Rock Hill, South Carolina

Rock Hill is the largest city in York County, South Carolina and the fourth-largest city in the state. It is also the third-largest city of the Charlotte metropolitan area, behind Charlotte and Concord. The population was 71,154 as of July 2011, While the 2010 census population estimate was 69,210. The forecast for 2020 is near 100,000 residents (according to Rock Hill Economic Development). Rock Hill is located at °N, °W, approximately 25 mi south of Charlotte and approximately 70 mi north of Columbia. Rock Hill can be accessed from Interstate 77 at five exits.

History
The city was named for a flint hill of rock that was in the way of the Charlotte and South Carolina Railroad, which was building a rail line from Charlotte to Columbia. Much of this rock was removed to make way for the railroad, which built a depot at the site that eventually became known as Rock Hill. The city dates its history back to April 17, 1852, the day the first Rock Hill Post Office opened, even though the town was not officially incorporated until 1870. Thus, Rock Hill celebrated its centennial in 1952 and its sesquicentennial in 2002.

Civil Rights Movement
Rock Hill was the setting for two significant events in the civil rights movement. In February 1961, nine African-American men went to jail at the York County prison farm after staging a sit-in at a segregated McCrory's lunch counter in downtown Rock Hill. Their offense was reported to be "refusing to stop singing hymns during their morning devotions". The event gained nationwide attention because the men followed an untried strategy called "jail, no bail," which lessened the huge financial burden civil rights groups were facing as the sit-in movement spread across the South. This event received widespread national news coverage, and the tactic was adopted by other civil rights groups. They became known as the Friendship Nine because eight of the nine men were students at Rock Hill's Friendship Junior College. Later that year, Rock Hill was the first stop in the Deep South for a group of 13 Freedom Riders who boarded buses in Washington, D.C., and headed South to test the 1960 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court outlawing racial segregation in all interstate public facilities. When civil rights leader John Lewis and another man stepped off the bus, they were beaten by a white mob. In 2002, Lewis, by then a U.S. congressman from Georgia, returned to Rock Hill, where he spoke at Winthrop University and was given the key to the city. On January 21, 2008, Rep. Lewis returned to Rock Hill again and spoke at the city's Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday observance, where Mayor Doug Echols officially apologized to him on the city's behalf for the Freedom Riders' treatment there.

Civitas & The Gateway
The symbols of the city are the four "Civitas" statues at the Gateway corridor on Dave Lyle Boulevard. Each of them hold discs that symbolize the four different industries in the city (Gears of Industry, Flames of Knowledge, Stars of Inspiration, and Bolts of Energy). The Civitas statues located at the Gateway corridor on Dave Lyle Boulevard are four 22 ft stuctures that were placed at the intersection in April of 1991. The bronze statues were created by NY artist Audrey Flack and was originally planned to be placed in Uptown Charlotte, but then they were offered to the city of Rock Hill. The Civitas was designed as a female version of Michelangelo’s “David”, The thought behind the design relates to the similarities between the cities of Rock Hill and Florence, Italy. At the time of the commission of “David”, Florence was a city of 45,000 people whose vibrant textile industry was slowly fading and the growth of their much larger neighbor Rome was affecting Florence’s growth. Rock Hill’s size and textile history paralleled Rome’s during the creation of both statues. The Civitas reflects the spirit of Rock Hill’s textile heritage in the clothing and hair, which suggest billowing ribbons of material. That material transforms into wings representing the fact that Rock Hill’s textile history provided the texture and foundation that gave the city wings to move forward. A year later, a fifth Civitas statue was placed at City Hall in downtown Rock Hill. The Gateway intersection where the 4 Civitas statues stand is circular to symbolize unity, teamwork and togetherness. The columns that stand beside the Civitas were a gift to the city from First Union Corporation, and are regarded as one of the area’s most treasured historical artifacts. A gift to the City from First Union Corporation, they represent Rock Hill’s commitment to preserve and enhance the history of the city.

Geography and climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 43.04 square miles (111.4 km²), of which, 43.0 square miles (111.4 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.10%) is water.

Rock Hill is located along the Catawba River in the Piedmont of South Carolina. The city sits at an elevation of around 676 ft above sea level. The city is located approximately 150 mi from the Atlantic Ocean and 75 mi from the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Rock Hill has a humid subtropical climate, characterized by humid summers and cool dry winters. Precipitation does not vary greatly between seasons. July is the hottest month, with an average high temperature of below 90°F and an average low temperature of around 70°F. The coldest month of the year is January, when the average high temperature is near 50°F and the average low temperature is below 30°F. The warmest temperature ever recorded in the city was 104°F in 1983 and 2007. The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was -4°F in 1983. While snow is not common in most southern cities, Rock Hill receives about 8-10" of total snow accumulation on average yearly. While Rock Hill is near a coastal area, hurricanes are not a major concern, but are possible in this part of South Carolina.

