The History of Powdersville and Powdersville Middle School

The community of Powdersville received its name in the early 1860’s during the Civil War. During this time, Powdersville was a secluded wooded area which proved to be strategically advantageous, as it kept General William Sherman from locating the powder magazine which supplied gun powder used by the Confederate Army. So evolved the name, Powdersville. Today, Powdersville is the northernmost part of Anderson County bordered on the northwest and northeast by Pickens and Greenville Counties. 

On January 31, 1989, the Board of Trustees approved the construction of a middle school in the Powdersville community which was part of the Superintendent’s five-year building program for Anderson County School District One. One May 9, 1989, the voters of School District One passed a referendum which appropriated 4.5 million dollars for construction on the 89-acre tract, located one mile from the intersection of Highways 81 and 153. The district purchased this site in 1984 in anticipation of population growth in the Powdersville area.

The school colors of red, white and blue, the Patriot mascot, and the school name were selected by the community and approved by the Board of Trustees on February 26, 1991. The new school opened August 22, 1991. An eight-classroom addition opened in August 2010. Our school currently has 34 classrooms, four science labs, three computer labs, a library, gymnasium, cafetorium, and rooms specifically designed for gateway to technology, visual arts, chorus, strings, and band.