Editing Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
 | official_name            = Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina
 | settlement_type          = [[Town]]
 | image_skyline            = 
 | imagesize                = 
 | image_caption            = 
 | nicknames                = B-L, BB-LV, The Twin Cities
 | image_map                = SCMap-doton-Batesburg-Leesville.PNG
 | mapsize                  = 250px
 | map_caption              = Location of Batesburg-Leesville within [[South Carolina]].
 | image_map1               = 
 | mapsize1                 = 
 | map_caption1             = 
 | coordinates              = {{coord|33|54|38|N|81|32|14|W|type:city_region:US-SC|display=inline,title}}
 | subdivision_type         = Country
 | subdivision_name         = United States
 | subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
 | subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in South Carolina|Counties]]
 | subdivision_name1        = [[South Carolina]]
 | subdivision_name2        = [[Lexington County, South Carolina|Lexington]], [[Saluda County, South Carolina|Saluda]]
 | established_date         = 
 | government_type          = 
 | leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
 | leader_name              = [[Lancer Shull]]
 | area_total_km2           = 21.48
 | area_total_sq_mi         = 8.29
 | area_land_km2            = 21.23
 | area_land_sq_mi          = 8.20
 | area_water_km2           = 0.26
 | area_water_sq_mi         = 0.10
 | area_water_percent       = 
 | elevation_footnotes      = <ref name="GR3"/>
 | elevation_ft             = 643
 | population_total         = 5270
 | population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
 | population_density_sq_mi = 643.08
 | population_note          = <ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4504300&tid=DECENNIALSF12010.P1 |title=Total Population: 2010 Census DEC Summary File 1 (P1), Batesburg-Leesville town, South Carolina |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |website=data.census.gov |access-date=December 23, 2020}}</ref>
 | postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
 | postal_code              = 29006, 29070
 | area_codes               = [[Area codes 803 and 839|803, 839]]
 | website                  = {{URL|www.batesburg-leesville.org}}
 | timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
 | utc_offset               = &minus;5
 | timezone_DST             = EDT
 | utc_offset_DST           = &minus;4
 | blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
 | blank_info               = 45-04300<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
 | blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
 | blank1_info              = 1692657<ref name="GR3">{{GNIS|1692657}}</ref>
 | pop_est_as_of            = 
 | pop_est_footnotes        = 
 | population_est           = 
 | unit_pref                = Imperial
 | area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='45'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref>
 | population_density_km2   = 248.28
 | population_footnotes     = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/>
}}

'''Batesburg-Leesville''' is a town located in [[Lexington County, South Carolina|Lexington]] and [[Saluda County, South Carolina|Saluda]] counties, [[South Carolina]], United States. The town's population was 5,362 as of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]]<ref name="Census 2010"/> and an estimated 5,415 in 2019.<ref name="USCensusEst2019CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html|date=May 24, 2020|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 27, 2020}}</ref>

==History==
The town of Batesburg-Leesville was formed in 1992 by the consolidation of the neighboring towns of Batesburg and Leesville.<ref name=SCE>{{Cite web |title=Batesburg-Leesville |url=https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/batesburg-leesville/ |language=en-US |access-date=May 17, 2020}}</ref> Leesville was incorporated on February 23, 1875, and Batesburg on May 31, 1877.<ref name=SCE /> The first mayor of Batesburg-Leesville was also the last mayor of Batesburg, Dr. Elza S. "Sandy" Spradley, Jr.    Spradley had been a practicing pharmacist and business owner in the town, a town council member, a member of the Batesburg Water Commission, a founding member of the community’s rescue squad, and an 18-year Fire Chief on the Batesburg Fire Department, retiring after 33 years.  Batesburg was named for Captain Tom Bates, a prominent citizen of the community and a captain in the American Civil War. Leesville was named for Colonel John W. Lee, a prominent resident of the community.<ref>{{cite book |author=Federal Writers' Project |author-link=Federal Writers' Project |title=Palmetto Place Names |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c056089075&view=1up&seq=5 |year=1941 |publisher=Sloane Printing Co. |page=23 and 64}}</ref>
[[File:Hartley House, Batesburg-Leesville,South Carolina.jpg|thumb|Hartley House (1830), located on [[U.S. Highway 1]] across from the old Batesburg Graded School]]

