Experience Unbridled History...
Town Hall : 843.334.6238
Europeans came to the Bethune area in the early 1800s, and at that time the Kadapaw Indians inhabited the area. Bethune was originally known as Lynchwood when a post office was established there in 1828.
When the railroad came to this area, it crossed property belonging to Daniel Murdock Bethune. When the charter for the town was issued in 1900, the town’s name was changed from Lynchwood to Bethune in honor of Daniel M. Bethune. Mr. Bethune was one of the pioneer men of the Bethune section, which was predominately of Scottish decent. Today you can find a Scottish burial ground between Bethune and Cassatt.
On high ground surrounded by the waters of Lynches River and Little Lynches River, Bethune is a quiet town where turn-of-the-century Southern charm reigns supreme. Train tracks run beside Bethune Town Hall as a reminder of the rail’s importance to this stop on the Seaboard Railroad. Residents are carefully restoring historic homes to preserve the town’s Mayberry-like character. The bridge on Hwy. 1, north of Bethune, is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the only bridge spanning the same river three times.
Scottish Cemetery
On US Hwy. 1 South outside Bethune, Scottish Cemetery has been the final resting place for local citizens since the late 1700;s. The history of surrounding communities is reflected in the names etched on the faces of the soapstone headstones.