MEET THE MAYOR
Welcome Letter from the Mayor of Blythewood
Come visit, stay and live in Blythewood, South Carolina! I welcome you to our historic southern town. Our community was founded by Native Americans who settled the area. They called our area “Doko” which means “gathering place.” The community grew when early pioneers built a railroad watering station here to service the rail steam engines running between Columbia/Charleston and Charlotte. Today, Blythewood sits in a convenient location half way between the Smoky Mountains and South Carolina’s world-famous beaches and between the beautiful Lakes Murray and Wateree.
The Blythewood area is home to several excellent, award-winning schools in the Richland County School District Two including five elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools. Academics, the arts, sports and community service are foremost in our children’s educational experiences. Blythewood is also home to the University of South Carolina Equestrian Team, winner of the national championship title in 2014. Our “Bravo Blythewood” fine arts group supports our artists, writers and musicians. Also, a pristine golf club, Cobblestone Park is in our town center and hosts numerous golf outings every year including the NCAA Southeastern Conference Ladies Golf Championship and the Women’s South Carolina Golf Association’s Open Tournament.
We celebrate community with numerous town events each year in the areas of education, the arts, sports, family and community. Many of our popular gatherings include:
January – Trinity United Methodist Church Regan Roberts Memorial Youth Basketball League
February – Blythewood Historical Society & Museum Black History Month Celebration
March – Blythewood Chamber of Commerce Ribfest (rib cooking competition at Doko Meadows Park), the Doko Film Festival (at area high school auditoriums), and the Park’s Hutto Memorial Golf Tournament at Cobblestone Golf Club
April – The Blythewood Rodeo, the Blythewood High School Diamond Invitational Baseball Tournament, and Blythewood Farmers’ Market opens through November
May – Memorial Day Observance (local area cemeteries) and the Blythewood Chamber of Commerce Par 3 Palooza Golf Tournament (Cobblestone Golf Course)
June – Dixie Youth Baseball & Softball District Tournaments at Blythewood Baseball Park
July – Fourth of July Celebration Concert and Fireworks Display at Doko Meadows Park and Palmetto Citizens’ Federal Credit Union Amphitheater
August – National Purple Heart Day Observance at Town Hall and the Women’s South Carolina Golf Association’s Open Tournament at Cobblestone Golf Club
September – The Big Red Barn Retreat Concert, and the Big Grab 50-mile Yard Sale
October – Blythewood Chamber of Commerce Oktoberfest and Volksmarch, the Blythewood (5A) High School Tournament of Bands, and the Westwood (4A) High School Tournament of Bands
November – Blythewood Historical Society & Museum Veterans’ Day Observance, Blythewood Artists’ Guild Holiday Market, and the Blythewood Rotary Club Christmas Tree Sale
December – Town Christmas Tree Lighting at Town Hall, our annual Christmas Parade downtown, and the Westwood High School’s “Queens of the Castle” Ladies Basketball Invitational
We have a beautiful, state-of-the-art events center, Doko Manor, which offers a great venue with 5000 square feet of usable interior space for weddings, family reunions, business meetings and cultural events. The park surrounding Doko Manor has a popular playground and a one-mile walking trail used by the community. Our new Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union Amphitheater was opened on October 26, 2017.
The Greater Blythewood Chamber of Commerce hosts many business leaders who share their expertise with our community. The Chamber awards a deserving graduating high school senior with a scholarship for college. Blythewood After Five also brings business and community members together to network using different business locations as the host sites.
Our Historical Society and Museum is equally busy presenting the history of the area and sharing historical information with students and families. SC Humanities and the Smithsonian recently brought a traveling exhibit, “The Way We Worked” to the Historical Society allowing many people to view and appreciate it. The Rotary Club, Lion's Club, Blythewood Masonic Lodge, the Christian Assistance Bridge and the Hope Optimist Club are some of the very active civic organizations bringing support in many areas to the citizens of Blythewood.
Blythewood is home to many historic churches attended by generations of Blythewood families. Our local churches have many community events such as Friday Food Truck Night, Friday Movie Night, Trunk-or-Treat, and a “Back to School Bash.” The Knights of Columbus (Transfiguration Catholic Church) also serve as the event coordinators for our annual Blythewood Christmas Parade. Many of our churches will soon celebrate their 150th anniversaries!
Blythewood is a town with many family restaurants and stores. Eight businesses in our town were recently highlighted in a Historical Society “Walking Retail Tour” telling the history of their origins. A replica of our old Town Depot building has been completed and is now open as a music business and café.
Located along I-77 just 15 miles north of Columbia, SC and about an hour south of Charlotte, NC, Blythewood has always been attractive to families searching for the virtues of small-town living. Our town celebrates community diversity and the unique contributions each of us makes.
Finally, just off I-77 at Exit 27, Blythewood has partnered with Richland County to set aside 1350 acres to be used as a light industrial park to attract industry-leading businesses and technical jobs to the Town.
We have a big vision by anyone's standards, with a detailed comprehensive, ten-year plan to get us there. We welcome you to discover Blythewood and enjoy our warm friendly attitude toward life and each other. If you would like to learn more about Blythewood, visit the Blythewood Town Hall Official website at www.townofblythewoodsc.gov, or like us on Facebook. We thank you for your interest in Blythewood, and remember, you are always welcome!
With warmest regards,
~Bryan S. Franklin
Mayor, Town of Blythewood, SC
