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History · Turbeville

Turbeville’s post office opened in 1900

Most of Turbeville was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1991. Below: maps from 1921 on and the census since 1930.

1900first post office
0on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: LittleT889 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How Turbeville began

When was Turbeville founded?

1900

The Turbeville post office opened in 1900, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Seloc (1890), opened inside today’s town and later closed.

First census: 210 in 19302020 census: 760126 years
Founding year: the first Turbeville post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Turbeville’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 Turbeville are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19213 editions of the USGS map, 1921 to 1983. Watch Turbeville change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Turbeville’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Turbeville’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
On the map

Turbeville on the map, 1921 to 1983

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

Turbeville on the 1921 USGS mapTurbeville on the 1943 USGS mapTurbeville on the 1983 USGS map1921Mayesville 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 Turbeville.

The story

How Turbeville came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Turbeville.

Read it all →

In 1840, Michael Turbeville bought 125 acres (51 ha) of land one mile north of the present town limits in Diles Bay and built a home on this property. Sometime between 1870 and 1875, William J. Turbeville, son of Michael, purchased approximately 200 acres (81 ha) from John McFaddin and built the first house in what is now the town of Turbeville. His brother, Clem, likewise bought land and built next to William. Since their land was substantially covered with large pine trees, the brothers built a turpentine still which they ran for about 20 years. They also built a large store where they carried on an extensive mercantile business for an even longer time. During those early years the community was known as "Puddin' Swamp".

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Turbeville, 1890 to 2004

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1890Post officeThe Seloc post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1900Post officeThe Turbeville post office opens
  5. 1908Post officeThe Seloc post office closes
  6. 1921On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  7. 1934Born hereDon Buddin is born here
  8. 21st century
  9. 2004Born hereTalaysia Cooper is born here
By decade

Turbeville, decade by decade

Today2 recent
Turbeville, South Carolina2020Turbeville, South CarolinaSCMap-doton-Turbeville2004SCMap-doton-Turbeville
People over time

Turbeville, census by census

020040060080019401960198020002020Peak: 766

Between 210 and 766 people in every census since 1930.

10 censuses, 1930–2020.

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

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Turbeville

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

See all →
D
Don BuddinMajor League Baseball player · b. 1934
T
Talaysia CooperAmerican basketball player · b. 2004
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and places now gone

Turbeville’s post office has been open since 1900. Another post office, Seloc, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Seloc
1890–1908
Turbeville
1900–today
18901960today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Seloc
Gone or out of use
Hickory Grove Schoolschool

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Turbeville’s history

What year was Turbeville founded?

The Turbeville post office opened in 1900, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

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), Wikipedia, 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.