BRANCHVILLE, S.C. — The town of Branchville is building a walking track at Horton Field. Branchville councilman Brett Banks says this came at the request of community members after the town posted a survey on Facebook.
“We started with a question and then we got all the positive responses from it moving forward," said Banks.
He says from there, the town started getting to work with the help of the 2020 penny sales tax. They commissioned Orangeburg County-based company Master's Construction to build it.
“It’s not being utilized at all so I think that’s when we decided well let’s see if we can utilize it in a better way," said Banks.
The field itself has a history. Banks says in the 1940's and 1950's it was used for Eastern Carolina semi-pro baseball games. He says currently most sports like baseball, softball, and soccer have been moved to its sports complex in 2016. This left the field without use for years.
“Probably more like three or four years since soccer’s been played out there and that was the last activity on that field," he said.
He says once the construction of the track is finished, the field will be reopened to the public and can be used as an option to play soccer and other sports.
The track will be lit to allow for walking at night. It is expected to be completed within the next two months.