More historic than 12% of U.S. towns · #127 of 169 in South Carolina. What drives it
Most of Pageland was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. Below: maps from 1971 on and the census since 1910.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Pageland is more historic than 12% of U.S. towns, #127 of 169 in South Carolina. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Pageland’s overall grade.
South Carolina towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical South Carolina town has 3.2 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Pageland’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of South Carolina towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to C−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.0 points). Two sources give 1908.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Pageland’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Pageland yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Pageland is a town in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second largest town in Chesterfield County. The population was 2,760 at the 2010 census. Pageland is widely known for the annual Pageland Watermelon Festival that has been held in July annually since 1951. The watermelon is an important staple in Pageland's community in history. In 1952, Pageland adopted the title of "The Watermelon Capital of the World." Many of the town's benches and business display watermelons and Pageland's water tower features a watermelon painted on the tank.
Pageland was established in 1908. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 2,760 to 2,456 (-11%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Pageland, 1857 to 1991
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Pageland’s post office has been open since 1909. Another post office, Old Store, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Old Store
1857–1903
Pageland
1909–today
18501940today
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Pageland
PagelandRose Hill
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Pageland’s history
What year was Pageland founded?
In 1908, according to Wikidata. Pageland’s post office opened in 1857, and the census of 1910 counted 360 people here.
How does Pageland rank for history?
Pageland is more historic than 12% of U.S. towns, #127 of 169 in South Carolina. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Pageland?
6% of Pageland’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.0 points), against a typical 3.5% for a South Carolina town; the median home was built in 1976.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), 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.
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