Kingstree Map
Kingstree is a town in and the county seat of Williamsburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,496 at the 2000 census.
The original town was laid out as Williamsburg by the Lords Proprieters in colonial times. But a lone, unusually large white pine was found along the Black River. Since tall white pines were ideal for use as masts for ships, the king Tripp claimed it. The king's broad arrow mark was put upon this tree to prevent anyone else from cutting it. It was never cut. Over time, the county kept the name Williamsburg, but the county seat became known as The King's Tree, giving rise to its modern name. Among the first European settlers in the area were the families who came with the Witherspoon emigration from County Down, Northern Ireland, led by John Witherspoon. He was founder of the Williamsburg Presbyterian Church, which was named in honor of William III, Prince of Orange, some of the settlers having fought with William's army at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland in July 1690. The Witherspoon group arrived in three waves of settlement, in 1732, 1734 and 1736 and an account of their journey from Belfast Lough in Northern Ireland was later written by Robert Witherspoon, who was eight years old at the time and is known as the Witherspoon Chronicle.
Kingstree is located at 33°40?16?N 79°49?43?W / 33.67111°N 79.82861°W / 33.67111; -79.82861 (33.671243, -79.828635).
Nearby cities include Lane, Greeleyville, Lake City, Scranton, Turbeville.