The Town of Summerville South Carolina was first inhabited in the late 1700s as settlers sought respite from the summer heat, mosquitoes and disease. The town modernized with the arrival of the railroad in the early 1800s and led the village to incorporation. It operates administration, business license, environmental services, planning and zoning, public works, public safety and water service departments. The Town of Summerville is overseen by a board of elected officials who conduct town council meetings to discuss the public agenda. The town maintains a municipal court, conducts traffic studies and designs comprehensive traffic plans. It has 700 local buildings on the National Historic Register.