OUR GROWING COMMUNITY
Jasper County was formed by an act of the legislature on January 30, 1912, from parts of Beaufort and Hampton Counties, an area which contained much of the old lowcountry parishes of St. Peter’s and St. Luke’s. Jasper County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 24,777. Its county seat is Ridgeland. Ridgeland was originally was known as “Gopher Hill” because of the abundance of tortoises (Gopherus Polyphemus) that inhabited the sand hills of the area.
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Agricultural conditions and climate of our geographical area were ideal for growing cash crops such as rice, indigo and cotton, with "Carolina Gold" rice maintaining a prominent position through much of the 1800's. Much of these crops were grown on large plantations utilizing slave labor. Although rice and indigo are no longer grown, you can still find active cotton fields in production. Additionally, the timber industry is active in Jasper County.
JASPER COUNTY'S ECONOMIC ENGINE
A BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD
The Jasper Ocean Terminal, will provide deep water access for the Port of Savannah. The project is currently in the approval process for construction and operation by a new Georgia/South Carolina port authority. This terminal as depicted in the artist's rendition, will be located in Hardeeville. The location of the terminal will allow the region to serve larger container traffic which cannot be accommodated in either the Charleston or Savannah ports. Thousands of jobs are expected to be created in direct support of terminal operations and many more will evolve to support the expanding needs of surrounding communities.
The Second Latitude Margaritaville, an active adult residential community has been recently announced for construction in Hardeeville. The new 55-and-better community will be developed on 2,739 acres, consist of approximately 3000 homes and include a 72-acre site for a 290,000-square foot Margaritaville inspired retail center.
MARCH 2017-Jasper County lands a $100Million Dollar Solar Energy investment by Dominion, an energy company that also owns Dominion Carolina Gas Transmission, an interstate natural gas pipeline firm located in Columbia, S.C., is establishing a new solar farm operation in Ridgeland, South Carolina. The company is expected to invest at least $100 million in the project, creating one of the largest solar arrays in the state.