BRANCHVILLE, S.C. — The old abandoned freight depot in the middle of Branchville is set to become an event venue for residents to host large events starting sometime in July.
"For the Town of Branchville, we have the 10th oldest freight depot in South Carolina," said Mayor Frank Dickson. We are in the process of remodeling it because it was burned. "That freight depot will be made into a community center for our citizens."
It should hold about 175 people. Mayor Dickson says funding for the project came from the sales tax Orangeburg county recently passed.
"We're able to get $403,000 for that project," explained Dickson. "This project costs $495,000 to complete. We put a roof on it years ago with grants. When we finish with, it will be worth $1.5 million of renovations."
Branchville's mayor says the new community center will help generate more revenue. Residents agree with the town's plan.
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"We don't need anything torn down in Branchville," said Branchville resident Terrence Gibbs. "We need to build up here and bring more businesses. Anything that deals with building or remodeling is a plus for this town."
Gibbs says Branchville frequently sees a lot of visitors. He goes on to say adding more businesses here while keeping the historical value would be beneficial.
"This is the world's oldest railroad juncture on the other side of the freight depot," Gibbs said. "We want to keep that old feel to the town. We can build it up and renovate it, but we need to keep the old structure here."