The Civil War was a tumultuous period in American history, and many in the South struggled to recover for years. One place in northern Spartanburg County serves as a reminder of how the war impacted everyone involved in the skirmish.
Little Africa is a small community founded in 1880 by former slaves Simpson Foster and Emanuel Waddell. It was intended for just a few acres set aside for family members. It is one of several independent African American communities established across the South after the Civil War.
The community quickly grew to several hundred residents as other families settled nearby to take advantage of economic opportunities and find refuge from white supremacy. Many of the earlier residents were farmers, with agriculture being central to life in Little Africa for decades.
By 1910, community leaders had built a two-room school to teach children. One of South Carolina’s first Rosenwald Fund schools later opened in this area. In 1912, five miles east of the community, members built a church, Fairview C.M.E.
In 2021, about 50 lifelong members of the 140-year-old historical Black community came together to usher in a new chapter by unveiling a new welcome sign.
Address: 1701 Little Africa Road, Chesnee, South Carolina.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
Images By: John G. Clark Jr.