The [[D. D. D. Barr House]], [[Batesburg Commercial Historic District]], [[Simon Bouknight House]], [[Cartledge House]], [[Cedar Grove Lutheran Church]], [[Church Street Historic District (Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina)|Church Street Historic District]], [[Broadus Edwards House]], [[Hampton Hendrix Office]], [[Hartley House (Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina)|Hartley House]], [[Henry Franklin Hendrix House]], [[Thomas Galbraith Herbert House]], [[J.B. Holman House]], [[A.C. Jones House]], [[Leesville College Historic District]], [[Crowell Mitchell House]], [[McKendree Mitchell House]], [[Mitchell-Shealy House]], [[Old Batesburg Grade School]], [[John Jacob Rawl House]], [[Rawl-Couch House]], [[Southern Railway Depot (Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina)|Southern Railway Depot]], and [[Rev. Frank Yarborough House]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref><ref name="nps">{{cite web |url=http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/listings/20101126.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140302113808/http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/listings/20101126.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 2, 2014 |title=National Register of Historic Places Listings |date=November 26, 2010 |work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 11/15/10 through 11/19/10 |publisher=National Park Service }}</ref>

[[File:Batesburg's Southern Railway Depot (1900).jpg|thumb|Batesburg's Southern Railway Depot (1900) now located in the Wilson Street Park]]

In February 1946 a black [[World War II]] veteran, Sergeant [[Isaac Woodard]],  was removed from a [[Greyhound bus]] in Batesburg after an argument with the driver. While still in uniform he was severely beaten by local police officers, including Sheriff Lynwood Shull, and permanently blinded. The attack became a cause celebre, becoming the subject of multiple radio commentaries by [[Orson Welles]] in July and August 1946,<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 18, 2021 |title=Listen To Orson Welles Denounce Police Brutality Against Black WWII Veteran |url=https://www.newsweek.com/listen-orson-welles-isaac-woodard-police-brutality-radio-1527586 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218230114/https://www.newsweek.com/listen-orson-welles-isaac-woodard-police-brutality-radio-1527586 |archive-date=February 18, 2021 |access-date=April 28, 2021 |website=Newsweek.com}}</ref> and the subject of [[Woody Guthrie]]'s song, [[The Blinding of Isaac Woodard]]. Due to South Carolina's reluctance to pursue the case, [[President of the United States|President]] [[Harry S. Truman]] ordered a federal investigation. Shull was federally [[Indictment|indicted]] and later [[Acquittal|acquitted]] by an [[all-white jury]].  This incident helped lead to Truman setting up the [[President's Committee on Civil Rights]] and issuing [[Executive Order 9981]] desegregating the armed forces. 

In early 2018, the town of Batesburg-Leesville, with Town Attorney Christian Spradley, Police Chief W. Wallace Oswald, and Mayor Lancer Shull (no relation to Linwood Shull {{Citation needed|date=January 2019}}), reopened the Woodard case to consider dismissing the 1946 charges. During a regular term of municipal court on June 5, 2018, Woodard's "drunk and disorderly" case was reopened and the conviction was vacated by Town Judge Robert Cook.<ref name="CNN2019Feb11">{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/11/us/isaac-woodard-blinded-historical-marker-trnd/index.html |title=Town honors an African-American WWII veteran blinded in a 1946 police beating |publisher=CNN |date=February 11, 2019|access-date=February 14, 2019}}</ref>

After a fundraising campaign,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.stripes.com/civil-rights-historians-tell-little-known-story-of-wwii-vet-1.529594 |title=Civil rights historians tell little known story of WWII vet - Stripes |access-date=February 8, 2019 |archive-date=February 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209180121/https://www.stripes.com/civil-rights-historians-tell-little-known-story-of-wwii-vet-1.529594 |url-status=dead}}</ref> a permanent historic plaque now stands on the corner of West Church Street and Fulmer Street in old Batesburg commemorating the civil rights incident at the site of the original police station.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://batesburg-leesville.org/sgt-isaac-woodard-historical-marker-dedication |title=SGT. Isaac Woodard Historical Marker Dedication - Town of Batesburg Leesville |access-date=February 8, 2019 |archive-date=February 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209124146/http://batesburg-leesville.org/sgt-isaac-woodard-historical-marker-dedication |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Leesville United Methodist Church (1909).jpg|thumb|upright|Leesville United Methodist Church (1909) on U.S. Highway 1]]
[[File:Lexington School District Three Administration Offices.jpg|thumb|Former Batesburg Graded School (1912) on U.S. Highway 1]]
[[File:Barr-Price Funeral Home.jpg|thumb|Barr-Price Funeral Home (1909) - Part of the Leesville College Historic District]]

