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Dizzy Gillespie
A statue of famous Cheraw son Dizzy Gillespie dominates the Town Green.
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Cheraw State Park
The new boardwalk is a welcome addition to Cheraw State Park.
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Old St. David's Church
Old St. David's Church and the Lyceum have served the town in wartime and in peace.
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The Lyceum
Old St. David's Church and the Lyceum have served the town in wartime and in peace.
Visit Cheraw State Park
With more than 7,000 acres of pine forest and cypress wetlands surrounding scenic Lake Juniper, Cheraw State Park is a nature-lovers’ dream. Park Ranger Mark Davies guarantees you’ll see blooming lilies and pitcher plants each spring, and plenty of wildlife year-round, including the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. There’s a new boardwalk skirting the shore of the 300-acre lake, which is a popular fishing, swimming and paddling destination. Golfers, of course, know the park as home to an 18-hole championship golf course rated as a “super value” by , thanks to fees as low as $30—including a cart.
For more information: Call (843) 537-9656 or visit southcarolinaparks.com.
Tour Old St. David’s Church and the Lyceum
The gracious and trusting South is not a relic in Cheraw. Stop by the Chamber of Commerce at 221 Market St. and they’ll hand you the two enormous keys that unlock the doors to the town’s most treasured architectural gems—historic Old St. David’s Church and the quirky Lyceum.
Old St. David’s Church dates back to the early 1770s, and inside the doors of the pristine white building, you’ll find box pews and a raised pulpit common to Anglican churches of the pre-Revolutionary War period. Restored in 1975, the building is used mostly for weddings and special events today, but the quiet little chapel has a raucous history—American and British troops were quartered here during the Revolutionary War, and it was occupied by both Confederate and Union troops during the Civil War. In the church cemetery, visitors will find the tombstones of soldiers from every American war up through Vietnam.
The Lyceum, located just across the street from the chamber’s office, was built in 1820 and has served the city as an equity court, library and meeting place. Today it houses a small museum dedicated to the town’s rich history. Among the artifacts on display are items from the American Revolution and cannon balls from the Civil War.
For more information: Call the Cheraw Chamber of Commerce at (843) 537-7681 or visit cherawchamber.com. Keys to the church and Lyceum are available at the chamber’s office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Walk in the Shadow of Dizzy
Jazz great John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie was born and raised in Cheraw, and he let the world know it at the start of each performance, telling audiences, “I’m Dizzy Gillespie from Chee-raw, South Carolina.” So it’s no surprise that Cheraw has done much to honor its favorite son. The most popular tribute is the 7-foot statue on the Town Green, depicting the trumpeter’s famous bulging cheeks and trademark bent horn. Right behind the statue is Theater on the Green, a former movie house where a young Dizzy once worked as a bouncer. And no fan of the jazz giant should miss the public art park on the site of Gillespie’s childhood home. Located on the 300 block of Huger Street, the park features several modern art installations and is marked by a steel fence decorated with the notes of Gillespie’s famous song, “Salt Peanuts.”
To celebrate Gillespie’s birthday, the town also holds the annual South Carolina Jazz Festival—scheduled this year for Oct. 19–21. More than 20 musical artists will perform at an eclectic collection of venues. There’s also a Bebop Parade, golf tournament, a 5K run/walk and plenty of activities for the kids.
For more information: Call (843) 537-8420, ext. 12, or visit scjazzfestival.com.
Take the Historic Cheraw Cell Phone Tour
Learn all about the city and its fascinating past by taking the self-guided Historic Cheraw Cell Phone Tour. There are 25 points of interest, including historic homes, churches and other landmarks. Tour brochures are available at the Lyceum, Market Hall and the Chamber of Commerce office, and each stop is marked with a small sign and a number. Visitors simply dial (843) 865-3002 and enter the corresponding number, says David Sides, the town’s director of tourism and community development. The tour is free, though callers will incur normal cell phone charges.
For more information: Call (843) 865-3002 or visit cheraw.com.
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For more information on things to see and do in Cheraw, contact the Town of Cheraw Office of Tourism (843) 537-8425 or (888) 537-0014; cheraw.com