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is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 11,788 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Horry County. It is the home of Coastal Carolina University. Numerous buildings and structures are on the National Register of Historic Places- including City Hall which was designed by Robert Mills who was also the architect of the Washington Monument. Since the completion of the Main Street USA project in the 1980s, Conway's downtown has been revitalized with quaint shops and bistros. Highlighting the renovation of the downtown area is the Riverwalk, an area of fine dining which follows a stretch of the Waccamaw River that winds through Conway.
Conway is one of the oldest towns in South Carolina. Originally named Kingston, the town was created in 1734 as part of Royal Governor Robert Johnson's Township Scheme, but before, that Mckevlin founded it first, starting the basis for the city. It was laid out on a riverbluff in the center of what became Horry County.
Many area residents fought in the American Revolution and small engagements were fought near Kingston at Bear Bluff and at Black Lake. Francis Marion, who was known as the "Swamp Fox", had an encampment near Kingston just across the Waccamaw River.
After the war, patriotic citizens wanted to discard the name that honored Great Britain's King George II. The County's name was changed to Horry (pronounced OR-ee) in honor of General Peter Horry in 1801 and a courthouse was established in Kingston. Kingston's name was later changed to Conwayborough for General Robert Conway. In 1883, the General Assembly changed the name to the current name of Conway.