==Law and government==
Batesburg-Leesville is served by a council-manager style government. The town employs approximate 60 full-time employees, and 35 volunteer firefighters. The town operated from a $7.4 million budget in Fiscal Year 2018–2019.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://batesburg-leesville.org/Data/Sites/1/media/budgets/2018-2019-budget-website.pdf |title=FY 2018-2019 Budget |website=Town of Batesburg-Leesville |access-date=August 17, 2018 |archive-date=August 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817225421/http://batesburg-leesville.org/Data/Sites/1/media/budgets/2018-2019-budget-website.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Mayor===
Batesburg-Leesville's mayor is Lancer Shull.<ref name="batesburg-leesville.org">{{Cite web |url=http://batesburg-leesville.org/mayor-and-council |title=Mayor and Council - Town of Batesburg Leesville |website=batesburg-leesville.org |language=en-US |access-date=November 16, 2017 |archive-date=November 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116081915/http://batesburg-leesville.org/mayor-and-council |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Town council===
The town council<ref name="batesburg-leesville.org"/> comprises eight elected council persons representing single-member districts. The current council members are:
*District 1: Barbara Brown
*District 2: David Bouknight, Jr.
*District 3: Steve Cain
*District 4: Betty Hartley
*District 5: Shirley E. Mitchell
*District 6: Paul Wise
*District 7: Jason Prouse
*District 8: Bob Hall

===Administration===
William Theodore "Ted" Luckadoo is the [[town manager]] and oversees the day-to-day administrative functions of the town. Luckadoo was named the third town manager of consolidated Batesburg-Leesville in 2014. Jason "Jay" Hendrix was named the assistant town manager on August 8, 2019.
<ref>{{cite web |title=Office of Town Manager |url=http://www.batesburg-leesville.org/office-of-town-manager |website=Town of Batesburg-Leesville |access-date=September 15, 2019 |archive-date=September 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190927082454/http://batesburg-leesville.org/office-of-town-manager |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Fire department===
The Batesburg-Leesville Fire Department<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://batesburg-leesville.org/fire-department |title=Fire Department - Town of Batesburg Leesville}}</ref> consists of two stations, five career staff members and 41 volunteer firefighters as of September 2019. The two stations are located in the town's two historic business districts and are still identified as the Batesburg station and the Leesville station. The department boasts an [[Insurance Services Office]] Class 3/3B rating.

*Fire Chief: Josh Frye
*Assistant Chief: Shane Summer
*Assistant Chief: John Gall
*Captain: Bobby Hallman
*Lieutenant: Chris Hallman
*Lieutenant: Dustin Crapps
*Training Officers: Jason Herbert and Davey Taylor

==Economy==
[[File:Main Street Leesville.jpg|thumb|Historic Leesville Business District - Main Street]]
[[File:Oak Street Batesburg.jpg|thumb|Historic Batesburg Business District - Oak Street]]

===Top employers===
The top employer in Batesburg-Leesville is [[Lexington County School District Three]] with four different schools and a district office. The next is [[Ansaldo STS]], which has a {{cvt|184000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} manufacturing facility.

===Poultry industry===
The town's economic dependence on [[poultry]] harvesting is apparent due to the presence of two large processing plants: Amick Farms and Columbia Farms. These assist in making [[Lexington County, South Carolina|Lexington County]] the top poultry producer in the state.

===Poultry festival===
The South Carolina Poultry Festival (formerly the Ridge Poultry Festival) has been held on the second Saturday in May since 1987. The festival features live music, food vendors, craft vendors, a carnival, a parade, and to conclude the event a cake auction and fireworks show. <!--  -->

==Education==

===Public schools===
The public school system in all parts of Batesburg-Leesville census-designated place is administered by [[Lexington County School District Three]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st45_sc/schooldistrict_maps/c45063_lexington/DC20SD_C45063.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lexington County, SC|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-10-25}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st45_sc/schooldistrict_maps/c45063_lexington/DC20SD_C45063_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st45_sc/schooldistrict_maps/c45081_saluda/DC20SD_C45081.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Saluda County, SC|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-10-25}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st45_sc/schooldistrict_maps/c45081_saluda/DC20SD_C45081_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref> which consists of:<ref>{{cite web|title=Batesburg-Leesville Area Schools|url=https://www.batesburg-leesville.org/area-schools|website=Batesburg-Leesville|access-date=January 11, 2023|archive-date=January 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112045405/https://www.batesburg-leesville.org/area-schools|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*Batesburg-Leesville Primary School <ref>{{Cite web |title=Batesburg-Leesville Primary School |url=https://blps.lex3.org/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=blps.lex3.org}}</ref> (grades K-2)
*Batesburg-Leesville Elementary School (grades 3–5) 
*Batesburg-Leesville Middle School (grades 6–8) 
*Batesburg-Leesville High School (grades 9–12)

