The Peach Capital Of The World Is One Of The Most Charming Small Towns In South Carolina You'll Ever Visit
By AnneMarie|Updated on March 27, 2024(Originally published July 24, 2023)
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AnneMarie
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South Carolina has been home for AnneMarie since 2001. Her favorite part of the state is Lake Jocassee. An App State alumna, it's always the mountains; the lake bonus makes it heavenly. When not writing about the state, she may be spending time with family, relaxing by the pool, or out somewhere enjoying nature.
The battle between Georgia and South Carolina over peaches has been raging for years and may never be won. The peach was named the state fruit for South Carolina by Act Number 360 in 1984 and in Georgia in 1995. South Carolina ranks second to California for annual peach production, averaging more than three times the amount (in pounds) of peaches harvested in Georgia in a typical season. But Georgia was where commercial peach production began, hence its nickname as “The Peach State,” and many known varieties were hybridized there. It also claims its peach is sweeter. Both states even have towns called the “Peach Capital of the World.” One of the most charming small towns in South Carolina, Johnston, is that capital, and it’s not only full of peach fun but also loaded with charm.
With a 2021 population totaling only 2,044, Johnston, South Carolina, is one of the smaller towns in the state of South Carolina and a good example of not judging by size!
Keep your eyes open while visiting the world's peach capital, because everywhere you look you'll see peaches in Johnston, SC! It would be fun to count how many you see throughout this little town, very proud to be the "Peach Capital of the World."
It even has a mural called the International Peach Exchange, which resulted from a proposal to Johnston Town Council from Columbia painter, Ralph Waldrop, who painted on the wall the likenesses of six distinguished Johnston citizens.
The citizens on the wall include Luke Aull, editor of The Ridge Citizen which served as the newspaper for the Johnston area for many years; Roland Eidson, Senior Vice President, Director, and Emeritus of Bankers 1st; Bill Hall, who assisted with baseball in the town for many years; Mimnaugh Amos, an embalmer and manager of Amos Funeral Home; Forrest Edwards, a banker at Banker’s 1st for 39 years and Mayor for 22 years; and April Abel Long, the 1987 Miss South Carolina USA.
In 2001, Waldrup was asked to add the images of Handy Robinson, a builder for 65 years and a banker for nearly 50 years; Lon Courtney, Sr., a prominent businessman; Sara Anderson, a licensed midwife who delivered over 1,100 babies in the Edgefield/Saluda areas as well as a few in Aiken County; and Dr. Sam Garrison, who provided 50 years of medical service to the community.
The small town of Johnston has a historic district comprised of 146 old homes and buildings which reflect the period of Johnston’s greatest growth from approximately 1880 to 1920 and include a variety of architectural designs such as Italianate, Second Empire, Victorian, Queen Anne, and Neo-Classical.
Pictured here is Isabella's B&B which was once a boarding house called Saluda House. It has also served as a dormitory and an antique store. It's the third oldest home in the town!
Another charming bed and breakfast in Johnston is The Azalea Inn Bed and Breakfast, a 137-year-old farm house on a working farm that supplies fresh ingredients for the owners' restaurant in Edgefield, Christine's Farm to Fork.
The festival is put on by the Johnston Development Corporation, this event brings locals together to celebrate the peach industry and show appreciation for the hard work the farmers do each year.
For example, the 3rd and 4th generation farmers at Big Smiles Peaches cultivate 4,000 acres of peach orchards with 40 different varieties of peaches, with everything done by hand, including pruning, harvesting, etc.
Because of their work, you can not only enjoy the fruit itself, but a partnership with Seaside Grown has resulted in a delicious peach bourbon BBQ sauce. Stop by the Big Smiles Peaches packing shed during your visit to Johnston to buy fresh peaches!
Another fun annual event in Johnston on the first Friday and Saturday in June to experience is the Peachtree 23 Yard Sale, which stretches through 44 miles along Highway 23 from Batesburg-Leesville in the midlands region to Modoc at the Georgia border.
Have you had enough of peaches yet? No matter your answer, there's something for you at Three Star Vineyard and Orchard, where acres and acres of muscadine and scuppernong grapes are harvested by hand and prepared for fresh market or to be sent locally for fermentation and then bottled into delicious wine. Here you can enjoy a weekend wine tasting, to possibly include peach flavored slushies if you must have more peaches!
As you can see, the town of Johnston, South Carolina, the Peach Capital of the World, is a small town worth visiting! Be sure to check out our road trip snack suggestions – of course, you can snack on peaches on the way home – while planning out your visit.
Do you like peaches? What’s your favorite way to eat them?
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