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Located at the junction of US Highway 78 and US highway 21 lies one of the oldest towns in South Carolina. Though the town of Branchville was not chartered until 1858, the first settlement was founded in 1734; establishing Branchville from a small settlement to a booming mecca based from a little plan the railroad envisioned and put into motion in1825.
The vision was to place a junction in this small town that would route the first railroad line which ran from Charleston, SC to Augusta, GA to including a third destination in Columbia, SC. This monumental vision was complete in 1838 and placed Branchville on the map as the oldest railroad junction in the world.
Since the creation of the junction, the rail line is as active today as it had been in the 1800s. The old depot which is closed as a passenger station now serves as a museum of extraordinary rare items.
The old restaurant in the depot is still an active part of the town. Pulling up a chair in this diner could easily sit you at one of the tables that hosted three past US presidents.
Branchville may not be the booming mecca of the 1800s, however, a step in this depot is like walking into a history lesson of how this great country was built.
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