Ruff's Chapel

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

From the record

“Ruff's Chapel is a historic Methodist chapel at U.S. 21 and SC 34 in Ridgeway, Fairfield County, South Carolina. It was built about 1870, and is a single-story, rectangular frame building, sheathed in weatherboard, with a front gabled roof.”
Wikipedia article Ruff's Chapel, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 44 National Register listings published here for Fairfield County · listed in 1980 · category: Building.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service · the Wikipedia article

The listing

What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building, 1 structure as contributing to the listing.
Address. U.S. 21 and SC 34, Ridgeway, 29130
When was it listed? November 1980
Category. building
Also known as. Ridgeway MRA
Census division. Ridgeway
National Register reference number. 80004400 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

178 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 178 fires within 5 miles of Ruff's Chapel between 1992 and 2020, burning about 587 acres in total. 5 started naturally. 9 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	80
Debris and open burning	41
Equipment and vehicle use	22
Smoking	9
Arson/incendiarism	9
Misuse of fire by a minor	7
Natural	5
Railroad operations and maintenance	3
Power generation/transmission/distribution	1
Other causes	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
7 September 2005	Misuse of fire by a minor	under an acre	South Carolina Forestry Commission	not named
4 September 1999	Debris and open burning	1.0 acres	South Carolina Forestry Commission	not named
25 September 2008	Debris and open burning	1.0 acres	South Carolina Forestry Commission	not named
25 September 2007	Equipment and vehicle use	1.5 acres	South Carolina Forestry Commission	not named
10 September 1993	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	South Carolina Forestry Commission	not named
6 August 1998	Equipment and vehicle use	under an acre	South Carolina Forestry Commission	not named
4 August 2002	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1.5 acres	South Carolina Forestry Commission	not named
25 August 2000	Natural	5.0 acres	South Carolina Forestry Commission	not named

Every fire recorded in Fairfield County

Mines and quarries near this property

2 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Ruff's Chapel: 1 occurrence, 1 plant. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Gold. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where	Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
	Pp/2k Or I-77 Prospect	Gold	Occurrence
	Ridgeway Mine	Gold	Plant	1969, 1989

Every working recorded in Fairfield County

Storms near this property

45 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Ridgeway, the town this property stands in, in 45 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 31 thunderstorm wind, 9 hail, 4 tornado, 1 flood. The reports record 1 death and 13 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
September 2004	Tornado (F2)	Ridgeway	1 killed, 13 hurt	An F2 tornado destroyed 5 mobile homes, did moderate to severe damage to 2 framed homes and injurred 13 people. One 57 year old male died. Two vehicles were moved 20 to 30 yards.
June 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	$12,000	State official reported numerous trees down across southeastern Fairfield County.
April 2013	Tornado (EF0)	Ridgeway	$10,000	NWS Storm Survey revealed a weak tornado occurred along Mood Harrison Road where around 6 trees were toppled falling on a outbuilding and a car. Several large limbs were also down and an antenna on a mobile home was damaged.
August 2025	Flood	Ridgeway	$5,000	Trained spotter reported a stalled vehicle due to ponding of water on Dogwood Avenue near the intersection of Peach Street. Additional areas of poor drainage led to standing water in portions of downtown Ridgeway.
March 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	$4,000	Dispatch reported a several trees down on Hwy 34 and Hwy 69.
July 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	$4,000	Police reported trees in the roadway at West Ruff Street and South Means Streat.
May 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	$2,000	Sheriff reported trees down along Macedonia Church road.
March 1996	Tornado (F0)	Ridgeway	$2,000	no account filed
June 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	$500	Highway Patrol reported a tree down at the Peach Road exit ramp off of I-77 southbound.
March 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	$10	A trained spotter measured a 55 mph wind gust at a home weather station in Ridgeway. He also observed a funnel cloud.
March 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	Broadcast media relayed a picture of a roof covering blown off at City Gas and Fuel. Time estimated by radar.
January 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	A tree was uprooted on E Church St in Winnsboro.
May 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	Report of a tree down and minor damage to a home in Ridgeway. Report via social media. Time estimated by radar.
December 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	SCDPS website reported power lines down near the intersection of Longtown Rd and Palmer St in downtown Ridgeway. Time estimated by radar.
July 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	A large tree limb was downed near Geiger Elementary School in Ridgeway. Multiple other large tree limbs were downed along US Hwy 21 between Ridgeway and Blythewood. Time estimated.
May 2022	Hail	Ridgeway	-	Report of 1 inch hail near the town of Ridgeway.
July 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	SCHP reported a tree down at US Hwy 21 and Longleaf Rd near Ridgeway.
May 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	A spotter reported a 72 mph (63 knot) wind gust with a home weather station on Longtown Rd near Ridgeway.
April 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	SCHP reported a tree down on Spinner Rd.
April 2018	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	Straight line wind damage began in and near the town of Ridgeway. Extensive tree damage, with many trees snapped or uprooted, occurred for nearly 8 miles NNE of the town, just to the east of Highway 21.
May 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	Reported trees down along Old Highway 21 in Ridgeway.
June 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	Reported several trees down near the town of Ridgeway.
July 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	Trees down on Van Exem Rd.
July 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	Law enforcement reported a tree in the roadway at Longtown Road and Bellfield Road.
July 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	SCHP reported trees down near I-77 and SC Hwy 34.
May 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	Sheriff reported trees down on Coleman and Peach streets.
March 2008	Hail	Ridgeway	-	Spotter reported nickel size hail.
April 2007	Hail	Ridgeway	-	Post Office reported 3/4 inch hail in downtown Ridgeway.
June 2007	Hail	Ridgeway	-	Sheriff reported nickel size hail.
June 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	DOT reported a couple of trees down in and around Ridgeway.
July 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	Public reported several trees down along SC Hwy 43.
April 2006	Hail	Ridgeway	-	Highway dept. reported 3/4 inch hail.
June 2006	Hail	Ridgeway	-	SKYWARN spotter reported quarter size hail.
April 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	Highway dept reported several trees down.
December 2005	Hail	Ridgeway	-	Post Office reported 3/4 inch hail and power outages in Ridgeway.
July 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	Post Office reported several trees down on secondary roads around Ridgeway.
February 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	EOC reported trees down.
July 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	Electric company reported trees and powerlines down on Park Road in Ridgeway.
June 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	Electric co. reported trees down on powerlines on Longtown Rd.
July 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	Sheriff and Electric Co. reported trees and powerlines down in southeast fairfield county.
December 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	Highway dept. reported a few trees down on SC34 east of Ridgeway.
August 1994	Tornado (F2)	Ridgeway	-	Tornado blew down large trees and ripped a roof and rafters off a home at intersection of SC101 and Rocky Point Road.
April 1997	Hail	Ridgeway	-	no account filed
January 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Ridgeway	-	no account filed
June 1996	Hail	Ridgeway	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Fairfield County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
Century House	under 500 feet	1971
Ridgeway Historic District	0.3 miles	1980
Monroe Wilson House	0.5 miles	1980
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church	0.5 miles	1971
Mount Hope	1.8 miles	1984
Hunter House	1.9 miles	1984

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 80004400 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Fairfield County	All 44 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.