Great Pee Dee River

Great Pee Dee RiverPrior to the Civil War, Cheraw was a major trade and shipping center and was home to the largest cotton market between Georgetown and Wilmington, and the largest bank outside of Charleston.  The first toll bridge across the river and the arrival of steamship service in the 1820's led to a time of prosperity, with many homes and buildings from this era still a part of Cheraw's landscape.