Oconee Heritage Center

Located along the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Oconee County's history dates back to when the area was predominately inhabited by the Cherokee. Following the American Revolution, and after settlement increased in South Carolina's Upstate, German settlers from Charleston founded the town of Walhalla in 1850. Irish immigrants soon followed to build the Blue Ridge Railroad tunnel through Stumphouse Mountain. Railroad lines began crisscrossing the area and towns like Seneca and Westminster were settled. In 1868, soon after the Civil War ended, Oconee County was formed out of the larger Pickens District. The Oconee Heritage Center preserves and presents these stories and other histories through exhibits that include a two century old dugout canoe, a Depression-era tenant farmer's house, and a virtual Stumphouse Tunnel, while also serving as an archive and educational facility.

Walhalla, South Carolina · United States