Latta was a good place to grow up.

I grew up in the house that my grand daddy built, when Latta was formed.

It's named for a railroad engineer, R.J. Latta.

He was from York County and who was a surveyor.

The town was drawn by Mr. Latta just before the turn of the century.

The railroad came through and that was a big deal and if you look at the map and you look at railroad every seven miles you'll see a depot.

The depot was the thing that made the town because people could get their goods to the depot, so they could be transported mostly up North, cotton in particular and tobacco.

When the roads came, 301, 501 that was a big deal because Latta is about halfway between New York and Miami.

And people would try to make it in two days.

So Latta was a good stopping place.

(upbeat music) I was raised here, went to school here.

My grandparents owned a gas station in town.

The size of the town makes it unique.

The people here obviously is what makes this town thrive being the size that it is and you know if you're on the street and people are speaking to you.

People are friendly in this town but overall the people in this town are very accepting.

We welcome the strangers that come in, not as strangers but as people we need to inform and talk to and make feel welcome here.

I've only been chairman for two years on Latta Revitalization Commission.

And we've made a lot of progress in the town.

L.R.C.

is a committee of people who have one joint interest that are all volunteer to make Latta a better place, one step at a time.

The local support that we get is overwhelming because there's a lot of people that want to see this town grow.

We are getting new businesses downtown.

And I think that the general attitude of the people in the Latta is positivity to get things rolling, to get things better than what they were at one time.

And make our town great.

My wife and I moved here from Miami 24 years ago.

I didn't know anybody in this whole town, just drove up, walked in, bought it the next day.

And turned it into an inn.

Abingdon Manor is named after a place that we visited in England, It's a 113 years old this year, it was started in 1902, finished in 1905.

It's ten thousand square feet.

It's a luxury country inn and restaurant.

We have a clientele of people who travel between the Northeast and Florida, as well as a lot of upscale diners who are looking for fine food.

We're one of only 11 four diamond restaurants in South Carolina.

A bunch of people come to just sit outside and enjoy the grounds and read, sort of reconnect.

The town's very friendly.

It's very walkable.

So it's a good place to sort of get away and relax.

And then for the overnight people.

It's sort of this old civilized break on I-95 between the Northeast and Florida.

It's not staying in a roadside motel.

You're not eating at fast food places and if you want to get out of your car and stretch and take a walk, this is the kind of place to do that.

But the town is quaint, friendly, peaceful.

People are just really friendly, welcoming, open.

I think that's a real asset.

There's a lot of progress that's going on.

There's a lot of relationships that are being built that have never been built before.

Yeah I love Latta, I wouldn't be here if I didn't.

Latta is our town.

This is our town.

This is our town.

This is our town Latta, South Carolina.