All sports teams associated with School District Three use a panther as their mascot. The Panthers' colors are purple, gold, and blue

===Historic public schools===
The Batesburg-Leesville Primary School opened in 1984. At that time the district began operating just four schools, as they consolidated smaller, older schools into the new school. Historical schools which closed in 1984 included Hampton Elementary School (1954), Utopia Elementary School (1953), Leesville Elementary School and Batesburg Primary School.

The Batesburg-Leesville Elementary School opened 1996 and replaced the [[Old Batesburg Grade School]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/schools/S112113000002663000/pages/S11211301437.htm | title=S11211301437 }}</ref> which had served the fourth and fifth grades and now serves as the Lexington School District Three Administrative Office. The new school allowed third grade to be shifted from the B-L Primary School to the new Elementary School give the current school breakdown by grade.

The Batesburg-Leesville Middle School opened in 1999. This led to the closing of the old middle school campus which had originally been built as Batesburg-Leesville High School in 1921 with numerous additions through the years.

The Batesburg-Leesville High School opened in 1975. The new school was built on the former Summerland College campus on Summerland Avenue. The construction of a new school had been spurred by integration and student population increases. With integration a former building of Summerland College was used as a middle school in the early 1970s but a fire heavily damaged the building and eventually sped up the construction of the new high school. The first class to graduate in Panther Stadium was the class of 1976.

Prior to racial integration statewide, the local African-American students attended Twin-City High School and Hampton School. [[Twin-City High School]] was located on Maple Street in Batesburg where the Twin-City High School Park is now located. The park is owned by the Twin-City Alumni Association. The original two-story wooden [[Hampton School, Leesville|Hampton School]] (1922) was replaced in 1954 by a single-story brick structure on South Lee Street in Leesville. The original wooden building was subsequently torn down, but a marker remains under a large tree in the parking lot of Friendship Baptist Church on South Lee Street. Other "colored" schools included Leesville Colored Primary School and Batesburg-Saluda Colored School.

There were other older schools which had closed previously to include [[Delmar School]] which was located a few miles outside of town. View the Delmar School historical marker at.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Delmar School Historical Marker |url=https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=13008 |website=www.hmdb.org}}</ref> More photographs of these old school buildings may be seen at SC School Insurance Photos 1935-50.

===Private schools===
W. Wyman King Academy and the Ridge Christian School are private, nondenominational Christian schools accepting students in grades K-12.

===Colleges and universities===
In 2008, [[Midlands Technical College]] opened a new Batesburg-Leesville satellite campus in the Leesville Historic District. The campus is within the boundaries of the Leesville College Park at the intersection of Main Street and College Street.

===Historic colleges===
[[File:Leesville College Park, Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina.jpg.jpg|thumb|upright|Leesville College Park and old classroom building, summer 2018]]

*[[Leesville College]], 1890–1911, originally called the Leesville English and Classical Institute (1881–1890). The Haynes Auditorium (built 1883) in the [[Leesville College Historic District]] at the intersection of Main Street and College Street was the original classroom building. Two neighboring houses were the college President's House and Dormitory. The two homes were a single building during the college days and known as Salisto Hall (a modifier combining the name of two neighboring rivers, Saluda and Edisto). The school was said to have been the first in the state to include practical and technical training in its curriculum, to have a girls' basketball team, to teach tennis and to teach higher mathematics to females. A.B. degrees were granted after four years of Latin, two years of French or German, mathematics, natural science, history, English, philosophy, and Greek. A Master's Degree was offered for a year of post-graduate work. There were departments of music, arts, commercial law, bookkeeping, typing, and one devoted to the Pitman system of shorthand.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/lexington/S10817732027/S10817732027.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=October 11, 2018 |archive-date=December 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224051539/http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/lexington/S10817732027/S10817732027.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Summerland College]], 1912–30. Originally known as Summerland Resort, this property was converted to an all-female college of the Lutheran Church in 1912. It was located on the site of the current Batesburg-Leesville High School. It was closed after the 1930 school year and then consolidated with the all-male [[Newberry College]].

