Fairfax, SC

Fairfax is an Allendale County town whose main streets still reflect two kinds of movement: rail lines that brought it into being and highways 321 and 278 that carry today's errands. It went by Sanders and Campbellton Station before the Port Royal Railroad reached the area in 1873; the town was chartered in 1893, incorporated in 1896, and rechartered in 1898. The Florida Central line followed, and Fairfax grew as a service point for the surrounding farms.

The Virginia Durant Young House, built around 1881, gives Fairfax a distinctive civic landmark. The Youngs left the house and their books for public use, and the building now carries the town's library story. The depot remains in its original location, owned by the town with restoration planned. Hardware, grocery, fuel, and farm-supply businesses still handle the practical side of local life, while Allendale County Hospital and the John Edward Harter Nursing Facility serve the wider area. Fairfax is a small railroad town whose civic buildings, businesses, and roads continue to meet the needs of a rural county.