Chapin, South Carolina

Chapin Chapin is located in the northwestern portion of Lexington County just above Lake Murray. Dutch and German emmigrants, many with land grants from the King of England, settled here in the 1700s. German remained the predominent language of the area well into the 19th century.

Martin Chapin first emmigrated from Germany to New York, but moved South to the "pine forests" for health reasons in the mid 1800s. He established a successful lumber mill and when the opportunity arose, sold land to the railroad so he could transport lumber to more distant markets. The town that evolved around the lumber mill and the train station took Chapin's name.

Tremendous change came to the people and the landscape of Chapin in 1927 when the Saluda River was dammed to form Lake Murray and provide hydro-electric power for South Carolina's Midlands. The lake flooded 50,000 acres and the dam itself consumed an additional 99 acres. The entire area surrounding Chapin rapidly tranformed from predominantly single family farms to an industrial utility center with a beautiful recreational lake that appealed to local residents and visitors alike.

Lexington is the largest city near Chapin. Here is a map of the Lexington area.