===Library===
Batesburg-Leesville has a [[public library]], a branch of the [[Lexington County Public Library]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://lexcolibrary.com/locations| title=Locations| publisher=Lexington County Public Library | access-date=September 28, 2022}}</ref>

==Media==

===Newspapers===
Batesburg-Leesville is served weekly by ''The Twin-City News'', which specifically focuses on local news, as well as that from immediately surrounding areas (mostly [[Gilbert, South Carolina|Gilbert]] and [[Monetta, South Carolina|Monetta]]). It minimizes national or world news. ''The Twin-City News'' was established in 1925 and is Batesburg-Leesville's oldest continuously operating business.

The town is also served by ''[[The State (newspaper)|The State]]'' newspaper, which circulates amid most of the state.

In 2007, ''Lexington County Chronicle'' and ''The Dispatch-News'' began appearing at town stores and business to complement their subscribers in the area. This newspaper covers all county governments, state, national, and international news, to the extent such news concerns Lexington County residents.

===Radio===
Batesburg-Leesville has only one radio station transmitting from within its borders, WBLR 1430 AM. However, Batesburg-Leesville is in range of several radio stations broadcasting from the surrounding areas, including:
*[[WBLR]] 1430 AM - Spanish Christian - Batesburg-Leesville, SC (simulcast on 103.3 FM Batesburg-Leesville, SC)
*[[WYFV]] 88.7 FM - Christian - Cayce, SC
*[[WMHK]] 89.7 FM - Christian - Columbia, SC
*[[WUSC-FM|WUSC]] 90.5 FM - University of South Carolina - Columbia, SC
*[[WLTR]] 91.3 FM - Classical/NPR - Columbia, SC
*[[WLFW]] 92.7 FM - Southern Gospel - Johnston, SC
*[[WZMJ]] 93.1 FM - All-Time Favorites - Lexington, SC 
*[[WARQ]] 93.5 FM - New Rock - Columbia, SC
*[[WUDE]] 94.3 FM - Country - Columbia, SC
*[[WLTY]] 96.7 FM - Variety - Columbia, SC 
*[[WCOS-FM|WCOS]] 97.5 FM - Country - Columbia, SC
*[[WLXC]] 98.5 FM - R&B/Soul - Lexington, SC
*[[WWDM]] 101.3 FM - R&B/Soul - Columbia, SC
*[[WBBQ]] 104.3 FM - "Top 40" - Augusta, GA
*[[WNOK]] 104.7 FM - "Top 40" - Columbia, SC
*[[WEKL]] 105.7 FM - Classic rock - Augusta, GA
*[[WTCB]] 106.7 FM - "Top 40" - Columbia, SC
*[[WNKT]] 107.5 FM - Sports Talk - Columbia, SC

===Television===
Over-the-air channels receivable in Batesburg-Leesville include:
*[[WJBF]] - Channel 6 - Augusta, GA
*[[WRDW-TV]] - Channel 12 - Augusta, GA
*[[WOLO-TV]] - Channel 25 ([[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] Affiliate) - Columbia, SC
*[[WFXG]] - Channel 54 - Augusta, GA
*[[WLTX]] - Channel 19 ([[CBS]] Affiliate) - Columbia, SC
*[[WACH]] - Channel 57 ([[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] Affiliate) - Columbia, SC
*[[WIS-TV]] - Channel 10 ([[NBC]] Affiliate) - Columbia, SC
*[[WRLK-TV]] - Channel 35 - Columbia, SC

Alternatively, digital cable providers [[Time Warner Cable]] and Pond Branch Telecommunications collectively cover the majority of the greater Batesburg-Leesville area.

==Geography==
Batesburg-Leesville is located in western Lexington County at {{coord|33|54|38|N|81|32|14|W|type:city_region:US-SC|display=inline}} (33.909767, -81.534296).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=April 23, 2011 |date=February 12, 2011 |title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> A small portion of the town extends west into Saluda County.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{cvt|21.5|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{cvt|0.3|sqkm|order=flip|1}}, or 1.19%, are covered by water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web |title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_45.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=July 29, 2020}}</ref>

Batesburg-Leesville is located along the [[Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line]] which separates the [[Piedmont (United States)|Piedmont]] region from the Atlantic coastal plain. Historically, [[U.S. Route 1]] followed this line, and it presently separates the north and south sides of the duel town. Typically in this vicinity, the Piedmont area has a clay soil surface, while the Coastal Plain is sandy.

