Fast growth in Summerville

April 17, 2008

Summerville is one of the fastest growing locations in not only the Charleston area but in the country. Dorchester County is one of the 50 fastest growing counties in the United States according to the US Census Bureau and Summerville represents 90% of the population in the county. One of the primary reasons for Summerville and Dorchester County’s fast growth is the highly acclaimed Dorchester II school district. And sports is important as well; Summerville High School’s Green Wave coached by John McKissick for over 55 years has won 10 state championships and Coach McKissick is the winningest football coach in history at any level.

The town of Summerville was founded in the late 1700’s as a summer refuge for wealthy Charlestonians. As recently as 20 years ago, it was still a sleepy little town only 21 miles from downtown Charleston. Today, it still retains its small town charm built around the town square but Summerville is also a modern suburb with subdivisions in all price points and shopping to serve the needs of the growing community.

A sign of the times is the evolution of the Summerville Town Hall. The original town hall was on the square and was moved to Carolina Avenue when the new town hall was built. The Town Hall annex is under construction adjacent to the current Town Hall and also includes a large parking garage (not pictured) as well as shops and offices on East Richardson.

Town Hall plaque