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Hartsville
Attractions
 LAWTON
PARK
(c.1939-41) In 1938, local businessman Joseph J. Lawton
donated the land on Prestwood Lake to the City of Hartsville for
use as a recreation park. Hartsville received assistance from
the federal Works Progress Administration to create the park and
construct the pavilion. Nowadays the park has playground equipment,
picnic shelters, tennis courts, the pavilion and two small docks.
HARTSVILLE MUSEUM
The Hartsville Museum (c. 1930) is housed in the former post
office (c. 1930) and library. The Museum offers both permanent and
traveling exhibits and focuses on the history of Hartsville and
the Pee Dee. The changing display area features local artists and
historical exhibits. The Museum boasts a permanent collection of
Native American artifacts collected along the Pee Dee River.
Agricultural artifacts on display include the brown and green
cotton still grown in Darlington County. A special display
is dedicated to Eastern Carolina Silver Company, which was located
in Hartsville in 1907. Children and adults alike are fascinated
by the 1899 Locomobile Steam Car - the first automobile in South
Carolina. The Hartsville Museum is the information center
for Hartsville’s portion of the South Carolina Cotton Trail.
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 10:00am - 5:00 pm. Admission: Free.
Handicap-accessible.
PRIDE PARK
The park was developed in 1988 on the former site of the first
school for black children in Hartsville, the Colored Graded School.
The park was developed to reflect the pride of the community since
the site had been a focal point of the black community for many
years. Open to the public. Playground equipment, picnic benches.
 HISTORIC
BUILDINGS OF HARTSVILLE
Hartsville has an extensive array of historic sites throughout
the town. Visitors can tour the Jacob Kelly House (where the
Yankees spent a rough night), the John Lide Hart Cottage or the
Thomas E. Hart House. Many other homes, which are privately owned,
can be viewed from the road. Downtown also contains many historic
buildings including the old Coker Department Store (now Sonoco offices
and the YMCA), the Hartsville Railroad, and the Arcade Hotel.
Walking tour guides are available.
 THE
SOUTH CAROLINA COTTON TRAIL
The Cotton Trail is a heritage corridor showcasing the
impact of cotton on the rural south. Stretching some ninety miles
from I-20 to I-95, it links Bishopville, Hartsville, Society Hill,
Cheraw and Bennettsville as well as such interesting smaller communities
as Clio and Blenheim. Sites along the trail include museums,
gardens, historic houses, working cotton fields, and working cotton
gins. A companion tour, African-American Historical
Sites Along the South Carolina Cotton Trail, is available. Self-guided
tour. Groups welcome. Step-on guides available for groups of ten
or more.
BOBO NEWSOM HIGHWAY
Visitors to Hartsville always ask about the Bobo Newsom Highway.
Yes, Bobo Newsom was a real person! Bobo, whose real name
was Norman Louis Newsom, was born in Hartsville on August 11, 1907.
He grew up to be quite a ballplayer. During his twenty-five
years in baseball's major leagues, Bobo made baseball history.
He was one of the few men to top 200 in both wins and losses, recording
211 wins in the Big Leagues. He pitched for the St. Louis Browns,
Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees and Giants, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore
Orioles, Chicago Cubs and more. During his career, Bobo pitched
to both Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle and played in the World Series
for the Detroit Tigers. A permanent display about Bobo Newsom is
located in the Hartsville Museum.
Hartsville
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