Mars Bluff

Map of Mars Bluff Sites

Mars Bluff, South Carolina, is notable for its rich African American history, including several significant sites.

The African-American Sites at Mars Bluff is a self-guided tour consisting of nine historical sites in the Mars Bluff Community:

  • Hewn Timber Cabins – Two hewn-timber cabins located at Francis Marion University.
  • Old African-American Cemetery – Located east of the Francis Marion University library.
  • Fanny Ellison (1878-1943) – Resided in one of the hewn-timber cabins. Out of 17 African-American rice growers identified at Mars Bluff, Ellison was the only female.
  • Rosenwald School – This school at Mars Bluff was built in 1925 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Mt. Zion Cemetery – The burials in Mt. Zion Cemetery date back to the nineteenth century.
  • Rice Fields – As recently as the 1920s, African-Americans at Mars Bluff used African knowledge to grow small plots of rice.
  • Tenant House – This tenant house was originally constructed in 1890 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Lodges – The only lodge building in Mars Bluff is a cement block Masonic Lodge built in 1950.
  • Jamestown – Settled in 1870, the history of old Jamestown can be seen through the cemetery and the remains of one house.