Abbeville, SC 29620(Abbeville County)

Hillbern Creek is a key feature of the land, flowing through the middle of the tract and surrounded by mature hardwood. Yellow poplar and red oaks dominate this bottomland. Maple and black walnut trees are also common. American beech and white oak cover adjacent slopes. Tributaries have been dammed by beavers to make small waterfowl areas.

About 95 acres lying closest to Mt. Carmel Road are forested with loblolly pine planted in early 2020. The land is gently rolling from Mt. Carmel Road to Hillbern Creek. Hilltops give long-range views across the tract. These planted pines are complimented by open food plots, natural thickets, and small groups of older pine for diversity. The young stand has excellent stocking and spacing. The area is very open with lots of broomsedge and a few competing hardwoods.

West of the creek, the land is more strongly rolling. Hills are dominated by young, natural stands of loblolly pine and hardwood. Access across the land is very good, with an abundance of roads and trails connecting nine wildlife openings. These range from about half an acre to two and a half acres in size for a total of around eight acres. A high standard creek crossing with 10-foot diameter culvert gives access to the western side of the tract. Two smaller creeks also have culvert crossings. Two gates enter the property from Mt. Carmel Road.

A pole barn with electric power sits near the middle of the tract and about 600 feet from Mt. Carmel Road. The barn is approximately 25’ x 50’ with wood siding, metal roof, and concrete slab floor. Four bays are about 12 feet in width with a 10-foot entrance height. One of the bays is enclosed and has double doors hung for access. Electric power is run underground to the site, and the barn is wired for basic lights and plugins.

Soils are mostly sandy loam and are productive for timber and wildlife openings. Over most of the property, soils would be productive for larger fields and pastures if desired. The topography is gently rolling, especially near the paved road. Thus, the land could lend itself to a variety of uses. A powerline along the paved road is maintained by Little River Electric. Power is already run underground to a pole barn near the middle of the tract. Soil maps indicate that septic perc potential is good for the most accessible parts of the property. There are no public waterlines in the area.

The immediate neighborhood is mostly wooded tracts. Houses are widely scattered in the area. Two residences fall within sight of the property along Mt. Carmel Road. U.S. Forest Service land is directly across the road. A plat from 2006 describes the property as 293.53 acres with over a quarter mile of paved road frontage.

Mineral rights are reserved by timber companies, which owned the property about 40 years ago. A reservation such as this was common practice for some corporate timberland owners at that time. There is no indication that the mineral owners intend to act on these rights. It is not apparent that mineral values exist on this property or in the area. A few small gold mines were active within 10 miles of here in the 1800s. Currently, there is only one active mine within a 20-mile radius of the tract, which is a small gold mine on USFS property about 6 miles to the east. The mineral reservation outlines compensation to the current landowner at 200% of market value for affected areas should mining activity be initiated which impairs use of the property. A copy of the mineral reservation is available upon request.

Several items of equipment and personal property are offered to be included with the sale, such as a 70 hp Kubota tractor, a Polaris ATV, mower, trailers, deer stands, and feeders. A list of these items is available upon request. Arrangements need to be made with the listing agent to view these items.

The town of Abbeville is about a 12-minute drive away and offers restaurants, doctors, churches, Ingles Grocery, and a new Ace Hardware. The tract is about 8 miles from Abbeville, 20 miles from Greenwood, 64 miles from Greenville, and 57 miles from Augusta, GA. All distances are approximate road miles to the center of town. The property address is 2002 Mt. Carmel Road, Abbeville, SC. County tax map # 167-00-00-012.