Demographics
As of 2010, there were 69,210 people, 27,785 households, and 21,068 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,983.5 people per square mile (619.2/km²). There were 29,159 housing units at an average density of 653.8 per square mile (252.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 55.8% Caucasian, 39.1% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.02% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.7% of the population.

There were 27,785 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 14.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 84.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,336, and the median income for a family was $45,697. Males had a median income of $32,156 versus $24,181 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,929. About 9.7% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Rock Hill's economy was once dominated by the textile industry but the recent decline in that industry has decimated the local economy. The unemployment rate of the city of Rock Hill was 8.7 percent as of March 2011, but the city is in its renovation from the textile industry to a retail and manufacturing industry bringing national and global companies to the city.

Awards
The city of Rock Hill is a thriving residental community outside of Charlotte and has been awarded by several awards for its outstanding schools, parks, and its southern hospitality. The city is a three time award winner of Americas Promise Alliance 100 Best Communities for Young People. along with being a two-time All-American City award winner.

Natural disasters
There has been three major natural disasters that has struck the city. In 1926, a destructive tornado struck downtown Rock Hill on the afternoon of November 26, 1926. It was the day after Thanksgiving, rather late in the season for such a violent storm. The "black as ink twister" took less than 10 minutes to change the face of the business section. The storm touched down in western York County, and entered Rock Hill from the west. Once in the town, the twister cut a path about three blocks wide, leaving 60 homes heavily damaged, the hospital unroofed, and cars flipped or crushed. By the end the total damage for the whole "town" was $150,000. The tornado was responsible for 1 death and 12 injuries within Rock Hill.

63 years later, Rock Hill received a direct hit again, this time from Hurricane Hugo, which struck the city on the morning of September 22, 1989. The storm ripped through the city with sustained winds over 90 MPH, toppling massive Oak and Pine trees while closing schools for weeks. The total damage cost for the entire state of South Carolina was around $4.2 billion. The storm was a category 3 when it entired the county and was a category 2 when in left the county.

15 years later, A complex series of low pressure systems moved across South Carolina from February 25–27 of 2004. This storm started off as a snow and sleet mix and got more complex and transitioned into all snow as the low pulled off the Carolina coast. When this happened the cold arctic air settled over the Carolinas dumping up to 24 inches of snow, lightning, and sustained winds over 40 MPH across Rock Hill knocking power out and closing schools for a week. This might not have been the largest snow in Rock Hill, but it was the worst overall blizzard to hit the area.

Air
Rock Hill has two local airports. One is for commuting mostly businesses across the country, The Rock Hill Municipal Airport, which is a municipal airport for the city of Rock Hill. The airport is located just minutes from Rock Hill's Central business district. Bryant Field was named for Robert E. Bryant, an aviator with two international records and an inductee in the South Carolina Aviation Hall of Fame (The name is no longer used for the airport, because of confusion with Bryant Field (airport). It is owned and operated by the City of Rock Hill, but York County is also represented on the Airport Commission. The other airport is for commercial/domestic international flights, The Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the United States and is located 20 miles from Rock Hill in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Bus (regional)
Rock Hill has one regional transit system, The Charlotte Area Transit System that offers express bus service from downtown Rock Hill to Manchester Village to Uptown Charlotte. They also offer a new bus route service from the York County Museum on Mount Gallant Road to Celanese Road to Chery Road to Uptown Charlotte.

Compulsory education
Rock Hill is served by Rock Hill District Three Public Schools, which has twenty-seven total schools residing in Rock Hill, including seventeen elementary schools, five middle schools, and three high schools. The public high schools in Rock Hill include Rock Hill High School (first built high school in the city), Northwestern, and South Pointe (newest high school in the city. The public middle schools in Rock Hill are Saluda Trail Middle School, Castle Heights Middle School, Sullivan Middle School, Rawlinson Road Middle School, and (the newest) Dutchman Creek Middle School. The district has a student enrollment of around 25,000.  A variety of religious schools also serve the city of Rock Hill, including St. Anne's Catholic School, Trinity Christian School, and Westminster Catawba. The city is also home to York County's only Charter school, York Preparatory Academy.

Colleges and universities
There are three colleges within Rock Hill. The most prominent institution of higher learning in Rock Hill is Winthrop University, founded in 1886 first as a women's college is now a thriving, public four-year liberal arts college with an annual enrollment of well over 7,000 students. Clinton Junior College is a historically black, two-year institution founded by The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in 1894 is now a community college for the city of Rock Hill and York County. York Technical College opened in Rock Hill in 1964. This two-year community college offers associate degrees and provides continuing education for approximately 9,000 area residents annually and is growing each year.

