Orangeburg

Orangeburg

Orangeburg, city, seat of Orangeburg county, central South Carolina, U.S. It is situated on the North Fork Edisto River. In 1735 Germans, Swiss, and Dutch established a settlement, naming it for William IV, prince of Orange. The Donald Bruce House (c. 1735), on nearby Middlepen Plantation, served as the headquarters for Governor John Rutledge, General William Moultrie, and Lord Rawdon during the American Revolution. Orangeburg’s original agricultural economy has given way to light diversified industry (textiles, wood products, aircraft components, ball bearings, and chemicals) and educational services. Orangeburg is the seat of Claflin College (1869), South Carolina State University (1896), and Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College (1966; opened 1968). The Edisto Memorial Gardens have test sections affiliated with the American Rose and Camellia societies. The Orangeburg National Fish Hatchery (established 1912) occupies 59 acres (24 hectares) of ponds. Inc. 1883. Pop. (2000) 12,765; (2010) 13,964.