Liberty, South Carolina

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Liberty is a small city in Pickens County, South Carolina, near the Greenville area. As of 2020, about 3,366 people lived there, and the city covers around 4.5 square miles, all of it land. The mayor–council government is led by Mayor Andrea Wagner and a six‑member City Council.

History and name
Liberty’s name has several stories behind it. A popular, though likely mythical, tale says the town name came after news of Cornwallis’s surrender at the end of the Revolutionary War. Other early names include Liberty Spring and Salubrity, but Liberty became the official name as the area grew. The land was originally part of Cherokee hunting grounds. European settlement began in the colonial era, and the town grew around railroad tracks in the late 19th century. Liberty was officially chartered on March 2, 1876.

Milestones and industry
The arrival of the railroad helped Liberty develop, with Liberty Station established in 1873 and the town formally chartered in 1876. The early economy centered on farming, but cotton mills brought big changes in the early 1900s. Two major mills, Woodside Liberty Plant #1 (the Big Mill) and #2 (the Little Mill), opened in the early 20th century and, at their peak in the 1970s, employed more than a thousand workers. The mills changed hands a few times and faced decline in the 1980s and 1990s. Today, the Big Mill is being demolished and the Little Mill has already been removed. A former Mohawk Carpet plant nearby is now occupied by Southern Vinyl Windows & Doors, a major local employer.

Life and buildings
Liberty got electricity in 1910, and the first street lights appeared downtown. The fire department started in 1925, and the city’s library tradition began in 1947, with the Sarlin Community Library opening in 1966. The police department formed in the 1920s, and the town has long relied on nearby services for water and utilities.

Education and community
Liberty is part of the Pickens County School District. The town has Liberty Elementary (PK–2), Liberty Middle (6–8), and Liberty High School (9–12), with mascots the Red Devils (High School), Liberty Lab (Elementary), Falcons (Middle), and Wolfpack (Primary). The Sarlin Community Library serves as Liberty’s public library.

Quick facts
- Location: Pickens County, South Carolina, near the Greenville metro area
- Area: about 4.5 square miles
- Population: 3,366 (2020)
- Elevation: about 984 feet
- Time zone: Eastern
- ZIP code: 29657
- Area codes: 864 and 821
- Government: Mayor–council; Mayor Andrea Wagner; six council members

Liberty is a small, steadily evolving town with a history rooted in Cherokee lands, early settlement, railroads, and mills, now focused on community life and education.