Kingville, a rural community, was established in 1840 as a station on the Louisville, Cincinnati, and Charleston Railroad on the line from Charleston to Columbia. In 1848 the S.C. Railroad extended its line northeast from here to Camden, making Kingville a significant railroad town. By 1860 it had a hotel, post office, shops, offices, and several residences. It is thought to be named for its status as the “king” of the railroad line between Charleston and Columbia and between Columbia and Camden. In February 1865 Gen. William T. Sherman’s Federals burned the depot, hotel, and sheds and destroyed 3,000 ft. of track. The railroad line was rebuilt in the 1880s and a sawmill was built about 1900, but the area declined by the mid-20th century.