Oconee County South Carolina 2017-2018 Resource & Relocation Guide
1
Table Of Contents 6-7 Newcomer Information 8 Local Education 11 Things To Do 12 Health & Hospitals 14 State Insofmraiton 15 County History 16-17 Oconee County Map 20 Home Buyer Information 23 Buyer Mistakes 25 How Much Can You Afford 27 Tips to Selling Your Home 30 Packing Tips 31 Moving Checklist 32 Homefinder Notepad 18-19 Walhalla City Map Skyline Publishing Project Coordinator: Jason Short Ad Designer: Jeremy Newell Book Designer: Linda Swindler 2 3
4 5
Newcomer Information Post Offices US Post Office 508 E. Main St. (864) 882-8422 US Post Office 283 Market St. (864) 885-0872 Courthouse Utilities Salem Water Department (864) 944-2819 US Post Office 304 Richland Rd. (864) 882-3999 US Post Office 800 E. Main St. Westminster, SC (864) 647-2484 Blue Ridge Electric (864) 647-2005 US Post Office 190 S. Carolina 11 West Union, SC (864) 638-2311 Oconee County Courthouse 205 W. Main St. (864) 638-4266 BellSouth (864) 654-3786 Oconee County Sheriff - 300 S. Church St. - (864) 638-4111 Police Seneca Police 205 N. Depot St. (864) 885-2718 Walhalla Police 101 E. Main St. (864) 638-5831 West Union Police 1442 W. Main St. West Union, SC (864) 638-9978 Fire Crossroads Fire 8654 W. Oak Hwy. (864) 972-1313 Keowee Ebenezer Fire 7031 Keowee School Rd. (864) 723-9084 Long Creek Fire 12351 Long Creek Hwy. Long Creek, SC (864) 647-8151 Oconee County Fire 415 S. Pine St. (864) 638-4220 Walhalla Fire 207 E. North Broad St. (864) 638-4345 Seneca Fire 321 W. South 4th St. (864) 885-2738 Walhalla Water Department (864) 638-4343 6 Duke Energy (864) 888-2107 Seneca Light & Water (864) 885-2723 Northland Communications (864) 882-0002 Verizon Wireless (864) 882-2345 7
Local School Districts Oconee County School District 414 S. Pine St. (864) 886-4400 When Registering Your Children For School, Please Remember To Bring: Current Immunization Record & Birth Certificate Name & Address Of Last School Attended Last Report Card & Any Scores Obtained From Standardized Tests Colleges & Universities Anderson University 316 Blvd. Heights Anderson, SC (864) 231-2000 Bob Jones University 1700 Wade Hampton Greenville, SC (864) 242-5100 Clemson University 109 Daniel Dr. Clemson, SC (864) 656-2231 Tri-County Technical College 1 Vocational Dr. (864) 886-4555 8 9
Oconee County Arts Co. 125 N. Townville St. (864) 675-3808 Blue Ridge Golf Center 2499 Blue Ridge Blvd. (864) 882-7949 Crooked Creek RV Park 777 Arvee Ln. West Union, SC (864) 882-5040 Cross Creek Plantation Golf 130 Club Dr. (864) 882-8337 Devil s Fork State Park & Laurel Fork Falls 161 Holcombe Cir. Salem, SC (864) 944-2639 Fairplay Wilderness Camp 347 Wilderness Trl. Westminster, SC (864) 647-4311 Falcon's Lair Golf Course 1308 Falcons Dr. (864) 638-9993 Fort Hill 102 Fort Hill St. Clemson, SC (864) 656-2475 Keep Sake Tours 18 Port Tack Dr. Salem, SC (864) 944-6444 Keowee Key 1 Country Club Dr. Salem, SC (864) 944-2222 Lunney Museum 211 W. South 1st St. (864) 882-4811 Oconee Community Theater 8001 Utica St. (864) 882-7700 Oconee Hertiage Center 123 Browns Square Dr. (864) 638-2224 Oconee Hertiage Center 126 E. Main St. Westminster, SC (864) 638-2224 Oconee State Park 500 Oconee Station Rd. (864) 638-5353 Oconee Station State Historic Site & Station Cove Falls 500 Oconee Station Rd. (864) 638-0079 Salem Library 5-B Park Ave. Salem, SC (864) 944-0912 Seneca Cinemas 8 675 Highway 123 Bypass (864) 882-0000 Seneca Library 300 E. S. Second St. (864) 882-4855 Walhalla Main Library 501 W. South Broad St. (864) 638-4133 Westminster Library 112 W. North Ave. Westminster, SC (864) 647-3215 Wildwater Ltd. Chattooga Cottages 1251 Academy Rd. Long Creek, SC (864) 482-0164 World Of Energy Oconee Nuclear Station 7812 Rochester Hwy. (864) 885-4600...and so much more 10 11
Health & Hospitals Oconee County Health Department 609 N. Townville St. (864) 882-2245 Oconee County Human Resources 415 S. Pine St. (864)638-4252 Dial 911for Emergencies Blue Ridge Surgery Center 10630 Clemson Blvd. Suite 200 (864) 324-0466 Greenville Health Systems Oconee Memorial Hospital 298 Memorial Dr. (864) 482-3100 12 13
South Carolina The Palmetto State The 8th state to be admitted into the Union, South Carolina is named after Britain s King Charles I (Carolus is Latin for Charles), and the state motto is "Dum Spiro Spero" - While I breathe, I hope. The colony of Carolina was settled by English settlers, mostly from Barbados, sent by the Lords Proprietors in 1670, whom were followed by French Huguenots. The formal colony of "The Carolinas" split into two in 1712. On February 5, 1778, South Carolina became the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation - which was the first constitution of the United States. South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union on December 20, 1860. On April 12, 1861, Confederate batteries began attacking Fort Sumter, marking the A