Johnston Historic District

The Johnston Historic District is composed of 146 properties within and adjacent to the town of Johnston. Centrally located in the historic district is the three-block long commercial area around which are several residential neighborhoods. The commercial and residential properties that form the district reflect the period of Johnston’s greatest growth—from approximately 1880 to 1920—and include a variety of architectural designs such as Italianate, Second Empire, Victorian, Queen Anne, and Neo-Classical. The district also includes three churches and the town’s cemetery. The railroad, which passes through Johnston, was the primary cause for the creation of the town and continues to be a daily reminder of the town’s early transportation history. When the railroad was constructed it passed directly through a plantation owned by Dr. Edward J. Mims, and today this land makes up much of the town of Johnston. The railroad station was named “Johnston” in honor of the president of the Charlotte-Columbia-Augusta Railroad. Mim’s son Matthew Hansford Mims reputedly laid out the town, and his plan designated Johnston as an area one-mile square with its mid-point at the intersection of Lee and Calhoun Streets. Parallel and perpendicular streets also were designated and each block was divided into four one-acre lots. Listed in the National Register August 25, 1983.