Iva, SC

Iva is an Anderson County town that began as Cook's Station when Dr. Augustus Cook bought land ahead of the Savannah Valley Railroad in 1886. The depot linked Anderson with Augusta, and the post office took the name Iva from Cook's daughter. Iva incorporated in 1904, and the town grew from an agricultural shipping stop into an industrial community around Jackson Mills. The old rail line is gone, but the town still carries its railroad-shaped center.

Downtown Iva's REVIVA Museum occupies a two-story brick building that first served as a bank, then the post office, and now holds arrowheads, rocks, gems, and old photographs. Across the street, the square has a gazebo, fountain, veterans monument, and railroad mural. Anderson District Three runs Iva Elementary and Crescent High; the Iva branch of Anderson County Library adds a regular place for books, programs, and meeting rooms. Lakes and public boat ramps around the town widen the recreation map. Iva's local scoop is how neatly the old station, museum, school, and square still line up.