Chapin is named after Martin Chapin in 1889. 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. He bought property in this area, and over the years Chapin bought . He built a home in Piney Woods and later a hotel in the 1880s along the new rail line that ran from Columbia to Laurens. The railroad provided a way to trade and transport goods to the capital city. Cotton and the lumber industry were flourishing with the railroad providing transportation. After Martin's death on August 31, 1894, Laura Chapin sold their home and moved into the Chapin hotel.