The Lake that Shaped the South

This an exhibit on the distinctive history of Hartwell Lake and Dam. The idea of developing the Savannah River for flood control and hydroelectric power commenced after World War II and slowly developed into one of the largest man-made lakes east of the Mississippi River. The project brought about many benefits, but it also displaced more than 2,000 people from their property and homes. Among those that lost land were Clemson College, as it was then known, and they put up a fight to save their campus. Read more to understand how a simple dam birthed a lake that shaped the south.