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Dorchester

Ghost town · Dorchester County, South Carolina

Ravenels quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1920, 1:62,500)
Ravenels quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1920, 1:62,500) · U.S. Geological Survey, Historical Topographic Map Collection · Public domain

Dorchester is a ghost town in Dorchester County, South Carolina, recorded as Colonial-era settlement, abandoned in 1751. It is one of 7 former communities in Dorchester County on the federal names register. That ranks the county 19th among the 43 South Carolina counties with a vanished settlement on record.

The U.S. Geological Survey lists Dorchester as a historical populated place on the Stallsville topographic quadrangle: the name is no longer in official use for a community, whether the settlement was abandoned, absorbed into a neighbouring town or renamed. The recorded location is 32.9502° N, 80.1712° W.

Key facts

USGS quadrangleStallsville
Elevation16 ft
Nearest living townSummerville, SC
Distance to it3.9 miles
GNIS feature ID1241079
Coordinates32.95017, -80.17120

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What's there now

Dorchester is no longer a community in its own right. The nearest living town is Summerville, SC (population 51,262), about 3.9 miles away in a straight line, and the site sits at roughly 16 feet above sea level. Much of the land around former townsites is private; check access before you visit.

Nearby places

Questions

Where is Dorchester?

Dorchester is in Dorchester County, South Carolina, at 32.9502, -80.1712.

How many ghost towns are in Dorchester County?

Dorchester County, South Carolina has 7 ghost towns on record at Wayfarrow.

Sources and licences

Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.