===Climate===
{{Weather box   <!-- Infobox begins -->
| single line = Y
| location    = Batesburg, South Carolina (1991–2020)
<!-- Average high temperatures -->
| Jan high F  =54.7
| Feb high F  =58.5
| Mar high F  =66.0
| Apr high F  =73.9
| May high F  =81.0
| Jun high F  =87.5
| Jul high F  =90.5
| Aug high F  =89.2
| Sep high F  =83.9
| Oct high F  =74.4
| Nov high F  =64.3
| Dec high F  =57.2
<!-- Mean daily temperature -->
| Jan mean F  =44.8
| Feb mean F  =47.6
| Mar mean F  =54.2
| Apr mean F  =62.4
| May mean F  =70.4
| Jun mean F  =77.6
| Jul mean F  =80.6
| Aug mean F  =79.5
| Sep mean F  =74.3
| Oct mean F  =64.0
| Nov mean F  =53.7
| Dec mean F  =47.4
<!-- Average low temperatures -->
| Jan low F  =34.9
| Feb low F  =36.7
| Mar low F  =42.3
| Apr low F  =50.8
| May low F  =59.8
| Jun low F  =67.6
| Jul low F  =70.6
| Aug low F  =69.8
| Sep low F  =64.6
| Oct low F  =53.5
| Nov low F  =43.0
| Dec low F  =37.5
<!-- Total precipitation, this should include rain and snow. -->
| precipitation colour    =  green
| Jan precipitation inch  =3.96
| Feb precipitation inch  =3.79
| Mar precipitation inch  =4.29
| Apr precipitation inch  =3.35
| May precipitation inch  =3.02
| Jun precipitation inch  =5.26
| Jul precipitation inch  =4.16
| Aug precipitation inch  =4.71
| Sep precipitation inch  =4.05
| Oct precipitation inch  =2.84
| Nov precipitation inch  =3.26
| Dec precipitation inch  =4.24
<!-- Snowfall -->
| Jan snow inch  =0.9
| Feb snow inch  =0.0
| Mar snow inch  =0.0
| Apr snow inch  =0.0
| May snow inch  =0.0
| Jun snow inch  =0.0
| Jul snow inch  =0.0
| Aug snow inch  =0.0
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| Oct snow inch  =0.0
| Nov snow inch  =0.2
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<!-- Mandatory fields, source -->
| source = NOAA<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/us-climate-normals/#dataset=normals-monthly&timeframe=30&station=USC00380506 |title=NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access |publisher=NOAA |access-date=2025-04-05 }}</ref>
}}<!-- Infobox ends -->

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 286
|1890= 528
|1900= 971
|1910= 1995
|1920= 2848
|1930= 2839
|1940= 2933
|1950= 3169
|1960= 3806
|1970= 4036
|1980= 4023
|1990= 4082
|2000= 5517
|2010= 5362
|2020= 5270
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref><ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly">{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:45&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{|class="wikitable"
|+Batesburg-Leesville racial composition<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4504300&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=December 14, 2021 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|2,575
|48.86%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|2,191
|41.57%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|10
|0.19%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|31
|0.59%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
|4
|0.08%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|148
|2.81%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|311
|5.9%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 5,270 people, 2,046 households, and 1,458 families residing in the town.

As of 2023, of the 5,270 people, about 4,830 live in Lexington County and 440 live in Saluda County.<ref name=LexingtonCoHwymap>{{cite web|url=https://info2.scdot.org/GISMapping/GISMapdl/Lexington_County.pdf|title=General Highway System Lexington County, South Carolina|publisher=[[South Carolina Department of Transportation]]|date=February 2023|access-date=2024-10-25}}</ref>

===2000 census===
As of the U.S. [[Census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 5,517 people, 2,167 households, and 1,482 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|751.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,446 housing units at an average density of {{convert|333.2|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}.

The racial makeup of the town was 52.82% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 45.66% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.29% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.20% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.40% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.63% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any [[race (human categorization)|race]] were 1.61% of the local population.

