A Tradition of Service for Over 125 Years
Comporium, known then as the Rock Hill Telephone Company, was founded in 1894 by John Anderson, John Cherry, and Andrew Smith. During the first year, the company installed 27 phone lines, most of them connecting the businesses and suppliers of the company’s founders. During the next two decades, Paul Workman and his aunt grew the company to 443 phones before ultimately selling the company to E.L. and Mary Sanders Barnes on Mar. 10, 1912.
Four generations later, the descendants of E.L. and Mary are still running what has now become Comporium, as the company enters its 128th year of business. During the past century, we have acquired an interest in five other independent telephone companies, growing to serve Fort Mill, Lancaster, Heath Springs, Great Falls, Brevard (N.C.) and the Midlands of South Carolina.
History Timeline
John Anderson, John Cherry and Andrew Smith obtain a charter from the State of South Carolina to establish telephone service in Rock Hill, S.C. Rock Hill Telephone Company installed 27 lines in its first year.
Rock Hill Telephone and its 433 lines are sold to E.L. and Mary Barnes.
Rock Hill Telephone acquires its initial interest in Lancaster Telephone Company (established 1898).
Rock Hill Telephone acquires Fort Mill Telephone Company (established 1897) and its 293 lines.
Catawba Services and Video Vision were formed to provide cable television services to Rock Hill, Lancaster and Fort Lawn, respectively.
Telewatch Security Systems is organized to provide residential and business security services.
Dial-up and direct internet service arrived with the formation of SunBelt.Net, a subsidiary of Rock Hill Telephone Company that served three states.
To signify the diverse services being offered, Rock Hill Telephone Company and ten affiliated businesses rebrand and reorganize to become Comporium Group.
PBT Telecom of Gilbert, S.C. was acquired, adding customers in six Midlands counties to Comporium’s customer base.
Citizens Telephone Company (20,000 customers) and Sylvan Valley CATV (6,000 customers) of Brevard, N.C. are acquired.
With the launch of Zipstream, Comporium becomes the first internet provider to launch 1GB service.
More About Comporium
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Museum
Take a walk through 125 years of history at the Comporium Telephone Museum in Rock Hill, S.C.