called] Mr. Cheeseburger. He went from a mobile restaurant to now having a storefront! Another restaurant on West Street called Little Howie's has just opened." On weekends, some residents drive about 20 miles to Laurens Street in downtown Aiken. The area is known for its locally owned shops and restaurants.
Buying a home in Williston and weather concerns
Homes along Williston's rural lanes are primarily brick ranch-styles, but some have vinyl siding. There are also a handful of cottages and century-old dwellings near downtown. Many houses stand on cleared lots with a few plants in the front yard, while others are barely visible behind thick vegetation and mature trees. Housing prices typically range between $115,000 and $300,000. Parcels of land are also available.
Williston's residential properties often have swales, or drainage ditches, in the front yards to aid stormwater runoff. Barnwell County has a minor risk of flooding following severe weather like hurricanes. The area also has a history of tornadoes, such as the one in April 2020, which caused significant damage to nearby homes.
Williston Town Park offers disc golf and updated playground equipment
Williston Town Park is next to the local high school. The public space has a new playground, the Williston Pond Disc Golf Course and hard surface courts for tennis and basketball. Williston Country Club operates a 9-hole public course less than a mile away. There is a small dog park at the corner of Academy Street and Dicks Street. The Williston Railway Walking Trail runs as an alternative pedestrian route between West and East Main Streets. Ditch Pond Heritage Preserve spans almost 300 acres to the northwest. The grounds are open to the public for hiking on designated trails and limited hunting in the Wildlife Management Area.
Learning with Barnwell County District schools
Students stay inside the town's limits to attend Barnwell County District schools. Kelly Edwards Elementary has a C grade on Niche. Williston-Elko Middle receives a C-minus. Williston-Elko High, which has a B-minus, provides dual enrollment courses as well as career and technical education pathways. The district offers school choice for county residents.
The Diggs STEM Festival and nearby events
Locals can attend regional events throughout the year. Jerkins says Williston hosts a Christmas Parade and an Easter egg hunt yearly. "The town [also] helps sponsor the DIGG STEM Festival. They partner with the Savannah River Site and Clemson University. You can also go a few miles over to Barnwell. They have the Sundial Festival," Jerkins adds. Nearby Blackville holds the Taste of Blackville Festival in March in the downtown area.
Taking local thoroughfares to Aiken and Augusta
Commuters travel by car on U.S. Route 78 and South Carolina Highway 39. Locals reach Bamberg-Barnwell Emergency Medical Center, which is around 17 miles away. Aiken Regional Medical Center is roughly 25 miles away. Augusta Regional Airport is about a 40-mile drive from town.
Written By
Ashley Kennedy
