History
Irmo was originally the home of the Cherokee Indians. German and Swiss settlers arrived in the area that would become Irmo in the mid-1700s. They were the first Westerners to call this place between the Broad and Saluda Rivers home, thus its name “Dutch Fork,” referring to the “Deutsch,” or Germans. The region afforded a lot of amenities with the waterways and consistent water source provided by the Broad and Saluda.
Sherman's March
Most of what was built up by these settlers in Dutch Forks over the next 200 years would be wiped out in February 1865 when Sherman’s army leveled it to the ground during his march to the sea.
The Lorick Plantation Home is one of the few structures in Irmo to survive Sherman’s march. Sherman’s officers stayed at the house while their soldiers set up camp on the surrounding land. They did attempt to burn the house when they left, but the Lorick family was able to put it out. The home was donated to the Lake Murray Toursim and Recreation Association in 1995, and the home was moved to a new location near the Lake Murray Country Visitors Center where visitors can tour the home.
Founding of Irmo
The area quickly began to rebuild after Sherman’s march due to railroad construction. The Columbia, Newberry, and Laurens (CN&L) Railroad began constructing 10 miles of rail between Dutch Forks and Columbia. The town was eventually laid out by the Piedmont, Land Improvement & Investment Co., which was the company providing the lumber for the new railroad. As a result, the town of Irmo was chartered on Christmas Eve 1890. The town’s peculiar name is a combination of the last names of two railroad officers: C.J. Irdell and H.C. Moseley. The first two letters of their name composed the town’s peculiar name: Irmo.
As the railroad was built along the ridge, so was the town of Irmo. The railway line went into the capital city of Columbia and provided further amenities to the town.
Recent Changes
Later, in the 1930s when the dam was built across the Saluda River, creating Murray Lake, the town saw further changes. Irmo experienced further growth with the construction of two interstates in the 1960s. I-26 and I-20 intersect right outside of Irmo.
In recent decades, Irmo has experienced tremendous growth. In 1970 the town had just 500 inhabitants; by 2009 it had swelled to nearly 12,000.
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