“W” is for Winnsboro

“W” is for Winnsboro (Fairfield County; 2020 population 3,130). Winnsboro, the seat of Fairfield County, lies in the Piedmont on a ridge between the Broad and Wateree Rivers. Incorporated in 1832 and named for the Revolutionary War hero Richard Winn, the town became a religious and educational center. The county courthouse was redesigned by Robert Mills. Another striking architectural feature of Winnsboro is the town clock a two-story rectangular brick tower built between 1835 and 1837. Industry arrived at the end of the nineteenth century. Local merchants financed various industries including the Fairfield Cotton Mills in 1896.  Later renamed Winnsboro Cotton Mills this plant became an economic mainstay of the town throughout the twentieth century. In the twenty-first century the closure of the mills and other industries led to challenges for the town of Winnsboro.