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History · Smyrna

Smyrna dates to 1842, and 52% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1908 on and the census since 1900.

1842founded
0on the National Register
52%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Smyrna began

When was Smyrna founded?

1842

Smyrna dates its founding to 1842 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 48 in 19002020 census: 55184 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1892.The full story ↓

What stands out about Smyrna’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 Smyrna are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Smyrna’s homes were built before 1938.Boom and bustPeaked at 133 in 1940; 55 people lived here in 2020.Deep rootsEstablished in 1842: 184 years of Smyrna.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Smyrna’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Smyrna came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Smyrna.

Read it all →

Incorporated in 1895, the town of Smyrna took its name from the Smyrna Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church that had been providing a place of worship to the local residents for fifty years. A railroad depot was built in 1888 by the Charleston, Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad, a forerunner to the Southern Railway, and then F.D. Horn built a mercantile business nearby.

The Jackson's Furnace Site (38YK217) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

People over time

Smyrna, census by census

01001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 133

Peaked at 133 in 1940; 55 people lived here in 2020.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

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

Timeline

Smyrna, 1842 to 1940

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1842
    FoundingSmyrna is established
  3. 1892Post officeThe Smyrna post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1908On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1940CensusPopulation peaks at 133
By decade

Smyrna, decade by decade

Today4 recent
West of Smyrna, SC - Triple C Rail Trail2014West of Smyrna, SC - Triple C Rail TrailTriple C Rail Trail passing under SC Hwy 972014Triple C Rail Trail passing under SC Hwy 97Most recent section of railroad abandonment along the Triple C Rail Trail2014Most recent section of railroad abandonment along the…Smyrna SC2007Smyrna SC
On the map

Smyrna on the map, 1908 to 1971

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

Smyrna on the 1908 USGS mapSmyrna on the 1971 USGS map1908Kings Mountain 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 Smyrna.

Famous people

Famous people close to Smyrna

Nobody well known was born in Smyrna itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Andie MacDowellAmerican actress · b. 1958
Thomas SowellAmerican economist, social theorist, political … · b. 1930
J
James WorthyAmerican basketball player · b. 1961
Kay HaganAmerican politician · b. 1953
Hassan WhitesideAmerican basketball player · b. 1989
David ThompsonAmerican basketball player · b. 1954

Questions about Smyrna’s history

What year was Smyrna founded?

In 1842, according to Wikidata. Smyrna’s post office opened in 1892, and the census of 1900 counted 48 people here.

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
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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 (4), Wikipedia, 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.