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History · Brunson

Brunson’s post office opened in 1872, and 12% of its homes were built before 1940

Its Register listing is the Oak Grove. Below: maps from 1918 on and the census since 1880.

1872first post office
1on the National Register
12%homes built before 1940
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Brunson began

When was Brunson founded?

1872

The Brunson post office opened in 1872, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 167 in 18802020 census: 431154 years
Founding year: the first Brunson post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Brunson’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Brunson are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 699 in 1920; 431 people lived here in 2020.On the map since 19183 editions of the USGS map, 1918 to 1988. Watch Brunson change.Old housesHalf of Brunson’s homes were built before 1960.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Brunson’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Brunson’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Brunson, census by census

010020030040050060070018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 699

Peaked at 699 in 1920; 431 people lived here in 2020.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Brunson’s Wikipedia page.

On the map

Brunson on the map, 1918 to 1988

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Brunson. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Brunson on the 1918 USGS mapBrunson on the 1944 USGS mapBrunson on the 1988 USGS map1918Varnville sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Brunson.

The story so far

Brunson, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Brunson yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Brunson is a town in Hampton County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Brunson had a population of 431.

Its first post office opened in 1872. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 554 to 431 (-22%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Brunson, 1872 to 1952

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1872Post officeThe Brunson post office opens
  3. 1894Born hereClara G. McMillan is born here
  4. 20th century
  5. 1901Born hereHarry Lightsey is born here
  6. 1918On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  7. 1920CensusPopulation peaks at 699
  8. 1952Born hereWilliam Bowers is born here
By decade

Brunson, decade by decade

Today2 recent
Brunson SC2021Brunson SCSCMap-doton-Brunson2004SCMap-doton-Brunson
On the National Register

1 historic place in Brunson

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
1976
Oak Grove
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival1
Oak GroveGreek Revival

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Brunson

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Clara G. McMillanAmerican politician · b. 1894
W
William BowersAmerican politician · b. 1952
H
Harry LightseyAmerican football player · b. 1901

Questions about Brunson’s history

What year was Brunson founded?

The Brunson post office opened in 1872, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

What is on the National Register in Brunson?

One place: the Oak Grove (listed 1976).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (2), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.