Chapin, popularly known as the capital of Lake Murray, is a town located in Lexington County, South Carolina. Chapin was founded by Martin Chapin in 1889. The following year, 1890, the railroad was built to connect Chapin to Columbia, South Carolina and other major regions. The population of Chapin was 1,445 according to the 2010 census. The town government is set up in the Mayor-Council form and the current Chapin mayor is J. Robert (Skip) Wilson. Chapin has four public schools in the area; the first Chapin school was built in 1924. Lake Murray is the main attraction to Chapin, South Carolina and provides recreational boaters with water-related entertainment.