Lake Murray separates Chapin from the rest of Lexington County.

Chapin is located approximately 24 miles (39 km) northwest of Columbia, and many people commute there for work; however, the town is considered fringe rural by the US postal service.

[citation needed] The town government is set up in the mayor-council form, and the current mayor is Albert Koon.

Lake Murray is the main attraction to Chapin and provides boaters with water-related recreation.

After Chapin and Laura Anne Benjamin were married on June 16, 1850, the couple moved down South because of Martin's health (a lung condition).

The Chapins were living in Columbia when Martin's doctor suggested he to move to the Piney Woods area.

[6] On March 28, 1907, Job S. Wessinger, P.M. Frick, and J. S. Honeycut founded the Bank of Chapin.

[8] Slowly the businesses in Chapin were starting to experience hard times nearing the 1930s.

[9] In the midst of the Great Depression Chapin started a recreational team sport of baseball.

Chapin also built paved roads, a baseball field and established the public library.

Garbage collection was an issue in the '60s, so the town government bought land and built a landfill.

[16] While Chapin is a part of Lexington County, the creation of Lake Murray by the Dreher Shoals Dam cut Chapin off from the rest of the county by road, creating something of an exclave.

[18] The 2010 Census recorded that Chapin has a population of 1,445 with 658 total housing units within town limits.

[19] As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,809 people, 768 households, and 524 families residing in the town.

The Mayor Pro Tem is Mike Clonts along with the council members who are Gregg White, Leland Teal.

He served a one-year term along with officers W.W. Goza, H. E. Metts, Carl Shealy, and W. B. Fulmer.

[23] Chapin schools and churches were the center of life in town according to historian Addison Bostain.

Cecil Woolbright became Chapin High School's head football coach and athletic director in 1968.

The Chapin High School Eagles won two state championships and three conference titles in three years.

[24] The earthen dam stands over 200 feet (61 m) tall and runs 1.5 miles (2.4 km) across.

Lake Murray has over 500 miles (800 km) of shoreline and covers approximately 50,000 acres (200 km2).

[30] The nearest arm of the lake reaches within 0.5 miles (0.80 km) of the town limits.

Much later in the 1980s SCE&G added a sheet piling way on the lakeside of the highway again to help with flooding.

Lake Murray offers many different types of boating opportunities in addition to recreational areas.

Today, the lake has recreational swimming, boating, skiing, fishing, and wake-boarding.

Lake Murray is known for its purple martins, striped bass, and great blue heron.

On Monday, the festival activities start off with a parade through town and often features local, state and sometimes national political candidates.