Heath, Springs and Company was a large general merchandise store formed in 1886 by Benjamin Dawson Heath (1849-1919) and Col. Leroy Springs (1861-1931). The town, situated on the site of a popular pre-Civil War inn with a mineral springs, was named Heath’s Springs until 1890 when it was incorporated as Heath Springs. Photograph courtesy of the Lancaster County Society for Historical Preservation / Courtesy of the Lancaster County Pictorial History by Bishop and Pettus, 1984
The Rock Hill Record reported on Jan. 14, 1909 – “The Southern Railway Depot at Heath Springs was destroyed by fire yesterday. Mr. Stover is the Agent.”
The Lancaster News reported on June 30, 1925 – “A new power and light company has been established in Heath Spring. The company will build a transmission line from Heath Springs to Great Falls. Officers are: E.C. Bridges, Pres., S.E. Hinso, V.P., and G.O. Mobley, Sec – Treasurer.”
The Newspaper reported on Sept. 14, 1934 – “Cole Bridges was elected S.C. State Senator.”
City Directories and History: (Southern Railway Depot) The Heath Springs Depot, constructed by the Southern Railway in 1903, is significant both as an intact example of early twentieth century depots built in South Carolina, and for its association with the transportation of freight and passengers on the Southern Railway in the period 1903-ca.1940. It was the third depot built at Heath Springs, which developed in the 1880s after railroad service was introduced to that section of Lancaster County. Its primary use was in the transportation of cotton, cottonseed and cotton oil products from nearby farms and cotton oil mills, textiles from nearby textile mills, and granite from the nearby quarry. The depot is a one-story frame building on a brick pier foundation, covered with shiplap siding and continuous molding at the window sill height. The crimped metal, hipped roof has slightly flared eaves, with a deep overhang supported by simple stylized brackets and knee braces. Listed in the National Register January 4, 1990.
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Meanwhile, in Lancaster, as early as 1886, a Mr. Heath and Colonel Leroy Springs operated a business firm under the
name of “Heath, Springs & Company.” They set up a branch of the firm on the railroad near the Heath Spring post office thus the railroad stop became known as Heath Springs. In 1889, when D. B. Heath deeded a lot to the newly organized Baptist church there, the deed was made to the “Heath Springs Baptist Church.” In 1890 by Act of South Carolina legislature the town was laid out and incorporated under the name of Heath Springs. The post office was continued under the name of Heath Spring. In 1916, residents of the town, under the leadership of the late E. Chalmers Williams, petitioned the United States Post Office department to change the name from Heath Spring to Heath Springs so that the name of the town and the name of its post office might be the same. The petition was readily granted.
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