Darlington County · Marker 16-85
Primus Park
E side of Blanding Rd., 250 ft. N of Primus Park Rd., Hartsville
Front inscription
Primus Park was formally dedicated in 1962 as a multi-purpose athletic field for African Americans. Efforts to construct the park were led by its namesake, Rev. William D. Primus (1888-1965). It was built primarily to serve nearby Butler High School, where Primus had been a teacher and baseball coach. The Butler Booster Club later raised more than $10,000 to add facilities to the field.
Reverse inscription
Primus Park was an important site of public recreation for Hartsville’s Black community. In addition to serving as home field for the Butler Tigers, it also hosted the Coastal Athletic League’s Hartsville Blues baseball team and the Hartsville Steelers football team. The park continued to be used after Butler closed in 1982. It was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in 1989.