There were 2,167 households, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 22.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50, and the average family size was 3.03.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $32,865, and the median income for a family was $40,040. Males had a median income of $32,447 versus $22,196 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $16,078. About 16.1% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==
Notable figures who were born in, lived in, or are otherwise associated with Batesburg-Leesville include:

===Athletes===
*[[Shaq Roland]], [[University of South Carolina]] a wide receiver for [[South Carolina Gamecocks]]
*[[Dontrelle Inman]], a professional football player for the [[San Diego Chargers]], [[Chicago Bears]] and [[Toronto Argonauts]]
*[[Ed McDaniel]], a former professional football player for [[Minnesota Vikings]] from 1992 to 2001
*[[Zackary Bowman]], a professional football player for the [[Chicago Bears]], [[New York Giants]], [[Miami Dolphins]] from 2008 to 2015.
*[[Maurice Simpkins]], a professional football player for the [[Green Bay Packers]] in 2010
*[[Dal Shealy]], college football player and coach

===Musicians===
*[[Linda Martell]] (born Thelma Bynem in Leesville), was an American [[rhythm and blues]] and [[country music]] singer.

===Governmental and Military===
*[[Katrina Shealy|Katrina F. Shealy]], has been a South Carolina State Senator since 2013 following her election in November 2012. Upon assuming office, she became the sole female in the State Senate. Shealy, a Republican, is from [[Lexington County, SC|Lexington County]] was born in Leesville and is a graduate of Batesburg-Leesville High School. 
*[[Ryan Shealy (politician)|Ryan C. Shealy]], a Democratic state legislator in Columbia who served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1954 to 1970, and in the South Carolina Senate from 1980 to 1982. He was born in Leesville.
*[[George Bell Timmerman Jr.]], served as [[Governor of South Carolina]] from 1955 to 1959, a Southern [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] leading the state during a period of growing racial strife. [[Fritz Hollings]] served as his lieutenant governor and would succeed him as Governor. From 1947 to 1955 he had served as a lieutenant governor under Democrats [[Strom Thurmond]] and [[James F. Byrnes]]. A Graduate of [[The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina]], Class of 1934 and the [[University of South Carolina School of Law]] in 1937. He would later serve in the [[United States Navy]] during [[World War II]]. Served as a judge in South Carolina's Eleventh Judicial Circuit from 1967 until 1984. Although born in [[Anderson County, SC|Anderson County]], he was reared and lived in Batesburg until his death on November 29, 1994, and is buried in Batesburg Cemetery.
*Clabie Cecil Edmond, the first African-American Mayor, from 1997 - 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reports |first=Author: Staff |date=October 24, 2019 |title=Batesburg-Leesville Mayor chosen for elite statewide fellowship |url=http://www.twin-citynews.com/top-stories/batesburg-leesville-mayor-chosen-elite-statewide-fellowship/ |access-date=May 17, 2021 |website=The Twin-City News |language=en}}</ref> He was an alumnus of the South Carolina Mayors’ Institute for Community Design class of 2000.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 21, 2018 |title=About |url=https://rileyfellowship.org/history/ |access-date=May 17, 2021 |website=Riley Mayors' Design Fellowship |language=en}}</ref> Clabie, served the town in various capacities; which began in 1984 as a member of the Leesville Town Council, then for five more years on the consolidated council of Batesburg-Leesville. Clabie was a devoted resident of the town until his death on March 25, 2021. His body was laid to rest at his church with Marine military honors on March 29, 2021, at Wesley Chapel C.M.E. Church.
*Col. Werner Watson Moore, Prior to and during [[World War II]], he was Chief of the War Department's Shipbuilding program, then Chief of Transportation for the [[Caribbean]] and [[Pacific]] Theater. Post war, he was Chief of the Special Office charged with the conversion of a massive fleet to peacetime use. Finally, he served as [[Commanding Officer]], [[New Orleans Port of Embarkation]] prior to his retirement in 1955. He was a native of Leesville born in 1893, and a descendant of notable local [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] patriot, Captain Michael Watson, as well as several other local old families. He died in [[Metairie, LA]] in 1980 and is buried in [[Arlington National Cemetery]] with his son, Cpl. Werner Watson Moore. Jr. who was killed in action in Germany in 1945 (for which he received a [[Purple Heart]]).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|www.batesburg-leesville.org}}

{{Lexington County, South Carolina}}
{{Saluda County, South Carolina}}
{{South Carolina}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Towns in Lexington County, South Carolina]]
[[Category:Towns in Saluda County, South Carolina]]
[[Category:Columbia metropolitan area (South Carolina)]]