Bit of Oconee County History Oconee County, located in the northwest corner of South Carolina on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, takes its name from a Cherokee word meaning "land beside the water." The county was formed in 1868 from Pickens District, and Walhalla became the county seat. Originally, this area was home to the Cherokees, but their land was ceded through treaties signed in 1777 and 1816. Following the American Revolution, several war heroes moved to present day Oconee County including Andrew Pickens (1739-1817), Robert Anderson (1741-1813), and Benjamin Cleveland (1738-1806). After the American Revolution, settlers from other parts of the state began moving in, including German settlers from Charleston who founded the town of Walhalla in 1850. In 1856, work began on a tunnel for the Blue Ridge Railroad that would have linked Charleston with Knoxville, Tennessee. The project proved to be more expensive and difficult than anticipated and all work ceased with the onset of the Civil War. The unfinished Stumphouse Tunnel can still be seen today just northwest of Walhalla. During the period of Reconstruction after the Civil War, Oconee continued to rely heavily upon agriculture as a means of subsistence and income. The rich soil of the county s many river valleys and its moderate climate enabled the production of many crops, including corn, cotton, tobacco, and apples. Railroad access to the area increased after Reconstruction and the towns of Seneca and Westminster were founded in 1874 and 1875 along new railroad lines. Railroads connected Oconee to the wider world and enabled the growth of the textile industry in the area. Oconee s first textile mill, the Courtenay Manufacturing Company, and the mill village of Newry were built in 1894. Numerous textile mills in Seneca, Walhalla, and Westminster provided jobs for thousands of Oconee residents throughout the 20th century. Following World War 2, Oconee County witnessed many changes. The construction of I-85 along the southern portion of the county boosted industry by allowing quick access to nearby hubs like Atlanta and Charlotte. In 1962 the Hartwell Dam and Lake project was completed and Oconee began to flourish as a recreational destination. Just 10 years later the construction of the Oconee Nuclear Station by Duke Power created lakes Jocassee and Keowee, along with more jobs and recreational opportunities. Today, Oconee visitors and residents enjoy the rich cultural and geographic diversity of the Mountain Lakes Region. 1826 1846 1812 1834 1800 beginning of the Civil War. - State Facts - Capital: Columbia Population: 4,321,249 State Bird: Carolina Wren State Flower:Yellow Jessamine State Tree: Sabal Palmetto State Song: Carolina State Insect: Carolina Mantid Highest Point: Sassafras Mountain - 3,560 ft. Area: 32,020 sq mi Largest City: Columbia Entered the Union: May 23, 1788 (8th) Top Industries: Farming, Textiles, Manufacturing 14 15
Oconee County 16 17
Walhalla 18 19
20 21
22 23
How much House Can You Afford? How much you can afford is determined by a relatively simple formula. Lenders generally figure that no more than 28 percent of your income should be for total housing costs. In addition, they require that your total monthly debt be less than 36 percent of your income. (Note: These are general numbers. Other loan programs may allow higher percentages.) For example, if you make $48,000 a year, divided by 12 months, your monthly income is $4,000. (Remember, that s $48,000 in gross pay, before federal and state taxes are removed.) Twenty-eight percent of $4,000 is $1,120. That is the most you can make in a monthly mortgage, taxes, and insurance payments. Generally, to qualify, the self-employed buyer must have been self-employed in the same line of work for at least 24 months before applying for a loan. Lenders use your net income, the figure at the bottom of schedule C of your federal income tax form, to decide how large a mortgage you can carry. But they don t look at what you earn now or what you made last year. Rather lenders figure the monthly average of your income over the past 24 months. Also, overtime pay & bonuses sometimes may not be figured into your average income. Don t forget that points, closing costs & other out-of-the-pocket expenses probably will come out to about one percent of the mortgage amount. Reduce Ṙeuse. Recycle. Americans throw away 25,000,000 plastic bottles every hour The average person generates over 4 pounds of trash every day and about 1.5 tons of solid waste per year. Over 75% of waste is recyclable, but we only recycle about 30% of it. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to listen to a full album on your ipod. Recycling 100 cans could light your bedroom for two whole weeks. 24 25
26 27
28 29
Packing Strategies Supplies: Preparing to move: A strategy for packing: Packing for efficiency: - - 30 31
32