The History of Cayce

Although the City of Cayce itself traces its establishment to 1890, the area around the city is among the most historic in Lexington County.

Archeological evidence shows that the area around Cayce has been occupied for at least 12,000 years. When European explorers first came to the area in the early 18th century, they found the Congaree Native Americans living in what is now Cayce.

The first attempt by Europeans at settlement in the area occurred in 1718 when a fort was established near the confluence of Congaree Creek and the Congaree River. Settlement by those of European descent began in the 1730s with the establishment of Saxe Gotha Township. By the 1760s, a community named Granby, located around the quarry and Riverland Park neighborhood, had grown up around a fort.

During the American Revolution, Fort Granby was the site of several clashes as Brig. Gen. Thomas Sumter laid siege to the fort in 1781. Granby grew throughout the 18th century, eventually becoming the seat of government and the site of Lexington District’s jail and courthouse. However, Granby began to lose its population in the early 19th century due to flooding, mosquito-borne diseases, and the growth of Columbia across the Congaree. By the 1820s when the courthouse and jail were moved to the newly established Town of Lexington, Granby was virtually deserted. The structure that had been used as Fort Granby was purchased by the Cayce family, who used it as the family home and a general store.

In the early 19th century, the Guignard family began their brick works company, using clay found south and west of Cayce to make bricks. Four 20th century kilns used by the brick works still stand on the north side of Knox Abbott Drive near the Blossom Street Bridge.
During the Civil War, the area around Cayce was the location of the Battle of Congaree Creek. That battle was the last attempt to stop Sherman’s army from reaching Columbia. The earthworks that were constructed by enslaved labor for use by the Confederate Army can still be seen today in the 12,000 Year History Park.

The next major occurrence was the completion of the Southbound Railroad line from Columbia to Savannah in 1891. A merchant in the area, William J. Cayce, had a spur line constructed from the main line to his store. Because of this railroad spur and the people that it brought, the area grew, becoming incorporated as Cayce in 1914.

The town continued to grow throughout the 20th century as subdivisions were constructed. The construction of the Blossom Street Bridge in the early 1950s also allowed for more growth as the commute to Columbia became shorter.

Cayce’s African-American population has a rich history in the area as well. Cayce was the location of the Wilkinson Home for female African-American orphans in the early-to-mid-20th century.

To learn more about the history of Cayce, visit the Lexington County Museum, the Cayce Historical Museum, and the 12,000 Year History Park.

J.R. Fennell has served as director of the Lexington County Museum since 2007. He holds a master’s degree in public history and a certificate of museum management from the University of South Carolina.