Printed media
Rock Hill is home to a daily newspaper, The Herald that covers the area, as well as several magazine publications including Rock Hill Magazine and YC (York County) Magazine (which covers the entire county).

Radio media
Radio group Our Three Sons Broadcasting stations in Rock Hill are WRHI Radio(News/Sports, 1340 AM & 94.3FM) - South Carolina's 2008 & three time Radio Station of the Year & WRHM Interstate 107 - (Today's Country/Sports). Along with, WAVO (Standards, 1150 AM), NPR affiliate WNSC-FM (88.9 FM), and Southside Baptist Church of Rock Hill Christian broadcast station, WRHJ-LP 93.1.

Television media
PBS affiliate WNSC-TV (Channel 30) and CN2, a daily cable news program produced by Comporium Communications. MyNetworkTV Charlotte affiliate WMYT-TV Channel 55, is licensed to the city of Rock Hill but its studios are shared with WJZY-TV in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.

Seasonal events
Rock Hill hosts several seasonal events. Each spring there is a festival called Come-See-Me which brings more than 125,000 people to the city each year from across the country. Come-See-Me was voted as the number one South Carolina Festival and has also appeared in Southern Living magazine. On Independence Day Rock Hill hosts its Red, White, and Boom Festival. Then a winter festival is held to celebrate Christmas which is called Christmasville Rock Hill that occurs every December in Downtown Rock Hill.

Attractions
The city of Rock Hill and its surrounding area is home to numerous attractions.

Museums
There are a total of six museums risiding in the city and many more in the area.

The York County Museum of Rock Hill is a cultural and Natural History Museum located near the Rock Hill Airport. The Comporium Telephone Museum is a historical museum located in Downtown. The Center for the Arts is an Art museum also located in Downtown owned by the York County Arts Council. The Main Street Children's Museum is located in Downtown as well. The Historic White Home is a museum and park on White Street. The Rock Hill Train Depot Museum is a replica of the actual train depot located in downtown.

Museums outside of Rock Hill include, Historic Brattonsville, Catawba Indian Reservation, James K. Polk Home, and many more museums located just outside of the city in Charlotte.

Parks and recreation
Rock Hill is home thirty-one parks, four recreational centers, one botanical garden, along with the many nature trails.

There are also Nanny Mountain County Park and Ebenezer County Park, Kings Mountain State Park and Andrew Jackson State Park, and Kings Mountain National Military Park that are located just minutes away.

Sports
The Rock Hill Cardinals were a Western Carolinas League baseball team affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1963-1968.

The Rock Hill area is home to Charlotte's Minor League baseball team "Charlotte Knights" in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

The Winthrop Eagles is Winthrop University's Athletic Departmant and is affiliated with The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The city is also home to many sports championships including the National Youth Soccer Championship as well as many more hosted by the city of Rock Hill Department of Parks and Recreation.

Shopping centers
Rock Hill Galleria is a regional shopping mall anchored by Belk's, Sears, JC Penney, Walmart, and a planned Burlington Coat Factory along with over 70 specialty stores and a food court. Source

Manchester Village is another premier shopping center. The complex is anchored by nine national retailers and a Regal 14-screen movie theater and many specialty shops.

There are also many more shopping centers across the city with other well-known national and local retailers.

Vernon Grant
The city was once home to Vernon Grant, a commercial artist best known as the creator of Snap, Crackle and Pop, the longtime cartoon mascots of Rice Krispies cereal. Grant also was known for his many depictions of Santa Claus. He created Glen the Frog, the mascot of Rock Hill's annual spring festival, Come See Me. His artwork is also celebrated during the annual ChristmasVille holiday festival.

Famous natives and residents

 * Matt Christopher, children's author
 * DJ Felli Fel.
 * Baseball manager Sparky Anderson
 * Journalist Jim Hoagland, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner
 * Tony Award winning costume designer William Ivey Long
 * Vernon Grant, creator of the Snap, Crackle and Pop characters for Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal
 * Edmund Lewandowski, noted Precisionist movement artist
 * Country music singer David Ball
 * Actor Leon Rippy
 * Olympic speedskater Lauren Cholewinski
 * Football Player Jadeveon Clowney
 * Baseball player Lafayette Currence
 * Rock band Emery
 * Banjo picker Neil Abercrombie

National Football League (NFL) players from Rock Hill

 * Gerald Dixon
 * Chris Hope
 * Ko Simpson
 * Benjamin Watson
 * Jonathan Joseph
 * Jonathan Hefney
 * Jeff Burris
 * Derek Ross
 * Rick Sanford
 * Phillip Adams
 * Donnie Shell
 * Justin Case